IBM Canada Ltd.’s director of HR talks data and analytics, holistic employee health and playing the piano Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. I want to help employees understand and fully leverage all of our benefits offerings. IBM provides competitive retirement saving vehicles and financial management tools, but I always […]
The Supreme Court of Canada will hear an appeal on a Manitoba court case that could have implications for employers dealing with a human rights issue in a unionized workforce. The resulting decision could settle whether labour arbitrators or human rights tribunals have jurisdiction over human rights issues in unionized workforces in certain provinces. The case concerns a […]
Starbucks Coffee Co. is offering eligible employees in the U.S. access to 20 free mental-health sessions per year beginning April 6. Through provider Lyra Health Inc., employees will be able to meet with a therapist or coach in-person or via video. They’ll also be able to access self-guided online programs recommended by the provider based […]
All Canadian employers should assume at least one employee will test positive for the coronavirus, said Dr. Wendy Smeltzer, medical director at virtual health-care company Wello, during a webinar this week. “We all have to brace for this new normal and we all have to brace for the moment when every [business] will have at […]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an $82 billion stimulus package to underpin several new policies aimed at supporting Canadian workers and employers during the coronavirus pandemic. “Public health should never hinge on financial considerations,” said Trudeau at a press conference on Wednesday morning. The support will come through a combination of $27 billion in direct […]
Ontario and Alberta are making changes to provincial employment legislation to protect workers who are affected by the coronavirus. In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton proposed amendments to the Employment Standards Act that would provide job-protected leave to employees who are in isolation or quarantine, as well as to those […]
Across the country, public pension plans are releasing statements to assure members that their defined benefit pensions are secure and that they’re taking measures to protect the health and safety of their own staff. The Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan said it regularly tests operations and will continue to make pension payments. […]
Canadian politicians, public health officials and chief executive officers have all urged Canadians to practice social distancing in a bid to “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus pandemic. Many global technology companies, including Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc., Google and Twitter, ramped up work-from-home programs last week. And Ottawa-headquartered Shopify Inc. has emerged as a leader […]
The chief executive officers of several major Canadian pension funds have joined forces with several other CEOs to ask Canadian business leaders to make the slowdown of the spread of the coronavirus their main priority. “International experience demonstrates that social distancing is the only effective method and is in the best interests of our employees, […]
As employers prepare to prevent against the spread of the coronavirus, issues of workplace and public safety will likely take precedent over privacy concerns. Employers have duties under provincial occupational health and safety laws to take all reasonable precautions to protect workers, communicate information about potential hazards and train employees on how to deal with […]