The Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group’s international headquarters has been recognized for the building’s ability to support the physical, mental and social health of its 1,500 employees. The Montreal building is the first in Quebec and 12th in Canada to receive a rating from Fitwel, a global health certification that evaluates evidence-based strategies in buildings […]
While 72 per cent of Canadian employers said they expect to differentiate their benefits programs for recruitment and retention in the next three years, just 12 per cent currently do so, according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson. It found 60 per cent of employers now offer flexible benefits, and this is set […]
On Feb. 27 in Toronto, the 2019 Employers Cancer Care Summit addressed cancer-related concerns tied to benefits plans in the workplace. Here’s what you missed: Gap services one solution to evolving developments in immunotherapy When it comes to cancer treatment, immunotherapy is a game changer with an exciting future ahead, according to Dr. Jeff Rothenstein. […]
When Betty-Lynn LaFrance was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017, she was completely shocked as she’d never smoked and had been very active her entire life. Born and raised in Pembroke, Ont., where she still lives with her husband of 34 years, LaFrance has three children and seven grandchildren. When she was diagnosed with ALK+ non-small cell lung […]
Living her best life with her husband Jeremy, Karen Formosa was looking forward to retiring within the next six years. But all that changed when she was diagnosed in 2018, at the age of 56, with stage 3 BRAF melanoma. “The end of February 2018, I spotted the ball on the right side of my […]
When Lisa Machado was diagnosed with a rare leukemia 11 years ago, one of her biggest challenges was finding emotional support and education. “And so in the days after I was diagnosed, I joined the clinical trial, mostly because I was anxious and wanted to make sure that if anything happened, it would be watched very closely. […]
The mantra “build it and they will come” may have worked in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams, but it doesn’t always work with wellness programming. When wellness programs are first introduced, they typically achieve fairly high levels of participation. However, participation often declines once the newness wears off. Incentives can help engage, re-engage and […]
Stress hurts, and it’s not just about mental and emotional health strain, it’s also about financial stress, according to a workforce well-being survey by Buck Consultants. Where physical well-being is concerned, “one of the headlines that screams at us is stress,” said Ruth Hunt, a principal in the engagement practice and global well-being survey lead at […]
Workplace stress is on the rise and employees are feeling the pressure, according to new research by Morneau Shepell Ltd. In a survey of employees and employers across Canada, the company found more than a third of employees reported they’re more stressed now from work (35 per cent) and personal issues (36 per cent) than […]
While insurers are consistently providing innovative plan design options for employers, that doesn’t detract from the reality that it’s a difficult time for employers, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s Karen Voin. “At the heart of it, they want to ensure they’re not impacting their employees, and are really conscious of what the impact […]