The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has ruled an employers’ conduct that creates mere emotional discomfort for employees during the accommodation process may not amount to discrimination. “What emerges from the Cillis v. Hamilton decision is an objective standard requiring employers to act reasonably, not perfectly,” says Jeff Goodman, a commercial employment law partner at […]
Generation Z workers are facing greater mental-health difficulties and increasing rates of chronic disease compared to other age groups, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc. The report, which drew data from more than 20,000 employers and more than three million plan members, found more than 50 per cent of gen-Zers’ long-term […]
It’s important for employers to examine benefits data to tailor their offerings and focus on organizational resiliency to be successful in the year ahead, says Janine Mcinnis, vice-president of benefits consulting at Hub International Canada. “[Employers] striving to build sustainable, responsible businesses have a lot to contend with in 2026. In a landscape shaped by […]
Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world, with an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 people living with the disease. Every day, 12 Canadians are diagnosed, most between ages 20 and 49, striking individuals during their most productive working and family-building years. “MS is the No. 1 cause of non-traumatic disability in those […]
Glioma, the most common malignant brain tumour in young adults under 50 is a devastating disease that often strikes people in their prime working years, said Samaneh Samami, senior medical science liaison at Servier, during Benefits Canada’s Drug Innovations Webinar: A spotlight on brain health. Diagnosis can turn a person’s life upside down, she noted, […]
Health Canada recently approved the first disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, which is a long-awaited milestone that carries significant implications for private drug plans, employers and working Canadians. “Leqembi’s approval is a turning point after two decades of no new treatment options,” said Dr. Sarah Mitchell, cognitive neurologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and director […]
An article on changes to Newfoundland and Labrador’s employee leave legislation was the most-read benefits story on BenefitsCanada.com this year. Here are the top 10 benefits stories of 2025: 1. What Newfoundland and Labrador-based employers need to know about changes to employee leave legislation 2. How national health-care legislation could impact benefits plan sponsors’ virtual […]
An article on the federal government’s official rebuttal to a 2023 report that argued Alberta is entitled to more than half the assets of the Canada Pension Plan was the most-read pension story on BenefitsCanada.com this year. Here are the top 10 pension stories of 2025: 1. Feds’ report dismisses Alberta’s CPP entitlement, offers formula […]
When a plan sponsor was seeing musculoskeletal issues come up in disability claims, it wanted to figure out if it could do more to support employees, according to Tamara Harduwar (pictured right), Manulife Canada’s director of health insights and outcomes for group benefits. During a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Healthy Outcomes Conference, she said […]
It was 2023 and Henry Schein Canada was “late to the wellness party,” recalled Faye Gagne (pictured centre), the company’s manager of employee relations and wellness. Post-pandemic, the company’s culture surveys indicated employee stress levels were high, she said, noting she and other senior leaders wanted to reduce disability leave instances and durations, as well […]