Refreshing and re-communicating its mental-health program during the coronavirus pandemic led to 3M Canada’s win at the 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 14. Back in 2013, the manufacturing company began a journey to “empower employees to refresh, re-energize and feel well,” according to its award entry. However, while the wellness program was effective, the […]
Workers who lose their job over a refusal to vaccinate against the coronavirus may not be eligible for employment insurance benefits, according to updated guidelines from the federal government. Employment and Social Development Canada has issued a notice to employers enforcing vaccine mandates to help them fill out records of employment, a document needed to […]
Over the next three years, 67 per cent of plan sponsors said they anticipate investing money and/or staff resources in wellness areas outside of their health benefits plan, with 51 per cent focusing on investments in emotional or mental health, according to the 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. It found 14 per cent of plan sponsors […]
Unilever Canada Inc.’s fulsome approach to diversity, equity and inclusion led to its win in the diversity program category at Benefits Canada’s 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 14. At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Unilever Canada adopted the mantra “we’re navigating the same ocean, in different boats.” The adage, which created a shared sense of […]
SSENSE’s eye-catching and inclusive communications of its redesigned benefits plan launch was recognized at Benefits Canada’s 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 14. The Montreal-based fashion retailer won in the Benefits plan communications category for its comprehensive communications that spoke directly to its young and diverse employees. With a workforce that encompasses more than 35 nationalities and an […]
The Ontario government is introducing legislation that will require employers with 25 or more employees to draft a right-to-disconnect policy. On Monday, Monte McNaughton, the province’s minister of labour, training and skills development, announced the move as part of the Working for Workers Act 2021, as the Ontario government gears up for an election next […]
Plan sponsors and plan members have diverging opinions on where benefits dollars are best spent, according to the 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. The survey found that plan sponsors and members are less aligned on the value of many benefits than they were a year ago. Indeed, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year, […]
American Express Co. is eyeing January for the tentative launch of its hybrid working model. In an internal memo, Stephen J. Squeri, chairman and chief executive officer of American Express, said the model will go into effect only in locations where the company makes a full return to the office, likely starting with Germany, the […]
More than a third (38 per cent) of Canadian plan members who currently work from home said they’re concerned about interacting with people who aren’t vaccinated when they return to their workplace, according to the 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. A slightly smaller percentage (34 per cent) of plan members who aren’t currently working at home […]
The federal government has unveiled a $7-billion redesign of pandemic aid for businesses and individuals that kicks in Sunday, which would cut support to almost 900,000 workers and potentially put thousands of jobs at risk in the near-term. The Liberals have long said the federal wage and rent subsidies, along with benefits like the Canada […]