In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. employers are embracing flexible working arrangements and considering adopting a hybrid model for rewards and pay, said a report by Willis Towers Watson. The report showed a majority (59 per cent) of employers surveyed have workers who are currently telecommuting, including 25 per cent who are able […]
Walmart Canada Corp. is giving new cash bonuses to its employees, saying the “appreciation bonus payment” recognizes their ongoing dedication during the coronavirus pandemic. The move follows similar announcements made by other companies in recent weeks, including Sobeys Inc., and could put pressure on more retailers to offer so-called hero pay to essential workers as the […]
Employee benefits and total rewards planning have always been a critical element of business planning, but never more so than during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Mercer Canada conducted a recent client poll which showed that unlike previous years, most Canadian organizations still had not set their salary adjustment budget for 2021 as of early November. While […]
Being an office worker used to mean going to an office. Not anymore. A new day has already dawned for many, including the City of Toronto’s 14,500 white-collar employees, who’ve been working at home since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March. The quick switch to working from home wasn’t without some hiccups and skeptics at first, […]
Employers in the U.S. are changing policies related to vacation and paid time off in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. In a bid to help with recruitment and retention during these tumultuous times, nearly three-quarters of employers said they’re granting vacation or paid time […]
Gender diversity is increasing on the boards of Canada’s 100 largest publicly-traded companies, according to a new report by KPMG Canada. It found women comprised 34 per cent of new board appointments since 2014. These women were slightly younger than their male counterparts, more educated, far more likely to come from outside the organization and […]
Dean Connor, Sun Life Financial Inc.’s president and chief executive officer, is retiring, effective Aug. 6, 2021. Kevin Strain will take over as president and a member of the organization’s board of directors as of Feb. 15, 2021 and as CEO upon Connor’s retirement. Since 2017, he’s held the role of executive vice-president and chief financial officer, as well as […]
New research is suggesting a bump in the number of fathers planning to take time off with a new baby under a nascent national leave program could be affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It’s been more than a year since the Canadian government started offering the use-it-or-lose-it extra weeks of paid leave for non-birthing parents. The program was […]
In lieu of traditional end-of-year company celebration events and gifts, Manulife Financial Corp. is giving its 35,000 employees around the world $50 each and encouraging them to “pay it forward” this holiday season. In recognition of the hardships endured by many this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the insurer is encouraging its employees to donate to individuals […]
Sobeys Inc. is bringing back pay premiums for staff in locations where coronavirus lockdowns are in effect. Parent company Empire Co. Ltd. has reinstated ‘hero pay’ in Manitoba, Toronto and Ontario’s Peel Region as rising cases of the virus in those areas have prompted the shutdown of non-essential businesses. Each week, eligible employees will see between $10 […]