Accommodating employees at work who have physical disabilities that challenge them daily may be an obvious step, but employers need to remember that employees with episodic disabilities (both physical and mental) need to be accommodated, too. And it’s not difficult to do. An episodic disability is marked by unpredictable periods and degrees of wellness, explained […]
There are now new simplified, standardized forms for group short-term disability and ongoing long-term disability claims. The two new forms will be accepted by all Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) member companies and will greatly reduce the administrative burden on physicians when assisting their patients with disability claim submissions. “Our industry wanted to […]
One in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, according to a 2002 Health Canada report. In any year, 12% of Canadians ages 15 to 64 suffer from a mental disorder or substance dependence, as stated in a 2004 article in Healthcare Papers. Mental illness accounts for more than 15% of the burden […]
When it comes to total attendance and disability management, health and work come full circle. While many employers understand the impact that work has on health, they may need to refocus on the impact employee health has on work. “Our biggest asset is human capital and most important with human capital is health,” said Jean-Marc […]
Although untracked absenteeism often strains benefits budgets, most employers don’t do much about it. But Leo LeBlanc, vice-president of HR and corporate affairs at Co-op Atlantic, discovered that getting a handle on absenteeism can bring the company significant savings. And one of the beauties of saving money on benefits is that there are more funds […]
Most employees, given the opportunity, would rather return to work as soon as possible after being off with an illness. And most employers are only too happy to make this happen by offering appropriate programs. However, work absence rates among Canadian employees have been steadily increasing for more than a decade and there is no […]
1 The RDSP has its own abilities and disabilities HR Managers should do their homework on the new Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) before discussing RRSPs and TFSAs with disabled employees. Otherwise they may be providing ill advice. Read more 2 The elephant in the room: managing disability The prognostications of how long this economic […]
HR Managers should do their homework on the new Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) before discussing RRSPs and TFSAs with disabled employees. Otherwise they may be providing ill advice. The RDSP is designed to help with long-term savings since a disabled person has a much lower income potential and significantly higher medical expenses than a […]
Employers today are facing tough business decisions relating to their benefits plans driven by the difficult economic environment. In particular, they may need to consider the potential impact of the economic downturn on the costs related to their disability benefits plans, as well as the value of those plans when financial resources are tight. While […]
When it comes to dealing with short-term disability, employers may have more options available than they think. A company’s goal is to generate revenues that exceed its expenses—a particularly challenging proposition in this economic environment. And what happens if your most valuable employee can’t work? What is the effect on your company’s bottom line? Suppose […]