A recent RBC Insurance Services Inc. study found 45 percent of employees on disability claimed their workplaces pressured them to go back earlier than they felt they were able to do so. This is a significant increase from the 33 per cent of respondents who said the same in the previous year’s survey. Indeed, there’s a […]
Ontario Power Generation’s win in the absence management category at Benefits Canada’s 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards has meant a lot to the organization, especially for upper management, because it showed them it’s putting employees first, says Tanya Hickey, senior manager of health and safety strategies. She believes OPG won the award because of the many proactive things it’s done. “We took a look […]
Though only half (50 per cent) of Canadians have disability coverage, 68 per cent have required time off work because of a disability, according to a survey by RBC Insurance Services Inc. The study, which looked at Canadians with coverage through their workplace benefits or personal insurance, found 67 per cent of working Canadians said if they suffered […]
Medavie Blue Cross is appointing Shane Reid as director of product, pharmacy and provider management. In the new role, Reid will be responsible for leading the development of products for the insurer’s group and individual business, as well as strengthening its position in group benefits and drug plan management. He brings extensive experience in group benefits, […]
Workplace wellness programs don’t provide employees with significant measurable outcomes, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, which looked at 33,000 employees at 160 BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. worksites for a year and a half, found about 4,000 staff participated in the company’s wellness program. It comprised eight […]
Employees dealing with mental-health or other well-being issues spend more than a third of their time at the office being unproductive, according to new research by Morneau Shepell Ltd. and the International Employee Assistance Professionals Association. The research found this ineffective time at work adds up to eight days a month of lost productivity. The same […]
Manulife is launching a preventative opioid management program, extending its Vitality program to group benefits plans and partnering with digital health company Akira Health. The opioid management program features a two-step system. The first ensures plan members who start opioid treatment do so with a short-term supply, while the second encourages using short-acting opioids at the outset. […]
Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is partnering with Acclaim Ability Management Inc. to offer one-on-one coaching services to employees on short-term disability leave with mental-health issues. With the goal of getting their employees back to work sooner, employers can choose between two offerings to lower the risk of STD turning into a long-term disability leave. “We’re taking employee support to the […]
It’s impossible to avoid the simple truth that people get sick, which often keeps them away from work. But which specific health conditions are keeping employees from doing their jobs? The usual suspects Plan sponsors don’t typically capture the reason for a casual absence in terms of a medical condition, says Paula Allen, vice-president of […]
Mental Health Works has developed a free resource that is now available to help employers and managers of Ontario businesses looking for ways to address mental health in the workplace. “As public awareness of mental health increases, more and more employers have a desire to provide mental-health support to their employees,” said Jim Harris, director […]