Latest news in Disability management

Close to half of EI sickness benefits recipients off work longer than help lasts

Close to half of EI sickness benefits recipients off work longer than help lasts

An internal government survey of people who used federal sickness benefits has found that nearly half were unable to work for longer than the 15…

Allstate Benefits introduces enhanced critical illness coverage for Canadian employers

Allstate Benefits introduces enhanced critical illness coverage for Canadian employers

Allstate Benefits is rolling out its critical illness coverage with medical care support services for Canadian employers and employees. When a plan member is diagnosed with…

  • By: Staff
  • February 12, 2019 September 13, 2019
  • 15:45
Mental health and substance abuse issues on the rise: survey

Mental health and substance abuse issues on the rise: survey

More than half (60 per cent) of North American workforces said their employees are facing more mental health and substance abuse issues than they were…

  • By: Staff
  • February 7, 2019 September 13, 2019
  • 10:19
Mental Health Commission launches toolkit for building inclusive work culture

Mental Health Commission launches toolkit for building inclusive work culture

The Mental Health Commission of Canada has launched a toolkit to help employers build an inclusive workplace. The toolkit outlines strategies and actions organizations can take…

  • By: Staff
  • February 1, 2019 September 13, 2019
  • 08:45
New contract for CN Rail mechanics includes benefits improvements

New contract for CN Rail mechanics includes benefits improvements

The union representing Canadian National Railway mechanics, electricians and apprentices in Canada says workers have ratified a new collective agreement that will provide improvements to…

Workplace stress on the rise as mental-health stigma declines: survey

Workplace stress on the rise as mental-health stigma declines: survey

Workplace stress is on the rise and employees are feeling the pressure, according to new research by Morneau Shepell Ltd. In a survey of employees…

  • By: Staff
  • January 30, 2019 September 13, 2019
  • 10:30
Evolving trends in absence and disability management

Evolving trends in absence and disability management

With the start of a new year, organizations have new goals and budgets to meet. Many organizations take the new year as an opportunity to…

  • January 15, 2019 September 13, 2019
  • 08:00
How the Health Benefit Trust of Alberta redesigned its mental-health program

How the Health Benefit Trust of Alberta redesigned its mental-health program

The Mental Health Commission of Canada attributes nearly one-third of short- and long-term disability claims to mental-health illnesses. As many employers grapple with helping employees…

A 2018 roundup of the top legal cases in the benefits industry

A 2018 roundup of the top legal cases in the benefits industry

When considering the legal cases attracting the most attention from the pension and benefits industry in 2018, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal’s decision in Talos v.…

Conference Coverage: 2018 Mental Health Summit Toronto

Conference Coverage: 2018 Mental Health Summit Toronto

At the annual Mental Health Summit Toronto on Nov. 12, industry experts provided insights on mental health and the workplace, including how to remove the…

Workplace culture touted as beneficial for return to work

Workplace culture touted as beneficial for return to work

For employees who have been away from the workplace due to mental illness, providing treatment, reducing stigma and getting employees back to work comes down to…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • December 14, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 07:55
Medavie Blue Cross appoints VP of product, disability management

Medavie Blue Cross appoints VP of product, disability management

Medavie Blue Cross has appointed Marc Avaria as vice-president of product and disability management. In the new role, Avaria will lead the development of new products…

  • By: Staff
  • November 28, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 15:00
A look at using pharmacogenetic testing in determining depression treatment

A look at using pharmacogenetic testing in determining depression treatment

One young man is on the road to recovering from depression following timely pharmacogentic testing through his employer. Allison Hazell, director of genetics at Medcan,…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • November 12, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 16:11
Second-opinion partnership for mental health boosts positive results

Second-opinion partnership for mental health boosts positive results

A partnership focused on second opinions for mental-health issues is yielding positive results. The Co-operators Group Ltd. and WorldCare International Inc. formed the partnership to research medical second…

  • By: Staff
  • November 12, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:15
Controlling health-care spending top objective of workplace clinics: survey

Controlling health-care spending top objective of workplace clinics: survey

A large majority (89 per cent) of employers cited a better control of health-care spending as the top reason for having workplace medical clinics, according…

  • By: Staff
  • November 7, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00
Award winners discuss paths to improving employees’ well-being

Award winners discuss paths to improving employees’ well-being

These days, peace of mind is hard to come by, but the employers at the 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards roundtable centred their discussion around the…

Great-West Life’s Aarssen awarded for industry leadership

Great-West Life’s Aarssen awarded for industry leadership

Perseverance, communication and innovation are just a few of the words used to describe Jeff Aarssen. Aarsseen, the recently retired vice-president of group customer sales at Great-West…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • October 30, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00
Staples Canada earns mental-health award for focus on early prevention

Staples Canada earns mental-health award for focus on early prevention

An increased focus on early intervention led Staples Canada to the mental-health award at Benefits Canada’s 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 11.  After…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • October 25, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:45
OPG wins absence management award for efforts to shift workplace culture

OPG wins absence management award for efforts to shift workplace culture

While Ontario Power Generation has had a major medical absence program in place for years, it saw an opportunity for a review and update in…

Legal cases highlight issues around LTD coverage

Legal cases highlight issues around LTD coverage

Whether considering age eligibility or policy wording, recent rulings for employees in a pair of Ontario cases are reminders to employers to review their long-term…

Medavie Blue Cross, Medaca launch virtual CBT pilot project

Medavie Blue Cross, Medaca launch virtual CBT pilot project

Medavie Blue Cross and Medaca Health Group are introducing a virtual cognitive behavioural therapy pilot project to provide plan members easier access to mental-health care.…

  • By: Staff
  • October 10, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:51
New software aims to aid return to work from disability

New software aims to aid return to work from disability

Crawford and Co. Canada Inc. is adding a new software platform, designed to help employees return to work sooner, to its human risk service line.  The software,…

  • By: Staff
  • October 9, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 10:21
Advice from a 38-year journey with rheumatoid arthritis

Advice from a 38-year journey with rheumatoid arthritis

As the former senior vice-president of sales in the group customer division of the Great-West Life Assurance Co., Jeff Aarssen is very familiar with drug…

Manulife lowers STD claims with mental-health benefits boost

Manulife lowers STD claims with mental-health benefits boost

Manulife Financial Corp.’s short-term disability claims related to mental health have decreased since it boosted its benefits to employees last year. In January 2017, Manulife…

Proactively identifying people at risk next stage in mental-health awareness

Proactively identifying people at risk next stage in mental-health awareness

In the coming five years, Canadians can expect to see the next stage of awareness around mental health, according  one health expert. “Where we need to build on awareness is…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • September 27, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00