With the 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards’ nomination process soon drawing to a close, Benefits Canada is pleased to announce this year’s panel of judges. The deadline for this year’s awards is Fri., July 7, at which time the awards entries will be turned over to the hands of several industry experts. Read: Who are the winners […]
As employers continue to ramp up their focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, Benefits Canada is returning with its sophomore DEI issue. In my editorial at the front of last year’s June issue, I highlighted the overdue and rising attention on DEI in the workplace, but also pointed out the importance of going beyond ideas […]
An article on Canadians’ retirement readiness was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Survey finds 44% of Canadian pre-retirees have less than $5,000 in savings 2. PwC Canada promoting inclusive work environment with three new employee resource groups 3. How employers can support LGBTQ2S+ […]
While many organizations are joining the conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion, it’s about more than just saying the right things and having the right policies; it’s about changing the systems that increase the success of diverse people in the workplace. Ksenia Kamenskaya, head of people and culture, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. To make […]
Like other large employers, Ontario Power Generation Inc. has a diverse workforce that embodies the broader Canadian population across multiple demographics. The Crown corporation uses a variety of methods and measurements for gathering diversity, equity and inclusion data, including engagement surveys and focus groups to establish mental-health indicators by analyzing benefits usage, says Tanya Hickey, […]
At the beginning of April, the OPSEU Pension Trust made a change to a definition in its plan text that will have meaningful implications for plan members with disabled children who need to continue to rely on their parents into adulthood. The organization expanded the definition of a child eligible for survivor benefits to include […]
After leading the way in supporting transgender employees, Accenture is continuing to expand its diversity, equity and inclusion offerings to meet workers’ evolving needs. In 2011, the professional services company was one of the first employers in Canada to support transgender employees through its benefits offerings. “At the time of [the benefit’s] inception, Accenture worked […]
Considering women account for just over half of the population, Andrew MacDougall understands why — taken in isolation — the state of female representation at the top level of Canada’s public companies can seem a little underwhelming. According to the most recent round of disclosures, around 34 per cent of seats on the boards of […]
Employee resource groups have been a part of many organizations for several years, are usually created and operated by employees and evolve and grow over time. But at Kraft Heinz Canada, six fully-formed ERGs arrived at once. “When our Canadian and U.S. businesses merged last year, the company thought one of the best ways to […]
It has been called “the change.” Menopause. That time, occurring roughly between the ages of 45 and 55, when a female’s reproductive life ends and any number of incapacitating symptoms appear. These symptoms — from hot flashes to memory issues to muscle and joint pain — can impact physical health, mental health and, inevitably, performance […]