When Amazon Inc. employees in Toronto and Vancouver head to the office, they’ll be able to bring their fur babies with them. The technology company’s ‘Dogs at Work’ program provides dog owners and their four-legged friends with special perks, including a welcome package, designated spaces for their dogs to play, dog-friendly events, discounted pet insurance […]
The agreement on remote and flexible work between public sector workers and the federal government could set the stage for future union negotiations, according to labour experts. “We’re basically entering a brand new phase of what we talk about in collective agreements, which includes workers’ autonomy over their time,” says Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and […]
Despite many institutional investors pressing pause on their real estate activities in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, those that keep calm and carry on with a focus on diversification and innovation are poised to emerge as winners. “Real estate values, like other investment vehicles, can vary at different times based on shifting demand […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is adjusting its parental leave and flexible working policies to make them more equitable for women employees. Earlier this year, the AIMCo changed its corporate incentive plan, to no longer prorate performance pay during the supplemental employment benefits period for parental and maternity leave. Prior to the change, employees who took […]
Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of Canadian employees who have the option of taking a bizcation plan to do so this year, according to a new survey by Allianz Partners. The survey, which polled more than 2,000 employees, found one in four said their employer allows them to take a bizcation — blending remote work while […]
A third (32 per cent) of Canadian workers are at high mental-health risk — considerably higher than the 14 per cent who were found to be at high risk prior to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Telus Health’s (formerly LifeWorks Inc.) latest mental-health survey. Despite respondents’ mental-health score increasing slightly, from 64.6 points in December 2022 […]
Remote working is saving employees an average of 72 minutes in commuting time per day, most of which they’re turning around and spending on work-related duties, according to a study by the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research. The study, which examined the commuting habits of full-time working adults in 27 countries, found Canadian employees […]
As the coronavirus crisis enters an endemic phase, employers are beginning to see a return to pre-pandemic levels in paramedical benefits’ usage. During the first eight months of the pandemic, many plan members put off paramedical appointments because they were uncomfortable with non-essential, in-person interactions. In addition, many paramedical services were unavailable due to restrictions […]
Yelp Inc. is bringing employees together to highlight the link between wellness and diversity, equity and inclusion. “When we think about wellness, [DEI] is a big piece of the puzzle in terms of how we support employees’ whole professional selves,” says Miriam Warren, the technology company’s chief diversity officer. “In the early days, we thought about […]
Canadian employees are divided on whether there’s a significant difference between the workplace culture cited by their employer and the reality, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest mental-health index. Nearly two-fifths (38 per cent) of employees believe there’s a significant difference. This group also had a lower mental-health score (58.7) than the 37 per cent who believe […]