Another year (almost) in the books, and what a wild ride it’s been. From federal budgets promising everything to everyone, to CEOs pocketing more by mid-morning Jan. 2 than most Canadians earn all year, 2025 gave HR professionals plenty to talk about around the water cooler — or more likely, on Slack.
This year’s most-read stories on HR News Canada reveal an industry grappling with the big stuff: workforce transformations, pay equity debates that refuse to die, legal decisions that made “zero tolerance” feel more like a suggestion, and the eternal question of whether that uncomfortable conversation is actually discrimination or just, well, uncomfortable.
We saw professionals sitting tight through economic uncertainty before finally dusting off their résumés, arbitrators second-guessing terminations, and one bank spending a fortune on a building designed to inspire disruption. So grab your coffee (the expensive kind the CEO’s bonus could fund for your entire department), and let’s count down the stories that had you clicking, sharing, and probably shaking your head in 2025.
Number 10: Carney’s grand economic makeover
Kicking off our countdown at number 10 is Mark Carney’s first address as prime minister, where he promised “the biggest transformation of our economy since the end of the Second World War”—because nothing says measured policy like WWII comparisons. Carney pledged to slash federal trade barriers by Canada Day, cut middle-class taxes saving families up to $825 annually, and halve development charges on multi-unit housing (knocking $40,000 off a Toronto two-bedroom, theoretically). On workforce matters, he vowed to cap temporary workers and international students at under 5 per cent of the population by 2027, slash public service growth from 9 per cent annually to 2 per cent, and warned companies abandoning Canadian workers would face “consequences.” Bold promises from a former central banker turned politician.
Number 9: The CHRO shuffle accelerates
Rounding out the top 10 at number nine is proof that when a new CEO walks in, the HR leader often walks out. CHRO turnover surged in 2025, with 59 S&P 500 appointments in the first three quarters—the highest since 2020—as roughly 10 per cent of companies brought in new chief executives who promptly rebuilt their leadership teams. Tech companies led the exodus at 26 per cent turnover, blamed on rapid change and investor pressure. Interestingly, 61 per cent of new CHROs were first-timers, with 77 per cent promoted internally—many from outside traditional HR functions like finance, legal, and even sustainability. Average tenure crept up slightly to 5.1 years, but that’s cold comfort when you’re watching CEOs treat the CHRO seat like musical chairs.
Number 8: Coffee, Uber Eats, and $100K raises
Coming in at number eight is the nail-biter that almost grounded holiday travel plans. Air Transat pilots secured a tentative deal with wage hikes averaging over 60 per cent across five years—that’s an extra $100,000-plus annually for most captains by 2030—after 10 straight days of negotiations fueled by caffeine and food delivery apps. Union leader Bradley Small said wages were “the big hurdle,” with his team working until 2 a.m. multiple nights to close the gap and bring Transat pilots up from “the bottom of the barrel” to align with Air Canada and WestJet. The deal averted 18 cancelled flights and a Wednesday morning strike deadline, all while the struggling airline juggles massive debt and an activist investor demanding a board shakeup. Timing is everything.
Number 7: By 10:54 a.m., they’d earned your year
At lucky number seven, we have the annual reminder that executive compensation exists in a parallel universe. Canada’s 100 highest-paid CEOs averaged $13.2 million in 2023 — 210 times what regular workers earned — and by mid-morning on January 2, they’d already pocketed an average Canadian’s annual salary. GFL’s Patrick Dovigi topped the list at $68.5 million, while the report noted there were more CEOs named Scott (five) than women (three) in the top 100. The kicker? Most climbed the ranks internally over 21 years, dispelling the myth they’re “gods plucked from heaven.” Bonuses, stock options and share awards—which keep climbing regardless of corporate performance—made up 88 per cent of their pay. Meanwhile, federal tax changes barely dented the gap.
Number 6: Discomfort isn’t discrimination, lawyer warns
Sliding into the sixth spot is employment lawyer Muneeza Sheik delivering a reality check HR desperately needed. At Workplace Law Talks 2025, she told people leaders to stop confusing employee discomfort with actual legal violations—because performance reviews that make people squirm aren’t harassment, they’re just management. Sheik tackled everything from polarizing political debates (her advice: ban them all equally or face liability) to “fake diversity” where organizations parade women and marginalized employees for promotional materials while covering up misconduct by their male counterparts. She emphasized that while employees can hold unpopular beliefs, expressing them at work isn’t an absolute right. The takeaway? Discomfort is inevitable in workplaces; discrimination is not. Know the difference.
Number 5: The ‘great thaw’ begins
At number five, we’ve got proof that Canadian professionals spent 2025 sitting tight and clutching their desk chairs during economic turbulence — but now they’re ready to bolt. Robert Half’s survey found 33 per cent plan to job hunt in early 2026, up from 26 per cent in July, with better benefits topping their wish list over even competitive pay. Tech workers lead the exodus at 43 per cent, followed by Gen Z at 41 per cent and working parents at 39 per cent. The irony? While employed folks gear up to jump ship, the 350 unemployed job seekers surveyed paint a grimmer picture — 61 per cent expect their search to drag longer than last time, with too many applicants being the top complaint. Timing, as always, is everything.
Number 4: Zero tolerance meets ‘just kidding’
Landing at number four is a head-scratcher that had HR professionals questioning what “zero tolerance” actually means. Five Metrolinx workers who made sexually harassing comments about female colleagues—conduct an arbitrator called “egregious,” “extremely offensive,” and “shameful”—got their jobs back after a multi-year legal odyssey. Despite Metrolinx’s loudly proclaimed zero-tolerance policy (complete with CEO letters in December 2020 and March 2021), the arbitrator decided apologies and some regret warranted substituting four- to five-week suspensions for termination. The workers, who had six to nine years of seniority, will return with full compensation minus their brief timeout. Apparently “zero tolerance” is more of a guideline than a rule when arbitration gets involved.
Number 3: Job security meets cancer treatment
Claiming the bronze is B.C.’s move to offer up to 27 weeks of unpaid leave for workers facing catastrophic illness or injury—finally acknowledging that chemotherapy and employment don’t mix well. Premier David Eby framed it as removing the awful choice between health and job security, while Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside noted they’re really just catching up to Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. The leave covers everything from cancer diagnoses (over 31,000 annually in B.C.) to traumatic brain injuries from intimate partner violence. Workers need a doctor’s note and seven consecutive days off to qualify, and the leave can be split throughout the year. It’s progress wrapped in the sobering reality that job protection during life-threatening illness wasn’t already guaranteed.
Number 2: When your office says, ‘We’re different’
Snagging the number two spot is EQ Bank’s grand unveiling of its 278,000-square-foot headquarters in Toronto’s east end—because nothing screams “we’re disrupting traditional banking” quite like deliberately avoiding the financial district. The tower boasts LEED Gold certification, circadian rhythm lighting, and furniture exclusively from Canadian makers, all designed to inspire the “bold thinking” needed to challenge the status quo. CHRO Gavin Stanley pitched it as a workspace for “talented Challengers” pursuing opportunities traditional banks haven’t explored. Translation: they spent serious money on a building that tells employees “think different” while they process mortgages and manage $132 billion in assets, pretty much like every other bank.
Number 1: Big spending meets big cuts
Taking the top spot is a story that had HR pros doing double-takes at their morning coffee. Finance Minister Champagne unveiled a federal budget promising $280 billion in capital investments while simultaneously pledging $60 billion in savings—including trimming the public service that’s apparently been growing faster than a startup’s headcount during a funding round. The real headline-grabber? A $1 billion skills retraining program for 50,000 workers hit by U.S. tariffs, plus vague promises to reduce federal staffing “with fairness and compassion” (translation: no actual numbers or timeline provided). Meanwhile, 2,000 new border and RCMP officers are getting hired, because apparently some government jobs are more equal than others.
