Amazon is expanding its family-building support program outside of Canada and the U.S., making it available to full-time, part-time and hourly employees in 50 additional countries across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. In partnership with Maven Clinic, a virtual clinic for women’s and family health, the organization will give employees and […]
IKEA Canada is supporting employees amid the rising cost of living by offering emergency relief grants through its Ingka Social Fund and extra discounts on select products. “The establishment of the global social fund was triggered by the energy crisis and inflationary pressures that many are experiencing in markets around the world,” says Natasha Bagley, […]
The union representing employees at Community Support Centre-Northwest in Dryden, Ont. has ratified a three-year agreement that includes retirement savings and benefits gains. The agreement includes a new group registered retirement savings plan with a 100 per cent employer match when employees contribute up to four per cent to the plan. It also includes four […]
I’m sitting down to write this on the hottest day so far in 2023. Environment Canada has issued a multi-day heat warning in my region — today, it’s 31 degrees Celsius but feels closer to 40, the humidity is 70 per cent, pressure is 101.3 kilopascal and the UV index is seven. This is the […]
While ChatGPT is helping benefits communications become more efficient, detailed and reliable, the risks may outweigh the rewards when it comes to full automation, says Tom Milne, a principal at Normandin Beaudry. The possibilities for generative artificial intelligence in the benefits space are infinite, he says, noting the algorithms are helping expedite the research and […]
Navigating the care path for health-care issues can be overwhelming and confusing — so much so, it can act as a deterrent to people seeking help. In terms of mental-health support, the Bank of Montreal launched a digital navigation guide in May to point staff in the right direction. The tool, which is available to […]
In 2022, Xero sent out a global survey to all of its employees asking them to rank the most important components of its total rewards program, from time off to flexible working policies, salaries to employee benefits. The software company’s Canadian employees ranked health benefits as one of the most important aspects of total rewards. […]
Though still a fairly new concept, pet benefits are becoming a more common consideration when employers are expanding their offerings and looking to stand out. In August 2022, Talk Shop Media introduced a ‘pawrental’ leave policy, which allows employees to take time off around the adoption of a new pet to focus on ownership duties, […]
The gaming and entertainment company’s new manager of benefits, retirement and wellness discusses improving benefits communication, transferring total rewards skills and her favourite Peloton workouts. Q: What new programs or initiatives are you looking to implement? A: I’d like to develop an ongoing education and communications strategy to promote our current benefits programs and categorize […]
An article on whether Canada should implement flexible working legislation was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Should Canada implement flexible working legislation for all workplaces? 2. How DC plan sponsors can prevent a Muslim pension gap 3. How employers can support employees impacted by […]