Employee mental health and workplace productivity is worsening as the coronavirus pandemic drags on, according to Morneau Shepell Ltd.’s latest mental-health index. “While most of the population has adjusted to new work environments and physical distancing, ongoing economic uncertainties and anxieties related to work and personal life continue to plague Canadians,” said Stephen Liptrap, president […]
This time of year, Citigroup Inc.’s fitness centre would likely usually be packed with New Year’s resolutioners working out and catching up with colleagues. Not this January. The company’s Mississauga, Ont., fitness centre was a popular place for its employees to break a sweat together. But when the coronavirus pandemic halted in-person activities last March, the […]
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating several health care trends in 2021, including the growth of virtual care and a focus on mental and emotional well-being, according to the Business Group on Health. The Washington-headquartered organization predicts the rapid expansion and availability of virtual care in 2020 will likely lead to increased options, including weight management, […]
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating several health care trends in 2021, including the growth of virtual care and a focus on mental and emotional well-being, according to the Business Group on Health. The Washington-headquartered organization predicts the rapid expansion and availability of virtual care in 2020 will likely lead to increased options, including weight management, […]
Approximately seven per cent of Canadian companies plan to freeze salaries in 2021, according to a new survey by Normandin Beaudry. It found that while fewer organizations plan to freeze salaries this year compared to last summer (when more than 20 per cent of respondents planned a freeze), the number is still higher than pre-coronavirus pandemic […]
The Canada Revenue Agency is tweaking the requirements for three federal benefits following an uproar over the possibility of Canadians applying for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit after ignoring public health advice to not engage in non-essential travel. Anyone applying for the sick leave benefit, the Canada Recovery Benefit or the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit will now need to say whether […]
With coronavirus vaccines rolling out across Canada, employers must consider the privacy and human rights implications of requiring vaccinations for their teams, says Shaun Parker, an associate with the law firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt. “In a mandatory-vaccination program, if an employee will suffer adverse effects due to a protected ground, the employer may have […]
A rally on the stock market in the fourth quarter helped boost the strength of Canadian defined benefit pension plans to end 2020, according to a new report by Mercer Canada. The consulting firm said its pension health index, which represents the solvency ratio of a hypothetical DB plan, rose to 114 per cent at […]
While institutional investors are facing an “unquestionably brighter” economic outlook in 2021, challenges such as fluctuations in the U.S. and Canadian dollars still lie ahead, says Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Cambridge Global Payments. In terms of the global growth landscape, he says crowded trades have been fuelled across several asset classes based on an […]
The year 2020 tested the mettle of entrepreneurs and small business owners like none other in recent history. And private equity firms operating in the small- and medium-sized business space were called upon like never before to help manage through the pandemic. For many business owners, 2020 has been about survival and making it through […]