With roughly six million Canadians balancing work and caregiving responsibilities, employers are facing growing pressure to address the impact on productivity, retention and employee well-being. At Skip, these pressures are increasingly visible across the workforce, particularly among employees managing both childcare and elder-care responsibilities. “We recognize that our employees don’t leave their personal lives at […]
For the past 11 years, Benefits Canada’s Chronic Disease at Work conference has examined the current trends in chronic disease in Canada and what they mean for plan sponsors. In a virtual format on Feb. 4, attendees learned about topics including key trends in chronic disease management and prevention, chronic skin conditions, diabetes, postpartum depression […]
Rising rates of chronic illness among younger people and women are changing the picture of chronic disease in Canada, according to Sun Life data. Forty-five per cent of Canadians now live with a chronic disease, said Alexandra Dalkie, the insurer’s director of ePharmacy, during Benefits Canada’s 2026 Chronic Disease at Work conference. While older Canadians […]
Mental and physical health care have long been treated as separate silos, but there’s a growing recognition in the benefits industry that an integrated, personalized care experience can improve health outcomes, manage chronic disease and reduce “ballooning health spend,” according to Matthew Chow (pictured right), chief mental health officer at Telus Health. “We’re moving employee […]
The workplace can play an important role in helping to normalize type 1 diabetes for employees living with the condition and those whose children may be diagnosed, said Michael Vallis, psychologist and associate professor of family medicine at Dalhousie University, during a session supported by Sanofi Canada during Benefits Canada’s 2026 Chronic Disease at Work […]
With chronic hepatitis B under-diagnosed and under-treated in Canada, benefits plan sponsors can help close the gap with education, vaccination and detection campaigns. “Improving access to treatment and testing is something that’s key, recognizing that if we can improve that we can prevent the complications of chronic hepatitis B,” said Jonathan Mapletoft, medical lead for […]
In the 30 years since Symcor’s inception, it has brought in many employees with diverse ages, backgrounds, cultures and experiences. “We want to make sure that, with a workforce as diverse as ours, to have programs that are inclusive, meaningful, relevant and supportive,” said Rachel Wong, the organization’s vice-president of total rewards and human resources […]
An article on Derek Dobson’s departure from the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology’s pension plan was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. CAAT CEO departing following leadership crisis, paying back $1.6 million vacation payout 2. […]
The Bank of Montreal is supporting women’s health through information sessions and an enhanced resource hub. The bank is hosting the latest session in its women’s health series at the end of March on women’s cardiovascular health, a virtual and in-person event that will discuss heart health and how it impacts women differently. Sarika Gundu, […]
This year marks Benefits Canada’s fifth annual Mental Health Issue, an initiative introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as employers ramped up their focus on this crucial topic. It hasn’t slowed down since. In fact, I’d argue employers’ attention to creating thoughtful and relevant mental-health resources and support for employees will continue its […]