The 830 locked-out employees at Reliance Home Comfort sites in Ontario are heading back to work after their union ratified a new contract with the company on June 30. The new collective agreement includes two new paid sick days, improvements to the extended health benefits cost-sharing and a one per cent increase to the matching […]
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union is giving its staff more paid sick days until the end of the coronavirus pandemic or for the duration of respective collective agreements. The OPSEU is extending its annual paid sick leave from seven to 10 days and will give all of its temporary workers 10 fully paid sick […]
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Canadian employers are balancing the need to reduce benefits costs while focusing on employee well-being, according to a new survey by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Just over half (55 per cent) of respondents said controlling costs is their top benefits-related challenge this year, with many considering measures such as variable cost […]
Canadian employees are seeing significant workplace shifts amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by payroll and benefits company Humi. It found employees took 40 per cent less vacation time in 2020 compared to 2019. Meanwhile, the number of sick day requests was “drastically higher” in the months leading up to the […]
The costs of employer-provided health plans in Canada are expected to rise seven per cent next year, outpacing general inflation by more than five per cent, according to a new report by Aon Canada. Contributing factors include higher drug prices, the impact of non-communicable health risks and the continued introduction of new and expensive therapies. Indeed, […]
New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh said his party will support last week’s throne speech on the condition that more Canadians be granted access to paid sick leave as part of draft legislation covering the federal response to the coronavirus epidemic. The proposed legislation, Bill C-2, would see Canadians receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit transition […]
While benefits plan members are experiencing levels of stress that impact their productivity at work, a growing number feel their employer is supporting their mental health, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. The survey found 37 per cent of employees said they’ve felt physically ill due to overwhelming workplace stress in the last year. […]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has confirmed he’ll work with the provinces on creating 10 days of paid sick leave for all Canadians. “Nobody should have to choose between taking a day off work due to illness and having to pay their bills,” he said in his daily briefing on Monday. “That’s why the government will continue discussions […]
With three confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Canada, 40 potential cases under investigation and the World Health Organization declaring the virus an international public health emergency, unions — especially those representing transport and health-care workers — are calling on employers to ensure sufficient safety measures are in place. The Ontario Nurses Union sent out […]
As this winter’s flu outbreak intensifies, small U.S. business owners are trying to keep their companies from being overwhelmed by employee absences. At Gold Medal Wine Club in Santa Barbara, Calif., any surfaces people are likely to touch, including the coffee machine, water dispenser and door knobs, are wiped down and there’s hand sanitizer on […]