Four years after the Ontario Securities Commission introduced its comply-or-explain disclosure policy, Canada has seen measurable improvements in the number of women sitting on corporate boards. Among S&P/TSX composite index-listed companies, the percentage of women on boards has increased to nearly 25 per cent, up from just 11 per cent in 2013, according to a […]
PCL Construction Ltd. is encouraging its employees to talk about their mental-health journeys and take breaks when they need it during the month of May. Employees can share their stories on the company’s WellPCL internal blog, which is promoted and shared by the company’s human resources department. “They range from, ‘I’m a superintendent on a […]
Foodora couriers are leading an effort to join the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to negotiate with their employer for fairer pay and basic benefits. The Justice for Foodora Couriers group says the company’s classification of its couriers as independent contractors allows it to avoid paying for basic employee benefits, such as the Canada Pension Plan and employment insurance, […]
While a Calgary councillor’s proposal to review all municipal pensions was passed to a city committee for further study in late April, local unions are still concerned. Councillor George Chahal, who put forward the proposal, says the city should review its pensions because the related costs for both unionized and non-union workers are rising at double the rate […]
PCL Construction Ltd.’s vice-president of human resources and professional development discusses the many dimensions of wellness, virtual health care and hiking in the Rockies. Q. What are the top challenges you face in your role? A. The top challenge right now is getting employees aware and involved with their [benefits] plan. We’re on a flex […]
Employees of Community Food Centres Canada will join the OPTrust Select defined benefit pension plan after more than 90 per cent voted in favour of the move. CFCC, which operates nine food centres across the country to reduce food insecurity for Canadians, was named one of the plan’s seven inaugural members on April 26. OPTrust […]
Members of the United Association Local 721 union in Prince Edward Island went on strike last week after being unable to reach a new agreement with their employers over wages and benefits. The union, which represents more than 130 plumbers, pipefitters and welders in PEI, began negotiations with four employers in December. Its previous contract expired […]
Specialty medications and high-cost drugs for common conditions are driving up private plan drug spending, according to Express Scripts Canada’s annual drug trends report. The report found the rapid increases in drug spending for private plans over the last 20 years have started to slow. The average annual drug spending per plan member was up just 0.9 per cent […]
Digital employee health benefits platform League Inc. is now offering its employees and their spouses or common-law partners $5,000 per lifetime toward in vitro fertilization or other similar fertility treatment. According to Kim Tabac, League’s chief people officer, the startup began offering the IVF benefit in the last nine months, in response to interest from […]
Alongside Hydro One Ltd.’s initial public offering in November 2015, the company underwent an internal transformation by revamping its total rewards program. Previously, the utility organization’s program was very traditional with a fixed salary structure and not much external benchmarking, according to Sabrin Lila, Hydro One’s director of compensation and human resources analytics, noting the company was limited by existing […]