Following recent hurricanes in the United States, employers are confronting absences caused by extreme weather conditions by considering a climate-related policy that allows employees to take paid leave for days off due to a natural disaster. New York-based software company Fog Creek Software has formalized a plan. It’s allowing employees to take up to five days paid leave due to extreme […]
Ontario’s fall economic statement confirmed a number of previously announced frameworks for the province’s pension, health-care and employment programs, including a look at addressing decumulation. The statement, delivered by Ontario’s Finance Minister Charles Sousa on Tuesday, noted the government is exploring new approaches to help retirees draw down their savings in an efficient, cost-effective manner so their savings […]
A Japanese marketing firm is giving non-smokers an additional six vacation days per year. Piala Inc. originally got the idea from employees who complained their smoking co-workers took more breaks and were less productive as a result. “One of our non-smoking staff put a message in the company suggestion box earlier in the year saying that […]
A vast majority (94 per cent) of U.S. employers provide some type of flexible working arrangement for their employees, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Among the options, telecommuting is the most popular, with 74 per cent of respondents offering it. However, 60 per cent of those that offer […]
How long is your daily commute? Thirty minutes? An hour? Two hours? The actual average amount of time Canadians spend getting to and from the workplace is 53 minutes, according to a new survey by staffing firm Robert Half International Inc. The survey, which looked into the commuting habits of more than 500 Canadian employees, […]
No individual employer is going to change the reality of an aging demographic or generational attitudes, but there are several things organizations can do to make work more satisfying for younger employees, a professor told participants at an event in Halifax on Tuesday. Speaking at Benefits Canada‘s 2017 Halifax Benefits Summit, Karen Foster, an associate professor […]
Workplace flexibility has become a popular perk in recent years as more and more employees want control over their schedules and seek a greater work-life balance. But just how much leeway can employers offer in this domain? Last week, Victoria-based employer RingPartner Inc. received some attention for its five-hour workday policy. Besides working five hours […]
At Mars Inc., every day is a take-your-dog-to-work day. The food manufacturer allows employees to regularly bring their dogs into its three office locations in Canada and provides several benefits to pet owners. The company’s headquarters in Bolton, Ont., have a courtyard where dogs can run and play, and employees can take eight hours of […]
Forget the standard eight-hour workday. An employer in Victoria lets employees work in the office for only five hours a day. Employees at digital marketing agency RingPartner Inc. must be in the office from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but they’re free to decide where, when and how they’ll work the rest of the workday. While […]
While many employers promote work-life balance, 25 per cent of Canadians have left a job due to stress and 17 per cent have considered making an exit, according to a new survey by Monster Canada. The online recruiter, which polled more than 1,000 working Canadians, found 58 per cent said they’re overworked. Two-thirds (65 per […]