The minister in charge of Canada’s federal social safety net for workers says the government is looking at removing rules that make it difficult for some to get their full parental leave as part of a review of the employment insurance system. Federal Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough says the issue’s particularly acute for new mothers because […]
Hootsuite Inc.’s director of total rewards talks benefits in a remote working environment, the four pillars of wellness and recharging through physical activity. Q: What top challenges do you face in your role? A: Hootsuite is very big on diversity, equity and inclusion and we operate in multiple countries, so it’s a balance of finding […]
Pinterest is expanding its parental and fertility benefits offerings, including the addition of two rounds of in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. The social media company’s enhanced benefits — available to all employees worldwide — also include a minimum of 20 weeks of parental leave for all parents, while adoptive parents will now have 20 weeks […]
Mandy Kwasnica and her husband’s lifelong dream to add children to their family has come true. The couple recently brought two children — Anya, 9, and Artem, 11 — to Canada after adopting them from the Ukraine (the new family of four is pictured above). “The second day we saw them, [Anya] had cards for […]
Shopify Inc. was awarded for its digital-first employee health and wellness strategy at Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 14. The technology company won the award in the Coronavirus and Benefits category for an employer with more than 5,000 employees. Although the organization already had a few remote workers, it swiftly transitioned all of its employees […]
While more than half (58 per cent) of Canadian employers provide top-up pay for maternity leave benefits, just 33 per cent offer top-ups for parental leave benefits, according to a new survey by Aon. The survey, conducted among 207 Canadian employers, found 53 per cent provide income replacement of 95 per cent to 100 per […]
A majority (75 per cent) of U.S. organizations said the coronavirus pandemic has influenced how they approach absence management as a whole, according to a survey by Hub International Ltd. The survey, which polled more than 500 small- and mid-sized employers, found about 40 per cent of respondents acknowledged their time-off policies need to be […]
Amid the ongoing federal election campaign, the Liberal Party is promising to table legislation that would allow employers to request proof of a coronavirus vaccination without fear of a legal challenge. While few details were provided, the legislation would pertain to vaccination requirements for employees and customers, according to a press release. Read: Where do […]
The union president for the Canadian Border Services Agency employees is “relieved” after reaching a new tentative agreement that includes retirement benefits and new paid leave programs. Under the four-year agreement, which dates back to 2018, the Treasury Board has committed to working toward the introduction of early retirement benefits for the border employees, along […]
As any new parent can attest to, those early hours, days and weeks with a new baby are beyond challenging. In the fourth trimester (a common term for a baby’s first three months in the outside world), this brand new little human you’re tasked with keeping alive will give you vague clues about what they […]