With so many Canadian employees working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Canada Revenue Agency is adding home office furniture to the list of expenses employers can reimburse tax-free. Usually, the CRA only allows employers to reimburse up to $500 of personal computer equipment so that an employee can carry out their employment duties […]
While the shift from driving to an office in a suit to shuffling to a laptop in slippers was supposed to be a temporary reaction to the global health crisis, the majority of employees want it to be a permanent change. The majority (80 per cent) of U.S. employees said they expect to work remotely at least […]
Like a spiky meteorite, when the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this year it demolished employer’s best-laid plans and is forcing them to find innovative ways to support, motivate and retain employees. During a virtual roundtable on Oct. 16, the 2020 Workplace Benefits Awards finalists discussed how they’ve quickly responded to everything from employee mental health to supporting financial wellness […]
Highlighting a long-standing commitment to the health of its employees, SSQ Life Insurance Co. was awarded the Sanofi Canada Wellness Pioneer Award at Benefits Canada‘s 2020 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 16. Its health and wellness program, which was established 15 years ago, integrates health prevention and health promotion, a lever it considers essential to […]
Scotiabank secured its second win at Benefits Canada‘s 2020 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 16 for adapting its existing benefits and introducing new resources to support employees in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. In the Coronavirus and Benefits category for an employer with more than 5,000 employees, the bank’s entry outlined how it transitioned 60 […]
While the majority of Canadian employers feel confident about the economy, 49 per cent of employees are seriously considering leaving their role, according to a new report by Hays Specialist Recruitment (Canada) Inc. Among the reasons cited by dissatisfied employees were reduced social interaction due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (45 per cent), increased workloads […]
The Canadian workforce is still undecided on the longevity of the shift to working from home, but across the border U.S. employers are increasingly making it a permanent fixture in their office policies. According to Statistics Canada’s latest labour force survey, the proportion of Canadians who worked from home during the pandemic decreased very slightly, […]
Despite a decline in mental health and well-being since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Canadians are still hesitant to access support, according to Morneau Shepell Ltd.’s latest monthly mental-health index. About half (53 per cent) of respondents indicated the pandemic has made them less likely to access health care for physical (29 per cent) and mental-health […]
At IBM Canada Ltd, if an employee joins a meeting, but doesn’t turn on their camera, the solution is simple: don’t worry about it. This is one attitude the company has formalized during the coronavirus pandemic to safeguard the mental well-being of its staff, says Katherine Faichnie, the technology company’s director of human resources. From a technology perspective, […]
Images of parents trying to shush their kids during work Zoom meetings are now as commonplace as, well, Zoom meetings. With many people six months into working from home due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, employers can often literally see employees with kids trying to juggle it all. A new survey by Willis Towers Watson found the three-quarters (74 per […]