When my husband got a new job in Pickering, Ont., it became clear that a four-hour return commute from our west-end neighbourhood on public transit wasn’t sustainable for him. We weighed the pros and cons of either moving or buying a car. The car won out, but only if we could both use it as […]
When the federal government signed the Cannabis Act into law in 2018, legalizing recreational cannabis, it also committed to providing patients with better access to medical cannabis and to more extensively researching the trends, use patterns, patient impact, potential therapeutic treatments and adverse effects of cannabis and cannabinoids. The legislation also prompted new conversations in […]
Mercer is teaming up with Lift Digital Inc., an artificial intelligence-based fitness and wellness platform, to bring customized, on-demand digital fitness to employers and employees. The Mercer 365 platform, combined with Lift, will provide access to a number of fitness offerings, including customized and automated fitness sessions, access to wellness experts via chat, live online group classes and Lift […]
Whether it direct or indirect, mental illness affects everyone. Beyond an individual’s personal suffering, which can range from mild to severe, the effects are also felt by their families, as well as their employers. Fortunately, many organizations are looking for new ways to proactively care for their employees’ whole health, including their mental health. Roughly half a million Canadians miss […]
To improve employee health and nutrition habits, HelloFresh Canada is taking staff out of the kitchen and into an online classroom — and then back into the kitchen. Employees of the Toronto-based meal-kit company can take interactive health and wellness courses through an online wellness portal to accumulate credits towards purchasing wellness rewards. The courses include modules on improving […]
While nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of Canadian plan sponsors believe their benefits plans meet current workforce diversity needs, 87 per cent noted employee expectations for benefits and the workplace have changed, according to a survey from Aon. Today’s employees expect more flexible working hours (84 per cent), support to achieve work-life balance (79 per […]
Morneau Shepell Ltd. is partnering with the Canadian Football League Players’ Association to make its LifeWorks platform available to the league’s players. LifeWorks is a total well-being platform that supports users’ mental, physical, social and financial well-being. It will be provided to CFL players as part of the CFLPA Academy, which already offers career transition programs. Players […]
Both absenteeism and presenteeism affect employers’ bottom lines and employee morale, but does one have more impact on the workplace? Julie Holden, principal at Holden & Associates Ltd. In many ways, employee absence is a major disruption to the workplace and it has become much more complex over the years. On one hand, there’s the […]
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is taking its employees’ mental health seriously. Four years ago, it implemented a strategy to focus on building awareness, reducing stigma and encouraging self-care and wellness. This started with one-on-one mental-health first aid training for all employees, says Laleh Moshiri, the Toronto-based law firm’s national director of diversity and inclusion. “Raising […]
On Oct. 24, the 2019 Calgary Drug Trends Summit featured presentations to educate plan sponsors and advisors about specific disease states and their challenges, new drug treatment categories and key drug trends facing benefits plans. Here’s what you missed! New drug therapies for common conditions could impact private plan sustainability While medical advancements and drug […]