Canadian Underwriter

Topic HR

Post-COVID return to the office
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Will 4th wave, mandatory vaccines spur more insurers to re-imagine the workplace?

August 16, 2021 by Canadian Underwriter Staff

With COVID-19 cases rising across Canada and several large employers — including the federal government — announcing they’ll require workers to be vaccinated, insurers and brokers may begin rethinking their return-to-office plans. Not long before the fourth wave hit, some

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The importance of employee experience in the post-pandemic world

August 13, 2021 by Jason Contant

Improving employees’ experience is a top priority for almost all Canadian employers’ post-pandemic success, Willis Towers Watson (WTW) said in a study released Aug. 11. However, while employers recognize adapting to the new reality will take time and require a

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4 ways to stay visible while working remotely

August 3, 2021 by Jason Contant

As more Canadian property and casualty insurance professionals shift to a hybrid workplace, it will be important for remote workers to remain visible while the rest of their colleagues are in the office. To be viewed as a valued team

News BrokersCommercialHRManagementMergers and AqcuisitionsOperationsRisk Managers

How many people Marsh hired amidst ‘distraction and uncertainty’ of Aon-Willis merger discussions

July 26, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Amid the uncertainty over Aon PLC’s now-scuttled plan to acquire Willis Towers Watson PLC, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. increased its staff level by nearly 2,000 during the first half of 2021, Marsh & McLennan CEO Dan Glaser says. “We

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Former Bermuda reinsurer CEO now on Intact board of directors

July 23, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Emmanuel Clarke, a former CEO of Bermuda insurer PartnerRe Ltd., is now on Intact Financial Corporation’s board of directors, Toronto-based Intact announced Thursday. Clarke, a French national, was appointed CEO of PartnerRe in 2016, shortly after EXOR S.p.A. completed its

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4 design concepts for the new hybrid office

July 22, 2021 by Jason Contant

In planning their future hybrid offices, Canadian insurance industry employers will need to carefully consider office design approaches, a blog published Thursday by Harvard Business Review advises. “By all indications, the future of work is hybrid,” wrote Jim Keane and

Back to the office post-pandemic
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How this Top 5 insurer is approaching return to work

July 20, 2021 by Jason Contant

Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company is allowing the “vast majority” of its team members to choose where they want to work starting mid-September. The move will provide flexibility to employees, allow continued support of the business, and support recruiting and retaining

Post-COVID return to the office
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3 steps for an effective back-to-the-office plan

July 19, 2021 by Jason Contant

If back-to-the-office conversations are just starting at your company, or if you are finding that an early strategy isn’t working, employers should take a three-step approach to creating a successful plan, a business strategist suggests. As a manager, the first

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Former Aviva Canada VP now CEO of TD Insurance

July 7, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

James Russell, a former senior executive with The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company and Aviva Canada, is now leading The Toronto-Dominion Bank’s property and casualty insurers. Russell’s appointment results from a re-assignment of several TD senior managers. Russell has

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‘I quit’: Wave of resignations prompts concerns over labour shortage

July 7, 2021 by Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press

CALGARY — If not for COVID-19, Valerie Whitt might never have summoned the courage to quit her job. The 50-year-old Markham, Ont. woman had been a project manager for Ontario Health for 13 years. She felt drained and exhausted from

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Your work is about to change. Why working from home won’t be the same

July 5, 2021 by Adam Malik

Working from home more often means a change to the way property and casualty insurance industry professionals do their jobs, as well as the expectations between employee and employer, according to an expert from Aon. “Part of your job duties,

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5 skills insurance pros need in a more virtual world

June 30, 2021 by Adam Malik

Everyone in the insurance industry today must have a minium of five skills, and companies need to hire and manage to these skills, according to an insurance executive. Digital skills, emotional intelligence, resiliency, people-centricity, and being a team player are