Employees like Matt Fairbanks are one of the reasons the hospitality and restaurant industry is struggling to find workers even as the coronavirus pandemic wanes. The 34-year-old former bartender has moved from slinging beers in Toronto to selling software to restaurants for a Saskatchewan company, which he does remotely. “I was always kind of one […]
More than two-fifths (44 per cent) of employers believe remote working has led women to exit the workforce due to the potential for longer workdays, according to a new survey by Mercer Canada. The global survey found more than half (52 per cent) of male respondents said they’ve experienced shorter workdays while working remotely, but […]
Two-fifths (42 per cent) of Canadian parents postponed returning to work in 2022 due to difficulties finding childcare, according to a new survey by Statistics Canada. The survey, which polled the parents of more than 11,500 children, found roughly four in 10 parents using childcare in early 2022 reported difficulty finding care. Among respondents who looked for childcare […]
Employees everywhere are redefining what work means to them and redrawing their expectations of employers. Mental-health supports and flexible working options are now imperative if an organization is to remain competitive. To these ends, workplaces need a mental-health strategy. But a workplace mental-health strategy isn’t ping pong tables and a snack bar. It requires real […]
A decision by a British Columbia labour arbitrator on how a drug cost-control program violated a collective agreement was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Implementation of drug cost-control program violated collective agreement: arbitrator 2. Employers seeking to withhold termination entitlements must prove […]
Last summer, Julio Carmona started the process of weaning himself off a fully remote work schedule by showing up to the office once a week. The new hybrid schedule at his job at a state agency in Connecticut still enabled him to spend time cooking dinner for his family and taking his teenage daughter to […]
The percentage of Canadians who worked exclusively from home decreased from 24 per cent in January 2022 to 19 per cent in April, while just six per cent said they’re in a hybrid work arrangement, according to a survey by Statistics Canada. The survey, which polled 49,000 working Canadians, found nine in 10 (88 per cent) […]
More than two years into a gruelling pandemic, with many Canadians facing the added challenge of navigating a return to the office, companies are embracing a range of approaches to help workers coping with mental-health challenges. But experts say lip service remains a hazard that too many boardrooms still fall back on. A top-to-bottom shift […]
As the days grow warmer and Canada’s gradual seasonal shift steers toward spring, employers across the country are finally implementing their longstanding and much-delayed plans for returning to in-person offices or worksites — despite the fact that the coronavirus pandemic is deep into a sixth wave. It’s important to recognize that the workplaces we’re returning […]
Ian McGrath has made it clear to his bosses: if the company forces staff to return to the office, he’ll tender his resignation. The Halifax-area technology worker says he’s thriving working from home. His productivity has soared, his last annual review exceeded expectations and he’s now one of the company’s top performers. “I’ve also achieved a […]