Roughly one in ten (11 per cent) of all leaves of absence among U.S. workers in the first quarter of 2024 were due to mental health — a 22 per cent increase from this period last year, according to a new report by ComPsych Corp. The report, which analyzed ComPsych’s absence book of business that […]
The union representing workers at three Ontario casinos has ratified a series of collective agreements that will provide improved pensions and health benefits for employees. Members of Unifor Local 444 at the Caesars Windsor ratified a three-year collective agreement that includes a one per cent enhancement to its defined contribution pension plan, as well as […]
Workers in B.C. will be eligible for “fair and balanced” sick leave pay that provides a minimum of five days a year starting Jan. 1, 2022, according to Labour Minister Harry Bains. The new sick leave policy affects all workers covered by the province’s Employment Standards Act, including part-time workers, he added. “I firmly believe that […]
More than a third (38 per cent) of plan sponsors are planning to update their benefits plan design by the end of this year, on par with those that did so in 2020 (39 per cent), according to a survey by Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Ltd. The survey, which polled more than 500 Canadian plan […]
A trio of conflicting decisions from Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice has left employers confused about a possible onslaught of wrongful dismissal lawsuits stemming from temporary layoffs due to the coronavirus pandemic. The confusion arises because judges have come to different conclusions about Ontario’s infectious disease emergency leave regulation, which provides that temporary layoffs in […]
Following an unprecedented 2020, Canada’s plan sponsors and pension plans are incorporating the lessons of the last year as they prepare for a new decade, according to a recent webinar hosted by Mercer Canada. The coming years will be marked by developments including increased geopolitical tensions and the lingering economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, […]
Vodacom Group, a South African telecommunications firm, is providing all global employees with 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. Employees will be able to take the leave if they or their partner are having a baby, adopting a child or becoming a parent through surrogacy. They can take […]
Members of the Nunavut Employees Union are taking issue with the requirement they use vacation time to self-isolate if they visit other provinces. The territorial government put restrictions in place for travellers outside of Nunavut in March, which is when members began calling to alert their union, said Bill Fennell, president of the NEU, in […]
For Chantelle Tadman, returning to work after maternity leave was more eventful than she’d hoped it would be. Between needing to take disability leave during her pregnancy and the maternity leave itself, she was off for 21 months. During that time, her company was acquired, her manager left and her team and job responsibilities completely […]
British Columbia’s ministry of labour is introducing a new online portal to help the government process applications for temporary layoff extensions more quickly. In late June, the province extended the time period for temporary layoffs related to the coronavirus pandemic to a maximum of 24 weeks — up from 16 previously — expiring Aug. 30, following calls from opposition parties […]