Watch this video For benefits plan sponsors worried about the increasing costs of their plans, the legislation regarding generic drug price reductions (currently implemented in five provinces) may seem like a saving grace. But not so fast, warns Shawn O’Brien, senior consultant, health and benefits, with Aon Hewitt. He warns that the savings might not […]
Early responses from a Mercer survey suggest the average growth in U.S. health benefits costs will slow to 5.4% in 2012, the smallest increase since 1997. However, cost growth remains well above both general inflation and growth in workers’ earnings. While this increase reflects cost-cutting changes employers plan to make to their benefits programs, such as […]
Lorna Willner, Steam Whistle’s HR manager, talks about the perks that keep employees interested. Explain Steam Whistle’s profit sharing and shareholder plans. Profit sharing is for everybody…even if, for the year, an employee does just 12 shifts, he or she would still be eligible to participate but on a pro-rated basis. Once an employee has […]
Watch this video Too often, benefits plan administration and costs take up a plan sponsor’s focus—leaving communication efforts to suffer, says Sarah Beech, region director, Central Canada, with Aon Hewitt. In this BenefitsCanadaTV interview, Beech discusses ways employers can make their benefits plans more engaging, by bringing plans “to a more personal level as opposed […]
Employee morale is down, but benefits education can be an effective way to boost workplace satisfaction, says a recent survey by U.S.-based benefits provider Unum. The survey of 1,712 working adults found that 63% of employees think their employer values their work, down from 70% in 2008, and that even fewer, 56%, feel that their […]
Mental health is on the radar of Canadian organizations. Numerous studies have been conducted on the occurrence of and costs associated with mental health issues. The unfortunate reality is that people are often not provided with the care they need, even though early intervention is a key factor in helping people address and treat mental […]
Ensuring employees with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have access to medical care as well as other services—such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and drug coverage—is very important in helping them to be productive and active in the workplace. Dr. Diane Lacaille, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, describes what employers can do to help […]
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a musculoskeletal condition that affects about 1% of Canadians. If RA is not diagnosed early and treated properly, it can place a heavy financial burden on plan sponsors. RA is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation in the lining of the joints. It is a systemic disease, which means it […]
Manulife Financial Group Benefits has launched a suite of services to address the needs of employers dealing with incidences of workplace injury. Occupational Management Services will offer an integrated workplace injury and disability benefits program aimed at simplifying the processing and management of workers’ compensation claims, which totalled $11 billion across Canada in 2010. “Managing […]
Air Canada employees are back to work today after a tentative agreement on pay and pensions was reached yesterday, ending a three-day strike and 12 weeks of negotiations. CAW president Ken Lewenza said the new agreement is an important achievement for the 3,800 CAW members at Air Canada who resisted company demands for major pension […]