Before its benefits redesign, WSP Canada Inc. had a simple but effective idea: when you hear a good idea, write it down. “On an ongoing basis, we have an enhancement wish list that we maintain,” said Chantelle Tadman, benefits and wellness lead at the professional services firm, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2020 Plan Sponsor […]
About three-quarters (72 per cent) of Canadians with a workplace health benefits plan have a traditional plan and 28 per cent have a flex plan, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. This is up slightly from 2017, when 80 per cent of plan members said they had a traditional plan and 19 per […]
While nearly half (47 per cent) of Canadian employees described their health benefits plan as excellent or very good, this number is at the low end of results gathered since 2006, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Over the 15-year period in which the survey has been conducted, results have ranged between 47 […]
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 […]
After the Arthritis Society’s extensive advocacy for medical cannabis research, it seemed only natural for the organization to cover the drug under its employee benefits plan. In 2017, as it prepared to introduce the coverage, it brought together an expert panel, including doctors with extensive experience prescribing medical cannabis and expert pharmacists and advisors from […]
A well-designed group benefits plan can be critical to attracting and retaining the right talent, as well as keeping employees healthy and productive at work. But for small employers, offering a benefits plan is easier said than done.
One size no longer fits all and employees are demanding benefits that cater to their unique needs. Twenty years ago most organizations provided traditional benefits programs. Aside from the ability to purchase some optional life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, these programs provided virtually no choice for employees to tailor their coverage needs.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has changed its position on the tax implications of employee bonuses directed to healthcare spending accounts (HCSAs). Employers who have or are considering HCSAs need to understand the significant change and how it affects their plans.
The debate between the provinces and the feds about healthcare funding rages on. The question of who owns what remains at the core of the debate, but one undeniable truth underlies the discussion: We—as Canadians—cannot afford our current healthcare funding commitments.
With any financial product, a lack of industry standardization often causes confusion within the marketplace. No product within the benefits market today could be more subject to such confusion than the healthcare spending account (HCSA).