Though the idea was coined by English philosopher Thomas More in his novel Utopia in 1516, several countries — including Canada — are considering how it would work in practice today Liam Wilkinson, public relations strategist at UBI Works The pandemic has laid bare economic trends that have been ignored for far too long. Canadians […]
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ottawa Community Housing Corp. battened down the hatches and focused on addressing any absence management issues before they occurred. Now, Cindy Newell, the company’s director of human resources, says OCH is expecting to see fewer disability leaves post-pandemic, thanks to a proactive absence and disability management strategy […]
As the country began shutting down to focus on beating back the coronavirus at the height of the pandemic in March 2020, people with chronic health conditions fell to the back of the health-care line. “While all Canadians probably faced — to some extent — a negative impact due to some of the public health […]
SAP Canada Inc.’s vice-president and head of human resources talks embracing flexible working, keeping the “human” in HR and winter sports. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. SAP is a global organization, so everything we do must be within the context of what works for us in the country but […]
Employees at several Indigo Books & Music Inc. stores across Canada are unionizing, as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has “highlighted the precarity of retail work in general and how little say workers have in rapidly changing work environments. “Joining [United Food and Commercial Workers Canada] provided security and gave workers a voice without fear of retaliation,” […]
More than eight in 10 (83 per cent) U.S. organizations are implementing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in 2021, according to a new survey by WorldatWork. Among the 83 per cent, almost a third (29 per cent) said they took their first action on DEI initiatives during the past 12 months. Nearly all (97 per […]
Any return to the workplace, whether it’s after a medical or parental leave — or say, following a global pandemic — requires consideration and care to ensure the psychological health and safety of employees. Every back-to-workplace plan, regardless of the context, should be developed in partnership with each individual employee and driven by their physical […]
With the coronavirus pandemic exposing gaps in sickness and caregiving leave provisions across Canada, the Institute for Research on Public Policy is calling for permanent reforms to provide access to short-term paid and protected leaves for all employees. In the study, co-authors Eric Tucker, a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, and Leah Vosko, a […]
With many employers currently planning where employees will work post-coronavirus pandemic, our story on the Royal Bank of Canada’s hybrid work model piqued the interest of Benefits Canada‘s readers, taking the top spot as the most-read story over the past seven days on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. RBC banking […]
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, mental health was viewed as a workplace challenge waiting in the wings, but it’s moving to centre stage for many employers as companies across the globe prepare to mark a second World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10 in the clutches of this public health crisis. “The pandemic has created […]