Amid a challenging labour market, Canadian employers say attraction (64 per cent) and retention (57 per cent) are the top challenges impacting total rewards decisions, according to a new survey by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. The survey, which polled more than 500 employers, found just a third (29 per cent) were concerned about benefits […]
When Jessica Charbonneau decided to have a child through assisted reproduction a few years ago, it wasn’t cheap, but her employer helped shoulder some of the costs. Charbonneau, a 36-year-old student affairs case manager at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus, started with intrauterine insemination, spending a total of $15,000 for six rounds. The university’s […]
Standard Chartered is rolling out enhanced global parental leave benefits, effective Sept. 1. The bank is standardizing the amount of parental leave it offers, providing parents with the option of undertaking more equitable caregiving responsibilities for their children. With the enhanced benefits, all employees can access a minimum of 20 weeks of paid parental leave, irrespective of […]
More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of large U.S. employers are reporting an increase in mental-health needs among their workforces, according to a new survey by Business Group on Health. The survey, which polled around 150 large employers employing 19 million people, found this is a 33 per cent increase compared to last year, when […]
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. […]
While innovative benefits such as so-called ‘grandternity’ leave can support employee retention efforts, they’re best implemented through a diversity, equity and inclusion approach that includes similar programs for a wide range of employees, says Sandra Ventin, an associate vice-president at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. “I think [‘grandternity’] has some cachet and it obviously leads […]
The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4554 at Memorial University and the university’s students’ union are ratifying a new four-year collective agreement that includes improvements to employees’ benefits and pay. The agreement includes a new fertility treatment clause that provides time off and financial support for employees seeking treatment, since there’s a lack of fertility […]
Changes to the Public Service Health Care Plan, which took effect on July 1, include $75,000 for certain gender affirming procedures not covered by provincial or territorial health-care programs. Other new benefits include: $300 per year each for a registered dietician, occupational therapist and lactation consultant; $200 per year for batteries for hearing aids; $600 per […]
Canadian plan sponsors and insurers are revisiting how they classify obesity drugs under their benefits plans, amid plan members’ rising demand for Ozempic as a weight-loss treatment. Ozempic, also known under the generic name semaglutide, is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. However, the medication has also been credited as a weight-loss treatment, […]
Canadian employers are investing in innovative financial, physical and mental-health benefits to drive their attraction and retention efforts, according to a new survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 300 employers, found 59 per cent said they’ve invested in employee discount programs, followed by budgeting and other financial wellness education and support (51 […]