During Canada’s unprecedented 2023 wildfire season, 6,500 individual fires burned more than 18.4 million hectares of land — and wildland firefighters bore the brunt of it all. “The working conditions are extremely dangerous and they’re getting more dangerous as fires become larger and more intense, and, in many cases, are going through communities,” says Bert […]
More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of employees say their mental health has stayed the same or worsened in the past year, according to a new survey by Calm.com Inc. The survey polled more than 150 employers and more than 4,000 workers in the U.S., U.K., Germany and India. It also analyzed usage patterns of more […]
Employees with pulmonary arterial hypertension can experience significant impacts to their quality of life and workplace experience, said John Granton, a respirologist with the University Health Network in Toronto, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Chronic Disease at Work conference in February. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a very rare condition, affecting less than 10,000 Canadians. It’s […]
As the mental-health concerns of employees in remote working arrangements continue to evolve, Thomson Reuters Corp. is taking a flexible approach to supporting these workers. “Overall, there’s less of a [mental-health] crisis now [than there was at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic], when people felt they needed to always be on [their computers] and […]
Canadian employees who are experiencing conflict in the workplace lose an average of 55 workdays in productivity each year, according to Telus Health’s latest mental-health index. The survey, which polled more than 3,000 employees, found workers who have been diagnosed with anxiety (21 per cent) and depression (14 per cent) reported a loss of 55 […]
Canadian women are bearing the brunt of a gender health gap that has led to poor understanding and heightened stigma around their unique health needs and worse physical and mental-health outcomes over time. However, there are ways for employers to help, said Sam Mikail, director of mental-health solutions for group claims at Sun Life Financial Inc., […]
While employees dealing with mental-health challenges like depression need quality and personalized care as quickly as possible, people seeking care through the public health system face months- or years-long wait times, according to Diane McIntosh, a psychiatrist and founder and chief medical officer of RAPIDS Health, speaking during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2023 Mental Health Summit. “We […]
Data analysis, education and early intervention are the key components of First West Credit Union’s Live Well employee health program, according to Liz Bailey-Connor, the organization’s chief people and culture officer, speaking during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2023 Mental Health Summit. “We were hearing from employees that they felt overwhelmed and, in some cases, […]
As employers increasingly embrace diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, strong mental-health support can be a key pillar in those efforts, said Joby McKenzie, managing director for Canada at Teladoc Health, during Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference in October. Highlighting statistics showing the mental-health disparities across diverse groups, she noted a third of Indigenous people […]
More than half (57 per cent) of U.S. workers say they’re currently experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout, according to a new report by Aflac Inc. The survey, which polled 2,000 employees, found workplace stress is disproportionately affecting both women and younger workers. Indeed, 75 per cent of women reported experiencing burnout at work, […]