Latest news in Health benefits

Buck launching digital HR product aimed at driving behavioural change

Buck launching digital HR product aimed at driving behavioural change

Buck is launching a three-part digital human resources product that aims to help employers create a consolidated experience for their plan members, drive behavioural change…

  • By: Staff
  • August 13, 2019 November 11, 2020
  • 09:00
Feds announce final changes to Canadian drug pricing regulations

Feds announce final changes to Canadian drug pricing regulations

On Friday, the federal government announced the final amendments to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board regulations, estimating the reforms will save Canadians about $13…

  • By: Staff
  • August 12, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:45
How to ensure employees don’t feel anxiety before workweek begins

How to ensure employees don’t feel anxiety before workweek begins

The weekend is short enough, but if a new survey by Robert Half International is any indication, it’s getting shorter. The survey found Sunday evenings are eating into…

Toronto Foodora couriers to vote on union certification

Toronto Foodora couriers to vote on union certification

The union hoping to represent Foodora Inc.’s Toronto couriers has filed an unfair labour practice complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board, alleging the company…

  • By: Staff
  • August 9, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:00
80% of Canadian employers concerned about retaining talent: survey

80% of Canadian employers concerned about retaining talent: survey

The majority (80 per cent) of Canadian employers said they’re concerned about retaining top talent, with more than a quarter of respondents saying they’re very…

  • By: Staff
  • August 8, 2019 November 11, 2020
  • 15:15
Morneau Shepell closes acquisition of some of Mercer’s U.S. health, DB businesses

Morneau Shepell closes acquisition of some of Mercer’s U.S. health, DB businesses

Morneau Shepell Inc. has closed the previously announced acquisition of Mercer’s stand-alone, large market health and defined benefit pension plan administration business in the U.S.…

  • By: Staff
  • August 7, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 16:15
U.S. workers would value financial benefits at time of a pay raise: survey

U.S. workers would value financial benefits at time of a pay raise: survey

Three-quarters (74 per cent) of employees said financial benefits, such as savings tools, offered by their employer at the time of a pay raise would…

  • By: Staff
  • August 7, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 15:15
PEI adds six drugs to formulary at cost of $750,000 a year

PEI adds six drugs to formulary at cost of $750,000 a year

Prince Edward Island has added six new drugs to the provincial formulary. People dealing with arthritis, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, heart failure…

SaskTel union bargaining for mental-health days, domestic violence leave

SaskTel union bargaining for mental-health days, domestic violence leave

Employees at Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. are giving Unifor’s bargaining team a strong mandate to take strike action, if necessary, in the quest for a fair contract.…

Could Quebec’s public drug plan work for national pharmacare?

Could Quebec’s public drug plan work for national pharmacare?

Quebec’s universal pharmacare program offers better drug coverage and quicker approval for new drugs coming to market than the rest of Canada, according to a…

People of colour in corporate Canada experiencing ’emotional tax:’ study

People of colour in corporate Canada experiencing ’emotional tax:’ study

Canadian people of colour, specifically employees who identify as black, East Asian and South Asian, are experiencing high levels of “emotional tax,” according to a…

  • By: Staff
  • July 29, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:00
Union agreement for legal aid workers includes vision care, sick leave

Union agreement for legal aid workers includes vision care, sick leave

Legal aid workers who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1949 have signed a tentative agreement that includes an increase in vision care…

  • By: Staff
  • July 29, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 08:15
Paternity leave can improve mothers’ overall health: study

Paternity leave can improve mothers’ overall health: study

When fathers take paternity leave, it can actually benefit the health of new mothers, according to a study by economists at Stanford University. The study looked…

  • By: Staff
  • July 26, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:59
Mercer Canada appoints principal advisor to health team

Mercer Canada appoints principal advisor to health team

Mercer Canada has appointed Myriam Bélanger as a principal advisor on its health team. Based in the organization’s Montreal office, she’ll be responsible for managing group benefits plans of various sizes…

  • By: Staff
  • July 25, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 15:00
Drug claims expected to rise in 2019: survey

Drug claims expected to rise in 2019: survey

Plan sponsors can expect to see a three to five per cent increase in prescription drug claims in 2019, according to Buck’s annual Canadian health-care…

  • By: Staff
  • July 24, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 10:12

How to tie workplace philanthropy into employee engagement, wellness

Most organizations support charities in their communities through a variety of means — donations supporting specific initiatives, sponsorships, by purchasing tables for events or donating…

  • July 23, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 08:00
Employees suing Yale over fines for not participating in wellness program

Employees suing Yale over fines for not participating in wellness program

The American Association of Retired Persons Foundation and the law firm Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald and Pirrotti have filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Yale…

Workplaces key sites for mental-health promotion, finds UBC study

Workplaces key sites for mental-health promotion, finds UBC study

A growing body of international evidence indicates education, prevention efforts and early intervention are critical to people’s mental health, according to a new study at the University…

Employers extending parental leave to new, part-time staff

Employers extending parental leave to new, part-time staff

About two-thirds (65 per cent) of U.S. employers are now offering parental leave for employees who’ve worked at their organizations for less than a year,…

  • By: Staff
  • July 17, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:15
Plan sponsors using generic substitution, co-payments to curb drug plan costs: report

Plan sponsors using generic substitution, co-payments to curb drug plan costs: report

Plan sponsors are increasingly adopting plan design tools to manage their drug plan costs, according to Telus Health’s annual drug trends report. It found private…

Majority of staff value personalization in group benefits plans

Majority of staff value personalization in group benefits plans

The majority (80 per cent) of working Canadians reported their overall well-being would improve if their employer offered a personalized wellness program customized to their…

  • By: Staff
  • July 16, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 09:00
Increased odds of cardiovascular disease among workers in negative environments: study

Increased odds of cardiovascular disease among workers in negative environments: study

People who work in negative environments have an increased chance of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of Environmental Research…

CUSMA’s data protection proposals for biologics could raise costs for private plans: PBO

CUSMA’s data protection proposals for biologics could raise costs for private plans: PBO

If the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement goes through it could have a significant impact on the cost of private drug plans. Currently on hold until…

Mercer, Wealthsimple launch online savings, investment tool

Mercer, Wealthsimple launch online savings, investment tool

Mercer and Wealthsimple Inc. are teaming up to create a digital saving and investing platform for Canadian employees. Mercer Invest Wise, which is a voluntary savings tool,…

Toronto hospital dismisses 150 staff for alleged benefits fraud

Toronto hospital dismisses 150 staff for alleged benefits fraud

About 150 employees at Baycrest Health Sciences have been dismissed for benefits fraud. Last year, in the course of establishing an approved provider network for its…

  • By: Staff
  • July 11, 2019 November 12, 2020
  • 10:00