We are grateful to hear from former MAPLE Ontario Executive Director Bernardine Perreira, about the importance of LGBTQ+ leadership in advisory services. Bernardine is a leading champion of greater LGBTQ+ inclusivity in her field through her work at Raymond James Ltd. 

And our window on the topic of Canadian employment law comes from Ted Flett, Principal Lawyer with Toronto-based employment law firm, Zubas | Flett Barristers and Solicitors. 

In addition to sharing considerations for American employers doing business in Canada for us this month, Ted includes that he will proudly join a trade mission to California organized by the CGLCC, Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce as part of a coalition of queer and Canadian business owners and allies championing a more inclusive economy. The program will be anchored around the USA's National LGBT Chamber of Commerce's International Business & Leadership Conference in Palm Springs, CA and is supported by three federal government agencies: CanExport, the Trade Commissioner Service, and Economic Development Canada.

Expansion to the U.S. market will also typically require making key hires to lead, manage and support the U.S. business. Azhar Janjua, Head of MAPLE partner organization, Communitech Outposts, shares some of the key remote hiring trends for Canadian businesses in the United States with respect to location and skill. 

The H-1B visa program, designed to bring highly skilled foreign workers to the US, has become increasingly complex and competitive. With annual visa caps and lengthy processing times, many companies struggle to secure H-1B visas for their talented employees. As a result, many companies are turning to Canada, a country with a strong tech talent pool and a more streamlined immigration process. 
 
In this article, I will discuss the problems with the H-1B program and why Canada has become such an attractive option for corporate immigration. We will also discuss how companies can leverage the expertise of a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) to skip lengthy immigration processes, relocate their foreign staff to Canada, or hire remote employees in Canada, whether they have a Canadian office or not.

This month we tap into the expertise of Toronto-based Sterling Capital Brokers, one of the leading independent benefits consulting firms in Canada. Andrew Blanchard, Sterling’s CEO, shares some key insights about group benefits planning. In today's dynamic economic climate, finding the right balance between providing valuable benefits to employees and controlling costs is essential. It is therefore key for organizations to design their entire benefits program so that it provides value and meets the objectives of the enterprise. 

We are pleased to follow-up on our announcement earlier this week of our newest organization member, Toronto-based immigration law firm Greenberg Hameed PC, with their thoughts on 'Immigration Design Thinking' as a new employer strategy to address the skills crisis. Co-founders Howard Greenberg and Naumaan Hameed introduce us to this strategic approach to meet the challenges of securing top talent. 

Back in the day, when faced with an employment or investment decision, I would look up the company and immediately go to its leadership and board of directors’ web pages. I wanted to know if they were walking the talk from their diversity pages and how many women and people of color were on their leadership teams. But today, that method for assessing a company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts is out of step. The majority of employees now, largely Millennials, prefer a fresh perspective on DEI topics.

We're back to Daylight (Saving) Time, and with the change come fiscal year endings, beginnings, and the inevitable examination of achievements, goals, (un)realistic expectations, strategic planning, and KPIs. Annual reports, meaningful work, tangible impact, making a difference, and all the good words a PR team can think of to demonstrate brand delivery. One of my top-of-mind questions, though, goes beyond being on-brand — since most companies try to make that a priority: how are we doing with on-purpose efforts?

Our newest member organization, Canada's largest independent benefit consulting firm, Sterling Capital Brokers, examines company rewards programs with a firm's top talent in mind in "What are Total Rewards?". As companies compete for employees in an environment where expectations on where and how we work and how to strike a work-life balance continue to evolve, SCB shares some of the top priorities and key considerations for engaging your employees as you define and communicate a Total Rewards strategy in your firm.

Hiring local talent in international locations is one of the best ways for Canadian companies to accelerate global expansion, especially in a time of restricted international travel. After all, locals know best how to engage clients in their specific markets. Still, hiring in other countries comes with a lot of red tape, unforeseen complications and potential risks. Enter Communitech Outposts.

Glenn Yonemitsu, Managing Director, and Rob LaJoie, Executive Advisor, High-Impact Firms at BDC Advisory Services, share perspectives on what resilient leadership in these uncertain times requires. In their article, Glenn and Rob discuss the importance of triaging issues, as a leader determines where to spend his/her time, and then applying a decision making framework to how they respond to issues and pursue opportunities. Resiliency in leadership is about being both fast and good which are both results of being prepared.

Is your home network safe? Are you putting your corporate assets at risk while working from home? At 10 months into the ‘new way to work’ with many more such months on the horizon, QA Consultants shares simple guidelines to secure your work from home environment.

The daily routines of millions of workers changed swiftly and profoundly in 2020 as many workplaces closed or restricted access due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. For many people who could work remotely, home became the workplace. While not everyone’s experience of working from home has been the same, some commonalities emerged. Many people embraced new-found flexibility through technology-enabled connectivity. The notion that time spent in the traditional office environment is some

We are living in a time of incredible uncertainty. Few business leaders have ever faced a future with “rules of the game” that are so unclear. In the past, the rules of the game have always been known.

How do you set corporate strategy when you don’t know if you can do business in the same manner that you have been doing for the past 20 or 30 years. How do you allocate scarce resources when you don’t know the possible returns from each of your business growth strategy options? What if the rules of the game change tomorrow?

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to proliferate in Canada and around the world since its initial outbreak in late 2019. Its impact on economies and societies has been tremendous and unprecedented. While employers face serious legal challenges in managing their workforces during these disruptive times, such challenges are not necessarily insurmountable. With careful planning and execution, employers can navigate the legal risks posed by the pandemic and maintain a stable workforce to ensure the continuity of their business operations.

We are also sharing some reflections on living and working through the pandemic from one of our friends in San Diego, DeLinda Forsythe, founder and CEO of Innovative Commercial Environments, who recently shared a thoughtful commentary on what we are all going through together. Thank you DeLinda, for the opportunity to share your thoughts with our network.

Canada and the United States have separate and increasingly divergent immigration systems. Each country’s immigration policies and platforms have strengths and weaknesses. I will compare and contrast their immigration systems for two distinct purposes: (1) to highlight how a North American business integrated immigration approach can provide a competitive advantage; and (2) to provide a context and useful insight into potential comprehensive U.S. immigration reform. I will first review the U.S. immigration system and then contrast Canada’s immigration system.

Transformational leaders are not born nor are they merely lucky. They are leaders who have developed themselves and their skills to innovate, disrupt, and ultimately mobilize others to realize an inspired future for their organization.