When an employee has a health issue requiring expensive treatment, the associated high-cost claims can be significant for their benefits plan sponsor. But it’s impossible to predict when a large claim will arise, so stop-loss insurance, which takes the claim off the employer’s shoulders, is one option to help protect against these unexpected costs. As […]
As Canadians face increasingly competing financial priorities while juggling busy lives at work and home, the overlap between financial worry, stress and employee health is becoming more intense. In 2018, a study published in the U.S.-based Journal of Social Service Research found employees without paid sick leave are more prone to feel stressed about their […]
Buck is launching a three-part digital human resources product that aims to help employers create a consolidated experience for their plan members, drive behavioural change and raise employee satisfaction while creating a healthier employee population and increased productivity. “A more personalized employee experience combined with advanced analytics and decisioning tools are critical to the success […]
Employees at Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. are giving Unifor’s bargaining team a strong mandate to take strike action, if necessary, in the quest for a fair contract. The provisions of the contract include mental-health days, domestic violence leave and part-time hours, says Dan Bailey, national representative for Unifor. “We’re focusing in on mental health in the workplace, […]
Plan sponsors can expect to see a three to five per cent increase in prescription drug claims in 2019, according to Buck’s annual Canadian health-care trend survey. However, the survey noted, since insurance providers also add a market inflation factor, the projected increase is actually 10.99 per cent, down from 12.45 per cent in 2018. Based […]
A growing body of international evidence indicates education, prevention efforts and early intervention are critical to people’s mental health, according to a new study at the University of British Columbia. Mental-health efforts are taking place “across social systems and within organizational structures, including public health, educational institutions and workplaces,” noted the study, authored by Miranda Massie, a […]
The majority (80 per cent) of working Canadians reported their overall well-being would improve if their employer offered a personalized wellness program customized to their specific wellness and health-related interests and goals, according to a new survey by RBC Insurance. If they were offered this type of program, survey respondents also said they’d see improvements […]
People who work in negative environments have an increased chance of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The study found that employees in “mistrustful environments” had greater risk factors for heart disease, including smoking, poor diet and obesity. It also noted that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease […]
Almost all employers offer paramedical benefits for psychology and many are adopting programs to support employee mental health, according to a new survey by Aon. Canadian employers are increasingly realizing the individual and business risks that arise from mental-health issues. “While fewer than half of the employers we talked to identified mental health as a serious […]
While “brain fog” isn’t a clinical condition, it feels like forgetfulness, slow thinking and difficulty concentrating. It happens to everyone at some point and can often impact productivity at work. Some common causes of brain fog include stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, hormonal changes from pregnancy or andropause/menopause, an unhealthy diet, vitamin B12 deficiency, chemotherapy and side-effects […]