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 […]
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 […]
PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada is improving its parental leave policy with specialized coaching and leadership training for employees. As part of its Me + PwC program, the company conducted listening tours with employees, with the feedback including more support for parents, says Sonia Boisvert, a partner and chief people officer at PwC Canada. “Being a parent myself, […]
Scotiabank is supporting employee well-being and workplace inclusivity by aligning benefits offerings across its global markets. Employees in the majority of countries where Scotiabank operates will see their benefits aligned with the bank’s global inclusive standard within the next five years, towards a goal of aligning benefits in all markets by the end of 2030. […]
Thomson Reuters Corp. is introducing a minimum 16-week paid leave for all employees who are welcoming a new child, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or family role. The global policy is part of a wider Thomson Reuters initiative to promote a healthy work-life balance through its Flex My Way program, which also […]
Labatt Breweries of Canada’s wide-reaching diversity, equity and inclusion strategy led to a win in the DEI program category at Benefits Canada’s 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 18. “The whole team is thrilled with the win and that all their hard work and efforts have paid off,” says Robin Doobay, senior manager of total rewards […]
Capital One Canada is supporting employee well-being by providing six months of protected leave to volunteer, travel or take time with family. The financial organization launched the program in September after noticing requests for leaves were coming up without a formal process in place. While some employees’ requests were in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, […]
The provision of employer-sponsored benefits has evolved significantly over the last 45 years, with the past decade ushering in the most consequential changes, fueled by technology, increased competition and demand. In the 80s and 90s, benefits plans were very siloed and one size fits all, says Chris Pryce, founder and president of Human Capital Benefits, […]
An article on HSBC Bank Canada’s new benefits offerings was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. HSBC adding coverage for fertility treatments, surrogacy, gender affirmation 2. Employee placed on unpaid leave over mask refusal not entitled to reasonable notice: Alberta court 3. LifeWorks acquiring […]
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it triggered a flurry of questions — and some confusion — from employers on how they could continue to provide abortion coverage in their health benefits plans while complying with various state laws, says Sarah Raaii, a lawyer and senior associate with McDermott Will & Emery […]