From lack of sleep to post-traumatic stress disorders, employees facing a range of challenges that can have an impact on their work. What are some of the causes of mental-health issues and how can employers recognize when an employee is having difficulties? At the 2017 Mental Health Summit in Toronto on Nov. 7, experts provided […]
Despite mental health accounting for more than 30 per cent of long-term disability claims, there’s a disconnect between medical practitioners and insurers that unwittingly impedes the ability of plan members to receive timely care. Samuel Mikail, senior consultant for mental health at Sun Life Financial, told attendees at Benefits Canada’s 2017 Mental Health Summit in […]
In one episode of the television show The Office, salesman Stanley Hudson has a heart attack during a workplace fire drill. A few days later, he’s back at his desk, with only a doctor’s orders to “relate more positively” to his surroundings. Many employers can only dream of such an easy return to work. In […]
Does disability interfere with an organization’s right to terminate employment and employer-provided benefits? It’s a question that commonly arises when it comes to employees who have been away from work and in receipt of long-term disability benefits for extended periods of time. Generally, and subject to applicable statutory entitlements respecting termination pay and severance, it […]
A recent Court of Appeal of Alberta dismissal of a case relating to age discrimination and the eligibility of receiving long-term disability benefits provides some clarity to future legal interpretation of similar employer-sponsored plans. In International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1007 v. Epcor Utilities Inc., the union’s appeal related to whether a long-term disability […]
When illness or disability strikes an employee, it can disrupt the whole team. It’s important for every employer to put an integrated structure and sound disability policy in place, so there’s no ambiguity around the process and the claimant can receive care promptly and integrate back into the workforce quickly. When it comes to handling […]
Sun Life Financial will be offering plan members on short- and long-term disability leave for depression or anxiety the chance to take part in a study on the impact of pharmacogenetic testing. The insurer is participating in a study that examines the effectiveness of the technology in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental […]
With mental health as an aspect of workplace disability on the rise in the electricity sector, Electricity Human Resources Canada has introduced an online portal to highlight the importance of accommodating employees with both mental and physical disabilities. “We know we need more workers, we need more diversity and we need awareness and knowledge,” says […]
Many employees falsely believe that a disability means they can no longer engage in meaningful work, as their condition is now a defining aspect of their life that renders employment all but impossible. Disability case managers see that perception as one of their biggest challenges. Without goals, disability can result in a substantial and sustained […]
A B.C. municipality will get another chance to make its case for terminating three employees on long-term disability with no hope of coming back to work following a new ruling from the province’s labour relations board that deals with the tricky question of non-culpable absenteeism. Earlier this month, board vice-chair Elena Miller issued a ruling on […]