American Express Canada is providing a daily meal stipend and refreshments to employees who are working onsite. With most employees in a hybrid or remote working arrangement, these perks help recreate the work-from-home experience in the office and support employee financial well-being by reducing costs, says Annette Kingsley, AmEx Canada’s vice-president of colleague experience. Employees receive […]
President Joe Biden’s order that federal employees in the U.S. get vaccinated against the coronavirus has been blocked by a federal appeals court. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has rejected arguments that Biden, as the nation’s chief executive, has the same authority as the chief executive officer of a private corporation to require […]
The Royal Bank of Canada is asking its employees to return to the office three or four days per week, effective May 1. In an internal memo, the bank said its senior leaders will finalize plans and provide updates to individual teams in the coming weeks, according to a report by Reuters, which noted an […]
In Ontario’s 2023 budget, which was announced on Thursday, the provincial government confirmed its temporary paid sick day program will expire on March 31, 2023. The measure, which was introduced during the coronavirus pandemic and provided three paid sick days to workers, was designed to support people who needed to take time off work to […]
When two U.S. banks failed this month, among the investors who lost millions were U.S. public sector pension funds responsible for ensuring the retirements of teachers, firefighters and other government workers. Since the pension funds are diversified investors whose holdings in Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were small portions of their portfolios, experts aren’t […]
Three years ago this month, the world was grappling with the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Even then, with very little information available, people were beginning to turn their attention to the anticipated long-term ramifications of the public health crisis. With everyone experiencing this once-in-a-century moment simultaneously, no one had a response for how […]
As the coronavirus pandemic enters its fourth year, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the health crisis has taken its toll on employee mental health. Scotiabank saw a notable rise in claims for mental-health drugs in 2022, says Ayman Alvi, the bank’s vice-president of global pension and benefits, noting the increased use of these medications aligns with […]
Despite many institutional investors pressing pause on their real estate activities in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, those that keep calm and carry on with a focus on diversification and innovation are poised to emerge as winners. “Real estate values, like other investment vehicles, can vary at different times based on shifting demand […]
During the coronavirus pandemic, most people were forced to work remotely and create makeshift offices in spaces that weren’t designed for that purpose. The result is a serious impact on musculoskeletal issues. Dr. Ayla Azad, interim chief executive officer of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, says remote and hybrid work are having a major effect on […]
The vast majority (91 per cent) of Canadian human resources leaders say they use hybrid work to recruit new talent, with 81 per cent saying it’s a “very to extremely effective” recruiting tool, according to a new survey by IWG. The survey, which polled more than 250 Canadian HR leaders, found prior to 2020, only […]