In Canada and around the world, the fundamental idea of “work” is being redefined—faster and more radically than ever before.  This also yields an exceptional opportunity to optimize your Total Reward programs in new and different ways.  Dr. Scott Cawood explores the current state of work and how Canadian organizations can respond to the changing dynamics of an on-demand, modern, diverse, and ever evolving workforce.
As we navigate economic uncertainty, demographic shifts, AI disruption, and an intensified demand for purpose-driven employment, the employer-employee exchange must be retooled and rebuilt. Through this powerful opening keynote, Scott will share insights about how we can re-center people in our approach to Total Rewards and human capital strategy to optimize the value TR brings to employees and employers.
Join this session to gain insights and inspiration that you will need to lead through the shift, build trust, and reward for impact in a new world of work.

As organizations refine their hiring and retention strategies in a competitive labor market, one surprising factor is rising to the forefront: pets. The changing demographics of the workforce—marked by younger generations prioritizing work-life balance, mental health, and holistic well-being—are accelerating the demand for pet-friendly workplace policies. From pet insurance and benefits to designated pet-friendly office spaces, forward-thinking companies are integrating pets into their total compensation strategies to attract and retain top talent.
In this dynamic session, we will explore:

•  Why it matters now: The intersection of shifting employee demographics and the surge in pet ownership (currently at an all-time high, with 70% of U.S. households owning a pet) is influencing employee expectations.
• Compelling statistics: 83% of Gen Z and Millennial employees consider pet-friendly benefits an important factor in job decisions, and 59% of employees say they would choose a pet-friendly workplace over one that is not.
• The impact on recruitment and retention: Companies with pet-inclusive policies experience higher employee satisfaction, increased retention, and stronger workplace culture.
• Implementation strategies: Practical insights into developing pet-friendly workplace initiatives, including pet stipends, insurance, daycare options, and HR policies that accommodate pet ownership.

Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to integrate pet-friendly policies into their total rewards packages, improve workplace morale, and gain a competitive hiring edge.
 

Brought to you by Vetster

Today’s employees expect more than just competitive pay — they expect meaningful, personalized experiences. For Total Rewards to drive real impact, it must move beyond traditional boundaries and become a strategic partner in shaping the employee experience.

In this session, you’ll hear how breaking down silos and building strong partnerships between Total Rewards and Talent functions led to measurable improvements in engagement, retention, and business alignment. Drawing from real-life examples at a global organization, we’ll explore how integrated strategies were embedded throughout the employee lifecycle — from onboarding and development to recognition and beyond.

Learn how co-creating with Talent, rather than working in parallel, leads to more personalized, resonant, and effective programs. Whether you're starting from scratch or refining your current approach, this session will provide a practical, people-centered perspective on what’s possible when Total Rewards leads the way in partnership.
 

Key Takeaways:

• A proven framework for aligning Total Rewards with the employee experience through collaboration with Talent and other HR partners
• Real-world examples of cross-functional initiatives that improved engagement, personalization, and retention
• Tactical strategies to break down silos and co-create more impactful programs
• A fresh perspective on Total Rewards as a strategic driver of culture, connection, and employee value
   

As traditional compensation models come under pressure, more organizations are exploring skill-based pay. But how do you know if this model is right for your organization? How do you define and assess the skills that matter most? And how do you bring your people along on the journey?
In this roundtable discussion, we’ll dive into the concepts, application, employee expectations, communication and ongoing management of skill-based pay. 
Bring your experiences, questions, and lessons learned as we explore how to turn skills into a meaningful foundation for compensation.

Key Takeaways:

• Peer-tested ideas on when skill-based pay makes sense—and when it doesn’t
• Approaches for defining and measuring critical skills in your organization
• Strategies for building trust and clarity around a skill-based pay model
• Insights into the motivational impact of skills-based rewards in today’s talent market
• Shared challenges and change management lessons from others on a similar path

Total rewards professionals must adapt to emerging expectations as the total rewards function evolves amidst rapid organizational and technological changes.  In this session, we will explore the critical skills and competencies required for success to ensure we continue to develop innovative ideas, strategies and programs to meet the needs of the business and employees.

Join our interactive discussion to understand the dynamic role of total rewards professionals. Discover how the total rewards function can leverage these emerging skills and technologies to create impactful, equitable, and engaging employee experiences.
Key Takeaways:

• Identify the emerging skills and competencies necessary for total rewards professionals to stay ahead in a changing landscape.
• Equip your total rewards team with the skills and insights needed to navigate the future and drive organizational success.
• Explore how the role of technology impacts the total rewards function and your role.

Brought to you by: WTW

As pay transparency legislation continues to expand—including new requirements in Ontario beginning January 2026—Total Rewards professionals must be prepared to clearly communicate compensation structures and career pathways. A thoughtfully designed job architecture provides the foundation for consistency, equity, and transparency across the organization.

In this session, Arron Dobson, Partner at Laulima Consulting, and Kristie Houlahan, Director of Global Total Rewards at Canada Goose, will walk attendees through the essential elements of job architecture. Drawing on their combined experience as consultants and practitioners, they’ll explore how effective job architecture design can support compliance, demystify pay practices, and build employee trust.

Attendees will learn how to develop scalable frameworks that define job levels, align roles with market data, and articulate career progression—creating a clear and consistent compensation narrative that resonates at every level of the organization.

Key Takeaways:

• How job architecture supports consistent, equitable pay practices
• Strategies for transparently communicating compensation and career progression
• Practical steps for designing and implementing job architecture frameworks
• Real-world examples of how job architecture can empower compliance, clarity, and trust
   

Every organization has an Employee Value Proposition (EVP), but few are truly activating it in a way that sets them apart. In this interactive roundtable, Total Rewards and HR leaders will come together to share real-world strategies, challenges, and successes in defining and delivering a differentiated employee experience through Total Rewards.

We’ll explore how to shape a compelling EVP narrative, assess alignment across programs, and personalize the experience for today’s workforce. Bring your questions, experiences, and ideas to this peer-driven conversation.

Discussion Topics Include:

• Gathering the right insights to define your Total Rewards experience
• Tying your EVP to specific programs and offerings
• Exploring ways to personalize the employee experience
• Building a roadmap that turns EVP into action

Today’s workforce spans five generations—each with distinct values, expectations, and needs when it comes to compensation. From financial security and purpose to flexibility and transparency, employee priorities have never been more diverse. Yet many legacy compensation systems were built for a different time—and aren’t equipped to keep up.

In this candid fireside chat, we’ll explore what it takes to reimagine compensation in a world defined by rapid change, evolving workforce demographics, and growing pressure on Total Rewards to deliver equitable, strategic solutions. We’ll unpack how to lead through generational differences, overcome resistance to change, and design pay programs that reflect the needs of today’s workforce—not yesterday’s.

Grounded in real-world insights and supported by data from sources like HiBob and Harvard Business Review, this session goes beyond trends to offer practical, forward-thinking strategies. Attendees will leave with a sharper lens on generational expectations and actionable ideas for transforming compensation in a sustainable, people-centered way.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the compensation preferences and priorities of today’s multi-generational workforce, supported by current research.
• Explore strategies for evolving outdated compensation models to meet modern employee needs.
• Gain tools for navigating organizational resistance and leading with influence to create lasting change.
   

No slides, no set agenda—just real talk and real solutions. In this interactive unconference session, you set the topics. Bring your biggest challenges or burning questions and collaborate with peers who have been in your shoes. Whether you're seeking fresh ideas, feedback, or simply a sounding board, this dynamic session is designed to foster open dialogue, collective problem-solving, and actionable takeaways.

In 2022, Sollio Cooperative Group launched an ambitious initiative to completely revamp and simplify its employee benefits plan. With a decentralized workforce of 12,000 employees across multiple divisions, industries, and job categories, the challenge was significant—but so was the opportunity.

This session will explore how Sollio moved from a traditional flexible benefits plan with credits to a modular approach that actually increased flexibility while delivering a more streamlined and improved employee experience. Attendees will gain an inside look at the full 2.5-year journey—from vision to execution—including key learnings across all major project phases: Pre-Design, RFP, Final Design, Branding, Communication, and Implementation.

The session will feature practical insights into cross-functional collaboration with consultants, insurers, and internal HR teams, along with lessons on how to align a complex benefits overhaul with business goals and employee expectations.

Key Takeaways:

• How to translate a high-level vision into a concrete, actionable benefits strategy
• Project architecture and collaboration model across stakeholders
• Communication strategies that supported engagement and understanding throughout the transformation
   

As organizations strive to attract and retain top talent, the rise of personalized work arrangements—such as individually negotiated benefits and flexible schedules—has sparked both enthusiasm and concern. Are these customized approaches (often called Idiosyncratic Deals, or I-Deals) a smart way to support a modern, agile workforce? Or do they risk undermining fairness, consistency, and DEI efforts?

This peer-driven roundtable invites practitioners to share insights, challenges, and lessons learned around the evolving use of personalized Total Rewards. Together, we’ll explore the implications of I-Deals and similar arrangements across organizational levels and functions. Through shared experiences and scenario-based dialogue, participants will weigh the strategic value of customization against the need for equity and clear boundaries.

This highly interactive session will surface real-world dilemmas, provoke thoughtful debate, and inspire new thinking on how to balance flexibility with fairness in a way that supports culture, compliance, and employee trust.

Key Takeaways:

• Explore the strategic use of customized rewards to drive engagement, retention, and agility.
• Identify common risks related to equity, perception, and inconsistent application.
• Gather peer insights and frameworks for evaluating and implementing personalized arrangements responsibly.
   

With global trade dynamics continuing to shift, what might lie ahead for Canada’s economy and workforce? In this timely main stage session, leading economist Sal Guatieri will unpack the economic outlook for Canada amid shifting trade dynamics. Attendees will gain valuable context to help better understand the potential direction of the economy and its implications for labour markets.
 

Employees today are navigating a range of complex challenges—including mental health emergencies, financial hardship, and personal safety issues—that can escalate quickly and impact the broader workplace. A 2022 Willis Towers Watson survey found that 56% of employees would consider leaving a job if they felt their mental health wasn’t supported. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report also emphasizes the importance of psychological safety in driving engagement and retention.

This facilitated roundtable will explore how organizations can build internal capacity to respond effectively to crises, protect employee well-being, and strengthen organizational resilience. Discussion will center on how to integrate crisis response into Total Rewards and support strategies in ways that promote a culture of care, safety, and stability.

Key Takeaways:

• Identify practical steps to embed crisis preparedness into your workplace support systems.
• Explore how training in crisis response supports organizational capacity building.
• Learn approaches to stabilize individuals in crisis and reduce workplace disruption.
• Discuss strategies to foster psychological safety, reduce stigma, and normalize help-seeking.

This interactive workshop invites HR and Total Rewards leaders to collaboratively reimagine Total Rewards as a strategic, human-centered experience. Moving beyond traditional compensation models, participants will explore what today’s employees truly value and co-create innovative, practical reward solutions that align with organizational culture and goals. Through small-group ideation and peer sharing, attendees will develop actionable strategies for implementing inclusive and responsive Total Rewards programs that support employee well-being and engagement. Real-world examples such as shortened workweeks and Life Stage Wellness Programs will inspire fresh thinking on how to meet diverse workforce needs.
 

Key Takeaways:

• Understand employee values beyond pay, grounded in empathy and workforce diversity.
• Align reward innovations with business objectives and employee well-being priorities.
• Build momentum and shared ownership for evolving Total Rewards programs through collaboration and peer learning.
   

With pay transparency laws evolving rapidly, organizations can no longer afford to rely on outdated communication practices. While publishing salary ranges in job postings is a hot topic, it's only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Employees and candidates now have unprecedented access to compensation data online — and they’re using it.

This session will explore how HR professionals and business leaders can prepare for conversations around online salary data and build trust through transparency. We'll discuss how to confidently explain pay decisions using solid benchmarking practices and how transparency can be a powerful tool — not a liability — when approached strategically.
 

Key Takeaways:

• Strategies for addressing salary data employees and leaders find online
• How to use benchmarking data to support pay decisions
• The business case for embracing compensation transparency
   

As companies navigate economic headwinds, shifting workforce expectations, and ongoing waves of layoffs, the role of compensation strategy is more critical—and more complex—than ever. In this interactive roundtable, join Rey Ramirez, Co-Founder of Thrive HR Consulting, and your peers for a timely conversation about how organizations are adapting their compensation approaches in the face of constant change.

Together, we’ll explore the impact of layoffs on compensation structures and equity efforts, the accelerating momentum of pay transparency legislation, and how HR leaders are balancing compliance, fairness, and employee trust—often under tightening budgets. Bring your experiences and questions as we examine what’s working, what’s changing, and how compensation professionals can lead with clarity and confidence in uncertain times.
 

Discussion Topics Include:

• How layoffs are reshaping compensation structures and equity strategies
• Navigating pay transparency laws while preserving employee trust
• Using data and market insights to guide salary decisions in a volatile environment
• Sharing real-world experiences, challenges, and solutions with fellow professionals
   

In this practical and forward-looking session, we’ll explore how Total Rewards professionals will learn how to harness the power of Generative AI without needing to be a technical expert. Whether you are just starting out or ready to build your own GPT, this session will help you be more productive by prompting smarter, exploring prebuilt GPTs, or learning to create your own. 

After the presentation, the learner will be able to: 

• Prompt for clearer responses. 
• Discover the right GPT tool for your task. 
• Build Custom GPT for your specific need. 

Effectively communicating the value of Total Rewards—and the critical role of financial wellness—remains one of the most pressing challenges facing HR leaders today. In this dynamic panel discussion, experts from across sectors, including one of Canada’s largest municipalities, a major financial institution, and organizations with large unionized workforces, will explore strategies to make Total Rewards resonate in a diverse and rapidly evolving workforce.

The session will explore how compensation and rewards programs are designed with equity in mind, but how communication and perceived value can vary greatly depending on audience demographics, life stage, and financial realities. From combating disinformation and rising expectations around pay transparency, to scaling financial education that meets regulatory expectations, this panel offers practical insights and real-world examples from leaders who’ve tackled these challenges head-on.
Audience engagement is encouraged—alongside three pre-planned discussion themes, there will be opportunities for participants to shape the conversation through live Q&A.
 

Key Takeaways:

• Explore effective communication strategies that consider generational, socioeconomic, and cultural differences across the workforce.
• Learn how to recognize and address common employee concerns and misconceptions about pay and benefits.
• Understand the connection between financial wellness and broader business outcomes—and why it matters more than ever.
• Gain insights into evolving regulatory expectations around financial health, including updates to CAPSA guidelines.
   

In times of increased uncertainty, effective leadership is paramount to developing a human-centric workplace culture. To be clear, “leadership” is not a title but rather a behaviour, and every human resource professional has the potential to increase their impact on their workplace culture through leadership traits. Effective leadership, particularly in the face of uncertainty, starts with a deep inner awareness. The ability to know thyself.

Gracefully navigating the delicate balance of organizational needs and people advocacy requires the ability to seamlessly balance between advanced competencies that are seemingly contradictory in nature. HR professionals must be both firm and kind, assertive yet empathetic, discreet but transparent, and results-driven while remaining understanding. Achieving this balance requires a level of awareness and finesse that is often elusive. The true essence of this level of leadership fluidity lies in the ability to deeply understand oneself, the organization, and its people, while nimbly shifting between emotional states with a rare sense of agility and self-care.

Join Peter Cheesbrough and Stefan Underwood of Uncommon Blueprint for this empowering session, where they delve into the evidence-based blueprints that connect regulation, recovery and the pursuit of uncommon performance and outcomes in uncertain times.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the distinction between traits and states
• Understand the deep connection between states of being and results
• Learn the foundational physiological and psychological approaches to shifting and choosing your state of being
• Gain a personal self-awareness and cognitive toolkit that attendees can implement when they return to work on Monday.