Communication is critical to show employees the true value of total rewards beyond pay, according to Aastha Juneja, head of compensation and benefits at Corus Entertainment, speaking during a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Future of Work Summit.
“We often think of ourselves as a number in the stream of people, but communication is so important in helping people to see the value beyond their paycheque. Communicating [openly and] allowing people to see how it all comes together makes a big impact. We could call it a total rewards overview so we’re not just looking at the close-knit components to compensation.”
Benefits and pensions have become more of an area of focus for people instead of just pay, she added, noting Corus employees have become more eager to join the education sessions the company holds around their benefits and pension plans.
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“Given the stress of the economy in the last few years, people are thinking [more] long term about their financial well-being and their pension plan. [It’s also about] helping people build towards retirement and having the right conversations and training, . . . as well as ensuring we’re catering to all of the different age groups at different financial stages.”
During the Summit, Juneja and other panellists discussed the results of Benefits Canada’s 2025 Future of Work Survey, which found the majority (82 per cent) of employers awarded pay increases in 2025, though the average raise decreased to 2.9 per cent in 2025, from 3.2 per cent in 2024.
Two-thirds (66 per cent) of employees who were in the same position and organization as they were in 2024 reported they received a pay raise in 2025, up from 2024 (62 per cent), 2023 (55 per cent) and 2022 (59 per cent). The average raise was just 2.6 per cent, compared to four per cent in 2024.
In particular, younger workers seemed to be out of touch with the realities of today’s labour market and pay expectations, noted David Drewery, associate director at the University of Waterloo’s Work-Learn Institute, during the discussion.
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The institute recently polled roughly 500 employers and 2,400 students, asking the students what they expected to earn in their post-graduation jobs and asking employers what they thought new graduates should be earning. The gap was significant, noted Drewery.
“The soon-to-be [graduates] are overestimating the favourability of their position in the labour market. I think things have just changed so quickly over the last year or two. If you’re already [working], you’re watching how your colleagues are sorting this out [and] you’re probably realizing how tight things are. But I think the younger generation needs to receive a little more education on how tight things truly are.”
The survey also found 50 per cent of employees in the same position as last year were satisfied with their raises, with just nine per cent saying they’re very satisfied. Only 37 per cent of these employees felt their salary is keeping up with the cost of living, but employers acknowledged the gap, with 72 per cent saying they plan to explicitly account for cost-of-living pressures in 2026 increases.
Most (86 per cent) employees said they aren’t actively considering leaving their employers, but among those considering doing so in the last year, better pay (68 per cent), flexibility (40 per cent), better time-off benefits (31 per cent) and better health benefits (28 per cent) were the top offerings they’d look for in a new employer.
Read: Benefits, pay driving employees’ job search plans in 2026: survey
Download a copy of the 2025 Future of Work Survey report here.