As provinces across the country begin removing coronavirus pandemic restrictions over the coming weeks, some employers are already returning employees to their respective workplaces. But many employees are still hesitant to return to a shared office space, particularly while the country is still mired in the public health crisis. Although some employers may drop their […]
Sagamok Anishnawbek, a First Nations community in northeastern Ontario, is participating in a pilot benefits plan program that provides plan members with access to traditional Indigenous medicines and services. Located along the north shore between Sudbury, Ont. and Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., the community’s employee base includes fire department workers, school teachers, community planners and […]
As the second anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic approaches, Canadian employers are leveraging all the tools in their health and wellness toolbox to stave off employee burnout and a looming spike in disability leaves. Employers are still investing in virtual health-care supports in a bid to help employees manage burnout and other adverse effects of […]
It’s been two years since CGI Inc. held its last big in-person social event for employees. The Bollywood-themed extravaganza, hosted in March 2020, offered several activities, including henna painting, catered Indian cuisine and even Bollywood dancing lessons provided by the organization’s India office. The event was one of a few social engagements CGI has thrown […]
Xero Ltd. is enhancing its parental leave benefits to make them inclusive to all employees on the path to parenthood. Starting Feb. 1, 2022, the public technology company’s Canadian and U.S. employees are eligible for $12,600 or US$10,000, respectively, through a global fertility benefits provider that offers family forming services — from adoption to surrogacy, […]
Alberta’s move to enter the captive insurance market could have significant benefits for employers in the province. On Dec. 2, 2021, the province’s proposed Bill 76, the Captive Insurance Companies Act, received royal assent, taking it one step closer to becoming law. If passed, the legislation will make Alberta the second province, after British Columbia, to […]
AstraZeneca is embracing belonging, inclusion and volunteering to keep its employees socially connected and engaged as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. The isolation that accompanies remote working due to the pandemic has been challenging for most employees, says Gena Restivo, the biopharmaceutical company’s vice-president of human resources, communications and sustainability in Canada. “We recognized early […]
The Toronto Dominion Bank is diving into a talent pool that has long gone overlooked by making assistive technology for employees with a disability widely and readily available. “Persons with disabilities are the most under-employed group out there,” says Bert Floyd, the bank’s senior information technology manager of assistive technologies. “There’s a lot of great […]
Manitoba is amending its pension regulatory system in order to strengthen the province’s pension regulatory and solvency framework. The changes, which took effect on Dec. 20, 2021, establish new rules for the funding of private sector defined benefit pension plans, including reducing the solvency deficiency threshold at which special payments must be made from 100 […]
It’s no secret there’s a looming retirement savings gap among Indigenous and racialized Canadian seniors and their white counterparts. Indeed, a June 2021 study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found data from the 2016 census showed white seniors’ income from private pension sources — such as registered pension plans and registered retirement savings […]