When employee mental health is impacted due to traumatic world events, employers can provide support by highlighting available resources and fostering a sense of community through employee resource groups, says Mark Harrison, founder of the MH3 Collective. One prominent example is the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement situation in the U.S., which is impacting the […]
Indigenous women in Canada continue to face structural barriers to workplace retirement plans and benefits programs, driven by employment instability, eligibility rules and traditional benefits design that often don’t reflect Indigenous realities, according to leaders at Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services. National labour data highlights the disparity. A Statistics Canada report found the employment rate […]
When the return-to-office mandate arrived, 39-year-old Supreet Singh, a corporate communications manager at a bank, didn’t argue, escalate it to human resources or request an accommodation. After nearly seven years of balancing full-time work with caregiving for an ageing parent and two school-aged children, she resigned. The company had been clear there would be no […]
Vancouver City Savings Credit Union is supporting diverse talent through an initiative that reduces systemic barriers in hiring and advancement and strengthens pathways into leadership for Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving employees. “Vancity created an initiative to address a critical business need: ensuring our talent pool reflects the diversity of the communities and members we serve,” […]
The concept of merit, excellence and intelligence — which is gaining traction in certain industries — can detract from the critical efforts employers are making with diversity, equity and inclusion, says Cerys Goodall, chief operating officer of Vetster. “MEI is an ideal — it sounds great, but DEI is the practice and we need to make […]
While the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on public health and the global economy dominated the news cycle in recent years, there has been no shortage of incidents that draw awareness to social disparities the world over, from the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020 to the ongoing discovery of unmarked graves at Canada’s […]
One consultant says these campaigns are informing employers’ strategic decision-making, while another stresses the importance of ensuring employees understand the reason for marking these occasions. Michelle Grocholsky, founder and chief executive officer, Empowered EDI Many employers are aligning these monthly campaigns to support and advance strategic diversity, equity and inclusion actions. For example, employee storytelling campaigns […]
While employers in the financial services industry have made some progress in attracting diverse talent across the traditionally male-dominated sector, there’s still a long way to go. To this end, BNP Paribas is widening its talent pool and supporting a diverse workforce through a comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion strategy that encompasses recruitment, leadership training […]
Financial literacy initiatives and a wide range of capital accumulation plan options are key components in supporting the financial health of midwives, said Nicole Mellin, executive director of the Association of Ontario Midwives Benefits Trust (pictured left), during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Defined Contribution Plan Summit in February. The association provides its roughly […]
Features such as automatic enrolment in 401(k) savings plans are helping U.S. employees become retirement ready, said Mark Iwry, a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury for national retirement and health policy, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Defined Contribution Plan […]