As the coronavirus pandemic continues, employees are viewing fitness benefits with increased importance, according to a new survey by ClassPass Inc. The survey found 70 per cent of respondents said they consider fitness benefits second only to health-care benefits, with 92 per cent saying they plan to return to gyms in 2021. Within that group, […]
At Benefits Canada‘s 2020 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 16, Ericsson was recognized for its comprehensive health and wellness program that helps employees address their physical, mental and social health needs. “We’ve really focused on a health and wellness program that would benefit employee’s health and overall well-being. . . . I think, for us, it’s always been important. […]
Medcan is partnering with fitness app Lift to enhance its wellness offering to plan sponsors. The platform, which includes customized exercise programming, digital equipment and digital assessments, aims to offer highly engaging virtual training sessions, partnered with Medcan fitness coaches. “Fitness is one of Medcan’s key pillars,” said Andrew Zimakas, the organization’s chief product and […]
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, more than half of Canadian employers (53 per cent) are enhancing their well-being programs, while 27 per cent are planning to make changes to improve health benefits, according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson. The survey, which polled nearly 150 Canadian employers with more than 800,000 employees, […]
Alberta Blue Cross is sharing exercise videos and tips on social media to help its employees and all Albertans make fitness a part of their work-from-home lives. Before the pandemic, the benefits provider encouraged its employees to take 15-minute wellness breaks led by Terry Skidnuk, a workplace wellness specialist. With the majority of people now working from home, it’s making […]
Toronto-based disease prevention technology company Newtopia Inc. is introducing a product suite aimed at preventing, reversing and slowing the progression of three chronic conditions. Targeting plan members of employer-sponsored health plans, the tools aim to assist users with hypertension, type 2 diabetes and weight management. They combine human interaction, virtual care, digital tools and data science to deliver personalized […]
Best Buy Canada Ltd. has had a well-used on-site gym at its Burnaby, B.C. head office for a decade. But when employees started working from home during the pandemic, the company decided to bring the gym to their laptops with a virtual fitness program. “We realized that staying fit and staying active was something we […]
The City of Mississauga’s acting senior manager of total rewards talks virtual health care, pension communications and spending time with family. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. I think we can say there are two worlds: pre-coronavirus and post-coronavirus. In the current situation, the top challenge is making sure our […]
Virtual-care options are gaining ground, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Looking at a scenario where plan members would receive health-care services through secure digital chat or video devices — where the health-care professionals aren’t the member’s usual providers, but would be able to share the consultation information with them if requested — […]
Benefits plan members are increasingly using digital devices and mobile apps to improve their health, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. More than half (53 per cent) of plan members said they used at least one device or app in the past year to help them achieve a personal health or fitness goal, a […]