When it comes to living through any stressful and uncertain time, routine is one of the unsung heroes. In a situation like the current coronavirus pandemic, routine provides reassurance that, even though entire countries are facing various degrees of hardship and uncertainty, we can still appreciate constants in our lives. The level of drastic change will […]
Shopify Inc. is moving the majority of its employees to permanent work-from-home arrangements and closing its offices until 2021. “Until recently, work happened in the office,” tweeted Tobi Lutke, chief executive officer of Shopify on Thursday. “We’ve always had some people remote, but they used the internet as a bridge to the office. This will […]
Competitive total rewards programs are a critical component of Canadian organizations’ human resources and corporate strategy, according to a new survey by WorldatWork. The survey, which polled 150 Canadian employers in February, found 96 per cent offer drug, dental, life insurance/accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability and employee assistance programs. Additionally, 93 per cent of […]
Only eight per cent of Canadian employers said they’re fully prepared to reopen their workplaces when provincial governments lift restrictions, according to a new survey by the Conference Board of Canada. The survey found a further 39 per cent of respondents said they’re nearly prepared and almost half (48 per cent) said they’re somewhat prepared. While few […]
Amazon.com Inc. is extending its increased hourly pay for all global employees and its double overtime pay for employees in Canada and the U.S. through May 30. The pay increase, which began in April, is $2 an hour in Canada, US$2 in the U.S., £2 in the U.K. and about €2 in many European Union countries. The extensions increase […]
BMO Financial Group’s chief human resources officer and head of people and culture discusses mental health, leadership development and yoga. Q: What top challenges do you face in your role? A: We’re a people business . . . so [our challenges are] skills, the access to fantastic talent, making sure we’re developing our people. But […]
With employers around the world forced to move to a work-from-home model in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Twitter Inc. says it will allow employees to continue to work from “forever.” In a blog post, Jennifer Christie, the organization’s vice-president of people, said Twitter was uniquely positioned to be able to respond quickly and […]
Canadians who’ve started working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic are seeing some benefits, according to a new survey by Robert Half Canada Inc. More than three-quarters (79 per cent) of the survey’s 500 respondents said they’re currently working from home. Of that group, 60 per cent said they now realize it isn’t necessary to go […]
In April, Pride at Work Canada convened nine professionals across the country to discuss the specific impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on LGBTQ+ employees. “We wanted to ensure everyone was working together to gather nationwide perceptions because each jurisdiction is viewing things differently,” says Colin Druhan, the organization’s executive director. “We also wanted to guarantee […]
More than four in 10 (41 per cent) Canadian businesses laid off staff in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by Statistics Canada. The survey, which polled representatives from more than 12,600 Canadian businesses, also found 38 per cent of businesses said they’ve reduced staff hours or shifts. Nearly one-fifth […]