The Wynford Group encourages you to contact us for more information on how we can work with your organization in addressing its Total Rewards needs.

For more detailed insights and in-depth data, please see our annual Canadian Salary Surveys. Click Here for more information.

Watch for the 2020 CSS Survey results which are coming soon!

2020 Base Salary Adjustments

Economic Environment

• In 2019, 57% of organizations across Canada experienced significant growth across Canada, a far cry away from the 4% of organizations expecting growth in 2020.


• 38% of organizations have indicated moderate decline in 2020 opposed to 3% in 2019.


• Overall, an unprecedented 71% of participants indicated some level of economic decline in 2020. This has been likened to the "Great Depression of the 1930s," although the current situation is not expected to have the same long-term impact.

Human Capital Practices

• Overall, organizations are tending to implement freezes across multiple categories. Collectively, organizations are "waiting to see" when there is a return to normality or until they have developed new strategies to adjust to the new environment.


• The decrease in hours of work (35%), and the number of employees (35%) are significant, and can be viewed as a direct response to the need to protect employees from the virus as well as the slowing economy.


• The reduction in the number of new grads/interns (22%) indicates a general slowdown and uncertainty about the future.


• The Construction industry continues to invest in labour as organizations are increasing spending on Training Budget and taking on a larger Number of Grads.

Additional/Hazard Pay

• The average cash Incentive that is a flat dollar amount is $16.16 per day.


• The average cash incentive for other than flat dollar amount is 15% of the employee's wages.


• Average premium tied to shifts and hours worked is $1.46/hr.

Human Capital Cost Management Strategies – 2020 Industry Breakdown

• Most rollbacks – Energy/Energy Services (35% executive and 25% non-executive) and Logistics/Transportation/Distribution (35% executive and 18% non-executive).


• Most layoffs – Construction (38% permanent and 51% temporary) and Energy/Energy Services (30% permanent and 43% temporary).


• Least rollbacks – Healthcare (<1% executive and 4% non-executive) and Financial Services (8% executive and 4% non-executive).


• Least layoffs – Healthcare (8% permanent and 23% temporary) and Retail (6% permanent and 30% temporary).

Actions Organizations Will Take Post COVID-19

• The vast majority of organizations across all industries expect to:
  • increase safety standards while employing sanitary measures around the work space
  • increase the availability of technology and equipment for a more flexible work arrangement
  • develop better business continuity plans

The Wynford Group encourages you to contact us for more information on how we can work with your organization in addressing its totals rewards and compensation needs.

For more detailed insights and in-depth data, please see our annual Canadian Salary Surveys.

2019 Base Salary Adjustments

Economic Outlook

• Due to trade tensions and difficulties in the oil sector throughout the year, the national level of expected growth has dropped slightly since Fall 2018.


• In Alberta, 9% expect a decline, which could indicate that some participants are reacting to a more volatile economy than in other parts of the country. Expected growth has dropped by 5% since the Fall of 2018 due to recent layoffs and organization shut downs. However, with the oil industry stabilizing and steadily improving, Alberta is expecting the largest GDP growth in Canada in 2020.


• Quebec is the only province indicating positive growth compared to Fall 2018 with employment rates steadily increasing into 2020 supporting economic growth. Quebec also has a unique financial situation as they are one of the rare provinces able to reduce debt in recent times.


• British Columbia continues to lead the way in expected economic growth largely due to LNG projects and a booming Tech industry in Vancouver.

Human Capital Practices

• Around 60% of the participants from the IT Services sector are reporting an Increase in the Number of Employees going into 2020, which is over 5% higher than any other industry. This industry has picked up steam across the nation in provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec. On average, 45% of participants are hiring new employees across the nation which is a positive sign for economic growth.


• Continuing the trend from 2018, an Increase in use of Incentive Plans is present among Human Capital Practices, particularly in IT Services (50%) and Professional Services (39%)


• Although most industries are showing an Increase in the Number of Grads, the majority of Energy/Energy Services participants have reported "no change" in this category, with similar limits to Training Budgets. This is consistent with oil prices remaining low as well as the economic turmoil across the globe.


• The Construction industry continues to invest in labour as organizations are increasing spending on Training Budget and taking on a larger Number of Grads.

• Online Retirement Planning Tools, as observed above, are currently the most common programs in place.


• Nearly one-third of participants indicated Increasing Communication/ Promotion of Existing retirement program Tools is planned.


• Other tools to enhance employee's financial well-being include: Wellness Accounts, Saving Plans and Flexible Benefits Plans.


• As Canada's population continues to age, providing resources to employees in their transition into retirement will grow and more focus will be on employer Retirement Programs.

• Competitive Market for over 600 organizations through our Canadian Salary Surveys
• Developing competitive total rewards structures
• Designing short-term incentives such as commission, production bonuses, profit sharing
• Designing long-term incentives (equity, phantom, or cash-based)
• Developing Role Profiles to recruit new talent
• Developing Executive Compensation programs

The CannaBusiness Survey is unique in providing competitive market information not only for this industry, but comparator industry data for other related industries including:

• Retail Sector
• Production/Operations
• Logistics/Warehousing/Distribution
• IT Services

The results from the Survey revealed the following:

• Salary budget increases for 2020 for the CannaBusiness Industry is projected to be around 3%, which is clearly at the upper end of industry budgets in Canada.
• CannaBusiness companies tend to provide greater use of incentives for all levels of employees. The chart below indicates that eligibility for short term incentives (STI) are common in all job families and may also provide some form of long-term incentives (LTI) for many employees:

• When compared to other related industry sectors, the CannaBusiness organizations are more likely to provide STIP programs. (see chart below)

• This is not a surprise, as most CannaBusiness operations are start-ups with high initial costs before cash flow becomes stable. The use of variable pay may:
  • Allow fixed costs be to remain at a minimum.
  • Allow employees to align with the goals and success of the company.
  • Support an attraction and retention strategy for critical talent.


• The chart below indicates that CannaBusiness> companies are using a variety of specific programs to encourage attraction and retention. In particular the signing and retention bonuses indicate a focus on attracting critical skills.

• Competitive Market for over 700 organizations through our Canadian Salary Surveys
• Developing competitive total rewards structures
• Designing short-term incentives such as commission, production bonuses, profit sharing
• Designing long-term incentives (equity, phantom, or cash-based)
• Developing Role Profiles to recruit new talent
• Developing Executive Compensation programs

Please contact us if you would like more information on how to interpret the market information and apply it to your organization.

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The Wynford Group encourages you to contact us for more information on how we can work with your organization in addressing its totals rewards and compensation needs.

For more detailed insights and in-depth data, please see our annual Canadian Salary Surveys.
Please click here for more information.
Watch for the 2019 CSS Survey results which are coming soon!

2019 Base Salary Adjustments

Economic Outlook

• As a result of some uncertainty in the global economic arena, anticipated growth perspective on a national level has dropped slightly since spring 2018, but fewer organizations are expecting a decline.


• British Columbia continues to lead the country in expected economic growth, showing an optimistic outlook for 2019 of 59%, although slowing from spring 2018 (65%). Industries such as Advanced Technology, IT Services and Software Development are leading the way in provincial growth.


• Ontario has the second highest expected growth in the economy with 53% of participants reporting growth for the next 6 months. And not far behind, 51% of organizations in Alberta are expecting the same. Both provinces are seeing a cautious increase in expected economic growth since spring 2018.


• Overall, the economy appears to be on a cautious but steady track, seeing modest growth fairly consistent across the country.

Human Capital Practices

• Almost 70% of BC organizations will be hiring in 2019, which is an indicator of the strength of that economy. Organizations in Ontario have slowed their hiring over the past year due to the global economic volatility that affects the manufacturing sector in particular. Alberta’s hiring growth has held steady as the economy appears to be normalizing.


• An increase in contractors and decrease of outsourcing can be seen in all three major provinces, with British Columbia seeing the largest change.


• A rise in use of incentive plans has been a theme throughout our Flash Compensation Trends and Forecast reports. In order to attract and retain key employees 20% - 30% of organizations in all three provinces have increased the use of incentive plans.


• Other positive figures such as the increase in the number of graduates and training budgets have been reported by 30% - 40% of participants across Canada – which is a lead indicator for longer-term economic growth.

• Nearly 70% of the participants from the IT Services sector are reporting an increase in the number of employees in 2019 – which is over 15% higher than other industries. On average, 50% of participants are hiring new employees across the nation which is a positive sign for economic growth.


• Similar to last spring, an increase in use of Incentive Plans is present among human capital practices, particularly in the retail industry (45%), followed by Energy/ Energy Services and Manufacturing industries (33%).


• The significant upsurge in the use of overtime for the Manufacturing sector suggests expected new job opportunities (or refilling of job vacancies) and economic growth in that sector. This industry is also one of the leaders in number of new employees, increasing in use of incentive plans and in number of graduates.


• Although most industries are showing improvements in several human capital practices, the majority of Energy/Energy Services participants have reported "no change" in the number of graduates and training budgets as opposed to increasing those practices.

The results included in this report are based on over 200 company submissions across Canada for the 2018 Spring Flash Survey between the months of April to June. The Wynford Group conducts FREE flash surveys every Spring and Fall to provide a snapshot on current compensation and human capital trends. The focus of this summary report is on salary increases implemented for 2018, as well as human capital management strategies currently in use across Canada.

We hope that you find these results useful as your organization moves further into 2018. The Wynford Group encourages you to contact us for more information on how we can work with your organization in addressing totals rewards and compensation needs.

For more detailed insights and in-depth data, please see our annual Canadian Salary Surveys.
Please click here for more information.

Actual 2018 Salary Increases - Including Zero's

Average Regional 2018 Base Salary Increases: including 0's (%):

2018 Base Salary Greatest Increases by Industry including 0's (%):

2018 Base Salary Smallest Increases by Industry including 0's (%):

Economic Outlook

• After overcoming the worst of the recession, the majority of Alberta participants have a positive view of growth for 2018 with 47% of organizations reporting they will experience economic growth in the year to come, representing a significant increase from 39% in the spring of 2017.


• British Columbia continues to lead the country in growth, showing a very optimistic outlook for 2018 of 65% expecting economic growth, an increase of nearly 21% of companies from the previous year.


• Ontario on the other hand, has seen a small drop in perceived economic growth to 46% for 2018

Human Capital Practices

• Over 50% of Albertan organizations will be hiring in 2018, which represented the largest growth of more than 5% from the previous year.


• While both B.C. and Ontario indicate slight drops in employee growth, both still have over 50% of organizations in showing increases in their workforce numbers.


• The clear reduction in employment freezes and layoffs point towards strong economies across the country.


• Other positive figures such as increased hiring of graduates and increased training budgets in all areas.


• Of particular interest is the increase in training budgets and use of incentive plans in BC and Alberta, which indicates interest in longer-term retention strategies.

• Close to 70% of the participants from the manufacturing industry are reportedly increasing the number of employees in 2018 - which is over 10% higher than the other industries


• While the Construction sector is not increasing the workforce as to the extent that they did in 2017, over 40% indicated they are increasing the number new graduates.


• Overall, it appears that those industries that were hit hardest by the economic downturn are showing strong increases in hiring back employees and new graduates over the previous two years.


• The significant increase in the use of overtime for the Manufacturing sector suggests expected growth in hiring and economic growth in that sector.

The results included in this report are based on over 250 company submissions from across Canada between October and December. The focus of this summary report is on salary increases for 2018, as well as human capital management strategies currently in use in today's workplace.

We hope that you find these results useful as your company moves forward into 2018. The Wynford Group encourages you to contact us for more information on how we can work with your organization in addressing its totals rewards and compensation needs.

For more detailed insights and in-depth data, please see our annual Canadian Salary Surveys.
Please click here for more information.

Actual 2018 Salary Increases - Including Zero's

Average Regional 2018 Base Salary Increases:

2019 Base Salary Greatest Increase by Industry including 0's (%):

Economic Outlook

• After being hard hit in the past few years of economic recession, the majority of Alberta participants have returned to a positive outlook of the economy for 2018. 51% of organizations reporting from Alberta believe they will experience economic growth in the year to come, representing a significant increase of over 10% since the spring.


• Similar to the increase seen in Alberta, participants in British Columbia continue to believe in positive economic growth for the upcoming year at the highest rate of 55%.


• Organizations reporting from Ontario have lowered their expectations for economic growth in the months to come. However, as there has been a significant increase in those expecting "no change" for 2018, we believe that sustained economic growth is likely for Ontario.

Human Capital Practices

• Nearly 15% more Albertan organizations will be hiring in 2018, bringing the total to well over 50% of total participants.


• Other positive figures such as increased hiring of graduates, increased training budgets, and increased incentive programs all point towards a strong, rebounding Alberta economy.

• Over 75% of participants reporting from B.C. will be looking to expand their workforce in 2018, while 60% of organizations in Ontario will be doing the same.


• Large increases in hours of work, and improvements made to incentive plans will help attract and retain key talent for these B.C organizations.

Human Capital Cost Management Strategies

• More than 75% of participants expect to replace future vacancies.


• Less than 20% of organizations have (or plan on) implementing wage freezes.


• Other cost saving strategies such as increased benefit cost sharing, increase unpaid vacation, and pay rollbacks are still being used, however, at a much lesser rate than previously reported.


• Averaging at 5% across the board, companies seem to be rolling back cost cutting measures with expectations of growth in 2018.

The information presented in this report is a short sampling of results and interpretation of a survey submitted by over 200 participants from across Canada, compiled between April and June of 2017. The focus of the survey was on actual salary adjustments and impacts to compensation trends in 2017. We hope you find these results valuable, and encourage you to contact us for more information or to learn how the Wynford Group can work with your organization for any compensation or management consulting requirements.

For more detailed insights and in-depth data, please see our annual Canadian Salary Surveys.
Please click here for more information.

Economic Outlook

• Analysts have boosted forecasts for the British Columbia economy, leading provincial growth at 3.0% for 2017.


• The Alberta economy is showing definite signs of recovery in 2017 with GDP expected to be 2.9% for 2017. This growth is expected to continue to a country leading 3.4% in 2018 when the recovery is expected to be in full swing.


• Ontario is following closely behind with growth of 2.7% expected for 2017.


• Atlantic Canada still faces hard times with economic forecasts suggesting low levels of growth, and even economic contractions. Forecasted for two more years of recession, Newfoundland & Labrador faces -2.2% for 2017 followed by -0.4% in 2018.

• An increase of over 10% in organizations expecting growth since Fall 2016.


• With only 4% of participants expecting a decline in business, organizations seem to believe that the economic downturn is behind us.


• The most positive figure from this chart is the 11% increase in organizations reporting from Alberta that expect an increase in business. As Alberta's economy faced some of the worse consequences of the recent recession, it is encouraging to find that organizations are expecting growth at a higher level for 2017.

Actual 2017 Salary Increases

Highest Average Regional 2017 Base Salary Projection Increases (Including 0's):

Average Industry 2017 Base Salary Projection Increases (including 0's):

Average Regional 2017 Base Salary Increases (Excluding 0's):

Average Industry 2017 Base Salary Projection Increases (Excluding 0's):

• Human Capital Practices in Alberta are all trending in a positive direction - Number of employees and Interns are on the rise, fewer organizations are reducing overtime and implementing layoffs and variable pay such as incentive plans are beginning to rebound.


• The same practices in British Columbia are showing mixed results - fewer organizations expect an increase in staff than in the fall, and increases in training budgets and incentive plans have slowed. However, these levels are still far above those of Alberta and highlight the overall strength of BC's economy.


• Ontario practices are also trending in a positive direction - permanent staff reductions are at a lower level, restraints on overtime are being loosened, and organizations are increasing both permanent and temporary employees at a far greater rate than in Fall 2016.


• Increases in both training and use of interns are a strong lead indicator for Ontario in particular. The strong increase in incentives for Ontario may be another leading indicator of expectations for a continuing positive economic environment.

Human Capital Cost Management Strategies

• Over 10% fewer organizations have implemented a wage freeze - dropping to below 20% of reporting organizations. The use of early retirement, unpaid days off, job & cost sharing have all decreased significantly since Fall 2016.


• The two most rescinded cost management strategies were "Wage Freeze" at 7%, and "Not replacing all Vacancies" at 5%.


• These all indicate that the recovery is on its way, but the severity of this last recession in the energy sectors has prompted many organizations to rethink their employee costs on a more permanent basis.

Gail Evans recently presented some highlights from the Wynford Group?s salary projection survey completed in late 2017 with over 240 participants from across Canada. We are expecting these projections to be reflected in the actual survey responses being gathered now in our Canadian Salary Surveys.

Economic Outlook

This prediction is consistent with the recent Conference Board of Canada projection that Alberta will lead provinces in economic growth in 2017 to work towards recovery from the recession in the last 2 years and provide a more balanced narrative on the Canadian economy as a whole.

With oil prices holding steady at around $55/bbl. and multiple pipeline projects being approved, oil producing provinces are beginning to show increased optimism for 2017. However, the labour market is expected to slowly strengthen rather than bounce back. British Columbia and Ontario are expected to see sustained growth in 2017; however, there is an expectation that these provinces will see slightly less growth than in the previous year due to the potential impact of new U.S. trade discussions and measures taken regarding the hot housing markets.

Actual 2017 Salary Increases

Highest Average Regional 2017 Base Salary Projection Increases:

Average Industry 2017 Base Salary Projection Increases (including 0?s):

Human Capital Practices

• Since spring 2016, nearly 25% more companies expect to increase their number of employees in Alberta ? while 36% less companies expect to make permanent layoffs.


• Nearly 70% of participants responding from British Columbia expect to increase their number of employees.


• Increases in the use of interns and training programs are strong lead indictors of confidence in the economy as well as expectations for increased labour requirements

Human Capital Cost Management Strategies

• More than 55% of participants expect to replace future vacancies.


• Only approximately 30% of organizations have, or plan on implementing a wage freeze in 2017.


• Drops in job sharing, early retirement, unpaid vacations, and deferred incentive pay indicate that employers are loosening budget constraints for the coming year.

The information presented in this report is a summary of results and interpretation of a survey completed by over 240 participants from across Canada, compiled between October and December of 2016. The focus of the survey was on actual salary adjustments and impacts to compensation trends in 2017.

We hope you find these results valuable, and encourage you to contact us for more information or to learn how the Wynford Group can work with your organization for any compensation or management consulting requirements. For more detailed insights and in-depth data, please see our annual Canadian Salary Surveys. Please click here for more information.

Economic Overview

Needless to say, 2016 was a year of uncertainty for most Canadians. With scattered layoffs throughout the country, the majority of Canadian provinces experienced increased unemployment rates carrying over from 2015. As a particularly negative benchmark for 2016, Alberta saw its highest unemployment rate in 22 years at 9.0% in November. Although provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario managed to weather the storm, we look towards 2017 for a brighter and more balanced narrative on the Canadian economy as a whole.

With oil prices holding steady at around $55/bbl. and multiple pipeline projects being approved, oil producing provinces are beginning to show increased optimism for 2017. However, the labour market is expected to slowly strengthen rather than bounce back entirely. British Columbia and Ontario are expected to see sustained growth in 2017; however, there is an expectation amongst Economists that these provinces will see slightly less growth than in the previous year due to new regulations on their provincial housing markets.

Summarized in the graph below are our participant's expectations on how they see their businesses performing in 2017.

The Wynford Group believes that the graph above provides an accurate reflection of how the Canadian Economy is expected to perform in the coming months. We have seen a reduction in the number of participants expecting a decline in business, as well as a modest increase in those expecting growth. In comparison to spring 2016, the following highlights suggest a brighter year for 2017:

• An 11% increase in organizations expecting growth in 2017.
• A decrease of 15% of participants expecting decline.
• The majority of participants; 52% believe that their organizations will remain steady through the first half of 2017.
• For Alberta the flip is more dramatic; 14% increase in confidence of growth and a whopping 23% decrease in companies expecting a decline in business.

Actual 2017 Salary Increases

Highest Average Regional 2017 Base Salary Projection Increases:

The above indicates that the divergence in salary increases between industries is narrowing. In comparison to the Spring Flash Update, the difference between the highest and the lowest projected increases was over 5.5%, while the Fall difference is only 1.17%. The Wynford Group attributes this to the slow bounce back in the energy sector, as well as a leveling out between industries such as software development and mining.

Human Capital Practices

• Since spring 2016, nearly 25% more companies expect to increase their number of employees in Alberta while 36% less companies expect to make permanent layoffs.


• Nearly 70% of participants responding from British Columbia expect to increase their number of employees.


• Increases in the use of interns and training programs are strong lead indictors of confidence in the economy as well as expectations for increased labour requirements.

Human Capital Cost Management Strategies

A key function of this survey is not only to report on what organizations expect of the economy, but how they are dealing with these expectations in terms of their human capital. During 2015-2016 we saw a significant uptick in the use of cost saving practices by organizations in order to balance their books while maintaining bench strength. These practices varied in both size and severity throughout Canada and have left many individuals with reduced hours, wage freezes, or layoffs. The Wynford Group aims to provide employers options to explore regarding human capital cost savings. For several years we have asked participants which of the following cost saving strategies they currently have in place, or plan on using in the coming months. Below is a graph of these results.

• More than 55% of participants expect to replace future vacancies.


• Only approximately 30% of organizations have, or plan on implementing a wage freeze in 2017.


• Drops in job sharing, early retirement, unpaid vacations, and deferred incentive pay indicate that employers are loosening budget constraints for the coming year.