A story on how plan sponsors and insurers are considering covering weight-loss drugs as part of a broader push towards more inclusive benefits was the most-read benefits story on BenefitsCanada.com this year. Here are the 10 most popular benefits news stories of the year: 1. How plan sponsors, insurers are considering coverage of weight-loss drugs amid rising […]
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 […]
An article on Fidelity Canada’s win in the Future of work strategy category at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Fidelity Canada wins award for focusing on flexibility amid return-to-office rollout 2. CPP maximum pensionable earnings increasing to $68,500 […]
The documentation of formal diversity, equity and inclusion policies and approaches is one of the most significant changes to the Canadian workplace over the last decade. Progress of this magnitude seldom comes quickly. Employers are being asked tough questions about their implementation of the goals they’ve laid out — and they’re not always getting great […]
Telus Communications Inc.’s proactive approach to fostering employee mental health led to its win in the Mental-health program category for companies with more than 1,000 employees at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 20. The organization’s winning strategy includes a commitment statement, signed by its leadership team, affirming that a psychologically safe and healthy […]
After years of viewing diversity, equity and inclusion as a side-of-the-desk issue, Canadian employers are increasingly considering it a top priority and integrating their organizational DEI goals into their benefits plans. While employers have been introducing DEI initiatives for years, incorporating these goals into benefits plans had been neglected, according to multiple panellists during Benefits Canada’s […]
When Jessica Charbonneau decided to have a child through assisted reproduction a few years ago, it wasn’t cheap, but her employer helped shoulder some of the costs. Charbonneau, a 36-year-old student affairs case manager at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus, started with intrauterine insemination, spending a total of $15,000 for six rounds. The university’s […]
The organization’s manager of national total rewards discusses incorporating ESG into the DEI space, its experience reimbursement program and spending time around B.C.’s lakes and mountains Q: What new programs or initiatives are you looking to implement? A: Since the actions of organizations are deeply intertwined with environmental, social and governance issues, excelling in these […]
Changes to the Public Service Health Care Plan, which took effect on July 1, include $75,000 for certain gender affirming procedures not covered by provincial or territorial health-care programs. Other new benefits include: $300 per year each for a registered dietician, occupational therapist and lactation consultant; $200 per year for batteries for hearing aids; $600 per […]
Canadian plan sponsors and insurers are revisiting how they classify obesity drugs under their benefits plans, amid plan members’ rising demand for Ozempic as a weight-loss treatment. Ozempic, also known under the generic name semaglutide, is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. However, the medication has also been credited as a weight-loss treatment, […]