HR STRATEGY
TELUS and LifeWorks | August 12, 2022
TELUS Corporation and LifeWorks Inc. today announced that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) has granted its final order (the Court Approval) approving the plan of arrangement (the Arrangement) in respect of the acquisition by TELUS of LifeWorks previously announced on June 16, 2022.
TELUS and LifeWorks also announced that the Competition Bureau of Canada has issued a no action letter in respect of the Arrangement. Accordingly, Competition Act Approval, as defined and as required by the Arrangement Agreement previously entered into between LifeWorks and TELUS, has been obtained. In addition, the applicable waiting period in relation to the Arrangement under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, has expired (the HSR Approval), with the result that the acquisition is clear to proceed in the United States as well as Canada.
The Court Approval, the Competition Act Approval and the HSR Approval are significant milestones toward closing TELUS’ acquisition of LifeWorks and follows LifeWorks’ shareholder approval, which was obtained at a special meeting of LifeWorks’ shareholders on August 4, 2022. Pending receipt of regulatory approvals in the United Kingdom and Australia, and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, the Arrangement is expected to proceed to closing which is anticipated to be on or about the fourth quarter of 2022.
“We are pleased to have reached this significant milestone, with clearance to proceed with the TELUS – LifeWorks transaction in Canada and the United States, Importantly, we have seen overwhelming support from LifeWorks’ team members, customers and shareholders, and I am confident that the potent combination of the respective skills and capabilities of LifeWorks and TELUS Health will create a world-leading, end-to-end, digital-first employee primary and preventative healthcare, mental health and wellness platform, covering more than 50 million lives, and growing, on a global basis. We look forward to welcoming LifeWorks employees into our TELUS family so that, together, we can help even more people around the world lead their healthiest and most productive professional and personal lives.”
-Darren Entwistle, President and CEO of TELUS
This is an exciting new chapter for LifeWorks and together with TELUS we will be able to accelerate our shared vision of empowering individuals to take a more proactive role in the management of their health by unifying the continuum of care through digital-first innovations, as well as our unmatched in-person care, Our two organizations are aligned as leading purpose-driven companies that are committed to improving the lives of people around the world,said Stephen Liptrap, President and CEO of LifeWorks.
About TELUS Corporation
TELUS is a dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with $17 billion in annual revenue and 17 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video, and security. Our social purpose is to leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to drive social change and enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. The numerous, sustained accolades TELUS has earned over the years from independent, industry-leading network insight firms showcase the strength and speed of TELUS’ global-leading networks, reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to the people, resources and information that make our lives better.
TELUS Health is Canada’s leader in digital health technology, improving access to health and wellness services and revolutionizing the flow of health information across the continuum of care. TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods is a global technology provider of innovative data insights and digital solutions, creating a unified, trusted and sustainable value chain. TELUS International is a leading digital customer experience innovator that designs, builds, and delivers next-generation solutions, including AI and content moderation, for global and disruptive brands across high-growth industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media and ecommerce and FinTech. TELUS and TELUS International operate in 28 countries around the world.
Driven by our determination and vision to connect all citizens for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired TELUS, our team members and retirees to contribute more than $900 million, in cash, in-kind contributions, time and programs, and 1.8 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world. Together, let’s make the future friendly.
About LifeWorks
LifeWorks is a world leader in providing digital and in-person solutions that support the total wellbeing of individuals – mental, physical, financial and social. As the trusted leader in mental health and wellbeing, LifeWorks delivers a personalized continuum of care that helps our clients improve the lives of their people and by doing so, improve their business. Guided by our purpose to improve lives and improve business, we help our clients improve the wellbeing of their people, we help them improve workforce engagement and productivity, thereby improving the performance of our clients’ organizations. LifeWorks is a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange. LifeWorks has approximately 7,000 employees, 25,000 clients, and serves 36 million individuals and their families in more than 160 countries.
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HR PRACTICE,HR STRATEGY
Wagepoint | August 10, 2022
Canadian fintech company Wagepoint is doubling-down on its mission to bring happiness to small businesses and their teams with a new acquisition. KinHR – soon to become People by Wagepoint – has joined Wagepoint's family of products, which will create a single solution that takes payroll, time and attendance and (now) human resources tasks off small business owners' hands so that they can get back to doing literally anything else.
KinHR is known as a simple, friendly and reliable people management software among its 4,500 global users. This makes it the perfect puzzle piece to complete Wagepoint's stack of small business products, offering everything CEOs and founders need to take care of their people right from the moment they're hired.
People by Wagepoint will offer features like an employee directory, time-off management, new hire onboarding, document storage and eSignatures, in addition to ongoing employee performance management tools like employee objectives and reviews. The product will help make workplace operations easier, and maybe even a little "sweeter", for both employers and their teams.
"Payroll and HR go together like summer and popsicles – minus the sticky fingers!, When done right – that is, with a focus on keeping it simple and truly caring about the human experience – both payroll and HR can contribute to a happy workplace, just like ice cream! We're excited to welcome People by Wagepoint to our family of products. Now, we can help our customers create a delightful experience for their employees, right from the moment of hire and at every touchpoint that follows."
- Shrad Rao, CEO of Wagepoint
Delighting customers will remain a key pillar as the company moves forward with the rebrand and builds a team around People by Wagepoint.
Both Wagepoint and KinHR have a Capterra rating of 4.6 out of 5 by their users – notably, for friendly customer support – and the new product will continue building on that trust, says Melissa Benzo, former Director at KinHR and current Director of People by Wagepoint.
KinHR has always been about creating a simple approach to HR software so that small businesses can focus more on their employees and their business, rather than the management of 'stuff' that comes with HR. Wagepoint is just the company to continue that effort and expand on that idea by keeping all things light, friendly, and simple, I always tell KinHR customers 'we're here to help,' and I feel that echoed throughout the entirety of Wagepoint,says Benzo.
People by Wagepoint is the second small business software to be acquired by Wagepoint in 2022. Earlier this year, Timesheet Mobile joined the Wagepoint family and will soon be available to customers for all of their time and attendance needs, rebranded as Time by Wagepoint.
About Wagepoint
Wagepoint is a small-but-mighty fintech company on a mission to simplify payroll – and maybe even dare to make it delightful! Our online software was created just for small businesses, automating the most "ugh" parts of payroll – like calculating wages and reporting on taxes – so that our customers can get back to doing, well, literally anything else. Backed by the world's friendliest team, Wagepoint is always supportive, never stuffy and refreshingly human. Founded in 2012, we make payroll magic happen for more than 20,000 small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers across North America.
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TALENT ACQUISITION,RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
OMNIPRESENT | August 05, 2022
Global employment partner Omnipresent today launches the OmniAcademy, a free online learning platform dedicated to helping HR professionals and senior leaders to grow successful, international businesses with ease.
Developed by Omnipresent's team of HR experts, the OmniAcademy's first course - 'Everything you need to know about international hiring' - comprises 13 step-by-step videos with downloadable guides for time-strapped teams. This is the first in a series of courses, and those who complete them will receive certification for the skills developed in each course.
'We founded Omnipresent on the belief that borderless hiring is a key component in the future of work. And with organisations looking increasingly further afield to hire the best talent in a competitive market, HR leaders need to be equipped with the right information to guarantee a positive employee experience, wherever their employees are based. However, we know first hand that this can be extremely complex - our team of over 400 is currently based in 53 countries, so we've had to navigate these very challenges ourselves. This is why we've created the OmniAcademy: to help HR teams make the most of global work and create a seamless experience for their employees."
-CEO and Co-founder of Omnipresent, Matthew Wilson
The launch of the OmniAcademy comes at a time when 96% of HR professionals are facing challenges with 'future of work initiatives', but 47% 'don't know the best tactics or tools to overcome these issues'. All this in a post-pandemic world where they are tasked with delivering hybrid and remote set-ups, while maintaining a positive employee experience.
About Omnipresent
Founded in 2019, Global employment partner Omnipresent provides client-focused, tech-enabled business solutions combined with personalized expertise to support hiring people globally. Businesses looking to go global can hire and manage employees compliantly in more than 160 countries through the OmniPlatform, Omnipresent's proprietary digital platform and SaaS product. Companies can easily integrate HR administrative duties, including payroll, expenses, taxes, and benefits, to let them focus on growing their business. As a fully remote company with no corporate headquarters, Omnipresent has grown from a team of two to more than 400 people in 50+ countries worldwide.
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