Manulife giving all staff $50 to ‘pay forward’ this holiday season

In lieu of traditional end-of-year company celebration events and gifts, Manulife Financial Corp. is giving its 35,000 employees around the world $50 each and encouraging them to “pay it forward” this holiday season.

In recognition of the hardships endured by many this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the insurer is encouraging its employees to donate to individuals or businesses in their local communities or pool their contributions with co-workers to demonstrate their support collectively. The organization is also encouraging staff to share their stories of support on social media.

Read: Managing the holiday party, bonus season during a pandemic

“We believe that our success as a company depends on the success of the communities we serve,” said Roy Gori, Manulife’s president and chief executive officer, in a press release. “By motivating and empowering our global team to share their humanity and give back, we hope to make lives better for people around the world.”