Latest news in Absence management

Calls for paid sick leave growing in Nova Scotia following end of coronavirus isolation requirement

Some Nova Scotians are calling for paid sick leave because they say the government’s decision to lift remaining coronavirus health orders will burden families who…

BNP Paribas offering paid paternity leave, coverage for gender affirmation, fertility treatments

BNP Paribas in Canada is expanding its employee benefits offering with up to $10,000 lifetime coverage for gender affirmation and fertility treatments. The bank is…

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U.S. abortion ruling thrusts employers into divisive arena

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the nation’s constitutional protections for abortion has catapulted employers of all types into the most divisive corner of…

Sounding Board: A look at the future of workplace wellness

Long before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe in early 2020, a massive transformation of the workplace was well underway. Advanced technologies, growing demand for…

Pilkington Glass, Unifor agreement includes paid leave, DC pension enhancements

The union representing roughly 100 employees at Pilkington Glass in Whitby, Ont. has ratified a three-year agreement that includes benefits and pension gains. Members of…

  • By: Staff
  • June 28, 2022 June 27, 2022
  • 09:00

More U.S., U.K. employers offering new childcare programs, subsidies amid pandemic: survey

Two-fifths (40 per cent) of U.S. employees and one in five U.K. workers say their employer has introduced new childcare programs or subsidies over the past…

  • By: Staff
  • June 27, 2022 June 27, 2022
  • 15:00

Deadline extended for the 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards

Benefits Canada is extending the deadline for entering the 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards to Friday, July 8 at 5 p.m. EST. The annual awards recognize employers and…

  • By: Staff
  • June 27, 2022 June 24, 2022
  • 09:00

Meet the 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards judges

As the 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards’ nomination process draws to a close later this month, Benefits Canada is pleased to announce this year’s panel of…

Expert panel: How employers can support working parents this summer

Heading into the summer months, parents of young or school-aged children are likely juggling work with gaps in their childcare needs. While many working parents…

2022 BPS coverage: How employers can combat the rise in musculoskeletal conditions

Employees are experiencing more pain than ever before, with nearly half of the workforce diagnosed with some form of chronic pain lasting more than three…

An in-depth look at LGBTQ+ benefits

Scotiabank marking Pride Month by increasing LGBTQ2S+ employee representation targets

Scotiabank is marking Pride Month by setting new targets for LGBTQ2S+ representation and connecting employees with volunteering opportunities in a range of communities. Dominic Cole-Morgan,…

Expert panel: The future of work is flexible, prioritizes employee mental health

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…

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Unionized Starbucks employees face hard work of bargaining in drive for better pay, benefits

It’s become a common sight: jubilant Starbucks Corp. workers celebrating after successful votes to unionize at dozens of U.S. stores. But when the celebrations die…

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Hitachi, Unifor agreement includes DB, DC pension increases, enhanced health benefits

The union representing employees at a Hitachi Construction Truck Manufacturing Ltd. plant in Guelph, Ont. has ratified an agreement that includes pension and benefits gains.…

  • By: Staff
  • May 24, 2022 June 22, 2022
  • 09:00
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Expert panel: How employers can design health benefits, retirement plans for gig workers

Whether they’re delivering takeout, chauffeuring passengers, or fixing leaky sinks, most gig workers in Canada don’t get benefits. Classified as independent contractors rather than employees,…

Contract workers at post-secondary institutions missing out on pensions, paid leave: report

Contract food services and custodial workers at Canada’s colleges and universities have less access to pensions and paid leave than their in-house colleagues, according to…

  • By: Staff
  • May 13, 2022 May 13, 2022
  • 09:00

CIBC offering enhanced gender affirmation coverage, fertility benefits, paid parental leave

The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is adding gender affirmation coverage to its benefits program and enhancing existing offerings such as paid parental leave and…

  • By: Staff
  • May 12, 2022 June 1, 2022
  • 09:00

2022 Tech Insights: How can employers support employees with moderate mental-health symptoms?

Benefits plans tend to support employees dealing with either mild or severe mental-health symptoms, but an entire middle category of plan members lack a treatment…

2022 Tech Insights: Optimizing plan member outcomes with proactive medication assessments

A typical patient’s journey takes plan members from the doctor to the pharmacy for medication and then leaves them on their own. But employees’ lives…

Alberta expanding bereavement leave policy to include parents experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth

Alberta’s government is proposing an amendment to provincial labour legislation that would extend bereavement leave to parents who’ve experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth. The proposed…

  • By: Staff
  • May 4, 2022 May 3, 2022
  • 09:00

2022 Workplace Benefits Awards opens for entries

Does your organization’s benefits plan or financial wellness program deserve recognition? Are you leading the way when it comes to supporting your employees’ mental health? Is…

  • By: Staff
  • April 29, 2022 April 29, 2022
  • 09:05

Ontario casinos, Unifor reach deals with improved pensions, benefits

The union representing workers at three Ontario casinos has ratified a series of collective agreements that will provide improved pensions and health benefits for employees.…

  • By: Staff
  • April 27, 2022 April 26, 2022
  • 09:00
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Ontario NDP platform includes dental care, pharmacare, paid leave

Ontario’s New Democratic Party’s election platform includes universal dental care, mental-health care and pharmacare. Following the agreement reached between the federal Liberals and NDP in late…

  • By: Staff
  • April 25, 2022 April 25, 2022
  • 15:00

Half of Canadians experiencing one work-related mental-health risk factor

Almost half (48 per cent) of Canadian employees are experiencing at least one work-related mental-health risk factor, according to a new report by Manulife Corp.…

  • By: Staff
  • March 29, 2022 March 28, 2022
  • 09:00
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Toronto non-profit compensating interviewees for their time

A Toronto-based non-profit organization is compensating prospective employees by paying them for their time during interviews. FoodShare Toronto’s new policy, which took effect March 1,…