Thomson Reuters Corp. is marking Mental Illness Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day with the launch of a new mindfulness practice. The practice, called ‘be purposefully present,’ is the result of employee discussions and research conducted throughout the year, says Mary Alice Vuicic, chief people officer at Thomson Reuters. “We [want to help] employees adopt a new […]
In the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, Shopify Inc.’s chief executive officer Tobi Lutke was among the first technology leaders to declare most of his staff would “permanently work remotely” because “office centricity is over.” His belief in remote work went so far that he even dropped listing Ottawa as the e-commerce giant’s headquarters […]
Microaggressions — everyone has heard them or may have even used them. Defined as everyday verbal and behavioural slights against a person or group that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative feelings, these put-downs, assumptions and comments — regardless of intention — are hurtful, insulting and damaging to a person’s self-esteem. Especially prevalent in the workplace, […]
The union representing employees at a Blackburn Media Inc. radio station in Wingham, Ont. has ratified a three-year collective agreement that includes increased benefits and a flexible work schedule. The agreement includes an increase for vision care, from $100 to $300 every 24 months, and an increase in paramedical coverage to an annual maximum of […]
By requiring employers to have a written policy on the electronic monitoring of their employees, the Ontario government is aiming to increase employer transparency, says Andy Pushalik, partner and head of the employment and labour group at Dentons Canada LLP. “With so many employees now working from home, [the government] felt there was a requirement that […]
A majority of plan sponsors (80 per cent) and plan members (77 per cent) described the quality of their health benefits plans as excellent or good, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. Employers with 500 or more employees (86 per cent) were more likely than those with fewer than 50 employees (72 per […]
Walmart Inc. is teaming up with a fertility startup to offer benefits under its insurance plan that will help its U.S. workers expand their families. The retail giant is partnering with New York-based Kindbody to offer benefits such as in-vitro fertilization, as well as fertility testing regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or marital […]
As Sept. 30 marks the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, employer awareness of the impact of Canada’s residential school system has grown since the day was first observed in 2021, but more action needs to be taken, says Kelly Lendsay, president and chief executive officer of non-profit organization Indigenous Works. “It has […]
Canadian employees are divided on whether there’s a significant difference between the workplace culture cited by their employer and the reality, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest mental-health index. Nearly two-fifths (38 per cent) of employees believe there’s a significant difference. This group also had a lower mental-health score (58.7) than the 37 per cent who believe […]
An article on virtual health-care findings in the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. 88% of benefits plan sponsors satisfied with virtual health-care offerings: BCHS 2. OTG Management using earned-wage access cards to help employees contend with […]