As I write this, I’ve been back at my desk for three weeks following my second maternity leave. This time around, I took nearly eight months, which gave me a lot of time to think about Canada’s archaic employment insurance system and its impact on new parents. For many working parents in Canada, eight months […]
When Jennifer Young, a global human resources business solutions consultant at Manulife Financial Corp., found out she was expecting her first child in 2021, she thought the coronavirus pandemic would pose the biggest challenge to a healthy pregnancy. But, like many parents, her journey into motherhood ended up requiring a circle of care dependent on […]
Despite the prevalence of pregnancy loss, many employers still don’t have a plan in place that adequately supports employees experiencing this type of loss, says Michelle La Fontaine, a program manager at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network. “We’ve heard a variety of experiences from families who have experienced pregnancy and infant […]
To help working mothers with the sometimes overwhelming task of maintaining a work-life balance, employers can invest in inclusive, flexible policies and provide support when parents return to work, says Christine Tatham, chief people officer at Redbrick. Early in Tatham’s career and after having her first baby, a former boss asked her if she wanted […]
Nearly half of Canadian women employees say they’re dissatisfied with their organizations’ support during maternity leave, according to a survey by Maturn. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 women, found two-fifths (39 per cent) didn’t receive a top up. Among the 59 per cent who said they received some form of paid leave, the benefits […]
Any employer focused on attracting and retaining great people understands the importance of providing a competitive benefits program that supports employees through all stages of their health and well-being. The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan’s annual Canadian employer pension survey found a growing number of businesses are opting to improve benefits as a means to […]
Every time I sit down to write my editorial for our annual Women’s Issue, now in its sixth year, the themes these issues highlight for women feel extremely personal to me. This year is no different. In this year’s Cover Story, on page 14, six women between the ages of 22 and 53 shared how […]
By March 2021, nearly half a million Canadian women who lost their jobs during the pandemic still hadn’t returned to work by the beginning of that year, according to data from the Royal Bank of Canada. It also found more than 200,000 women had slipped into the ranks of the long-term unemployed, a threefold increase […]
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 […]
Global law firm Clyde & Co is rolling out a globally-consistent parental leave offering that will be available to all employees and partners with at least 12 months of service. At its core, the offering includes 26 weeks of fully paid leave, regardless of gender or parental role, and replaces previous maternity and paternity leave […]