In 2021, more than 50 per cent of people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis said their condition has had a negative impact at work, according to Antonella Scali, executive director at the Canadian Psoriasis Network, speaking during a session at the annual Canadian Arthritis Research Conference last week. People living with inflammatory conditions often report […]
Employers in traditionally male-dominated industries can use flexible benefits and a diversity-minded approach to hiring to attract more female talent, says Deirdre Chong-Smith, a compensation consultant at Eckler Ltd. “Something that tends to get overlooked when thinking about an inclusive workplace is having a flexible benefits package that can cover any type of person or […]
The Canadian Employee Ownership Coalition is urging the federal government to introduce an employee ownership trust in the next federal budget and to remove tax barriers to employee ownership by adopting the U.K.’s approach to a capital gains tax exemption. The federal government pledged to study the barriers to employee ownership in its 2021 budget and committed […]
Even though the pandemic phase of the coronavirus crisis may be waning, two winners and three finalists in the 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards’ mental-health categories are keeping their feet on the gas in making employee support a priority and overcoming the lingering stigma. Regardless of the sector in which they operate, all of these organizations […]
BluePrint CPAs is offering a paid gym membership exclusively to its in-office employees as part of the firm’s strategy to encourage a healthy workplace and incentivize in-person work. The Chatam, Ont.-based firm is also offering one paid hour per day for exercise, but employees can allot two hours per day to be out of the […]
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, institutional investors are increasingly factoring geopolitical risks into portfolio construction, according to John Bai, senior vice-president and chief investment officer at NEI Investments, during a 2023 economic outlook seminar hosted by the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute on Wednesday. “All of a sudden, geopolitical risks went from […]
Bell Canada is marking its annual Let’s Talk Day with a call-to-action for increased mental-health support within communities and workplaces. “This year’s campaign has taken a step in a bold new direction,” says Monika Mielnik, director of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, mental health and well-being at Bell Canada. “Our awareness campaign is focusing on the […]
The union representing 450 employees at Domtar Corp. in Dryden, Ont. has ratified three collective agreements that include benefits and pension gains. The agreements include several group benefits enhancements, including $100 for vision, a $200 increase for dental and orthodontics, a $10,000 increase in life insurance, $1,000 for eye surgery and improvements in short- and […]
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is prioritizing accessibility and inclusion in its new offices at CIBC Square in downtown Toronto. “The building was formally announced in spring 2017, with design research starting shortly after that included consultation with 6,000 employees,” says Claudette Knight, vice-president of workplace design and transformation at CIBC. “The results of that […]
A new U.S. law that aims to strengthen retirement support for workers holds valuable lessons for Canada’s retirement system, says one pension consultant. The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022, which was signed into law in December, contains several provisions to enhance the U.S. retirement system and boost retirement savings, including a requirement for plan sponsors to […]