While climate change is exacerbating employees’ pre-existing health challenges, workers aren’t always making the link between these health impacts and the support provided in their group benefits plan, says Marie-Chantal Côté, senior vice-president at Sun Life Health. “Employers have a great opportunity to continue to support employees by raising awareness of the supports available. A […]
In both an in-person and virtual format on Sept. 16, the inaugural Toronto Benefits Summit brought together more than 300 employers, consultants, industry providers and other key stakeholders for a full day of exploring trends in the benefits and wellness space. The packed agenda, which was presented to a sold-out room, included panel discussions presenting […]
Inconsistency in public health care and private benefits coverage for vision care could be keeping many Canadians from getting their eyes checked regularly, according to Tracy Weng, an optometrist and clinical consultant at Specsavers Canada, during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit. About 60 per cent of Canadians have private insurance and, among that group, […]
While society’s understanding of women’s health has significantly evolved in the last few years, employee benefits plans haven’t yet caught up. “We expect men and women to interact with their plan in the same way and that’s just not true,” said Erika Hatherly, strategic leader for drug programs, group benefits and retirement solutions at iA […]
As effective weight management drugs come to market, it’s time to move beyond outdated approaches to obesity care and towards holistic treatment strategies, said Marie-Hélène Dugal, national pharmacy strategy lead for Medavie Blue Cross, during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit. Obesity is a progressive, relapsing and complex chronic disease characterized by abnormal and excessive […]
While roughly half of Canada’s provinces now provide some form of public coverage for fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization, the cost is still too prohibitive for many people. Employers are starting to help bridge the gap, “but there’s definitely still room for improvement,” said Tara Wood, principal of Purpose PR and co-founder of Fertility […]
With many Canadian employers likely to have employees go on leave related to cancer, one survey suggests they need guidance on how to support those plan members before, during and after their leave, according to Julie Holmes, senior advisor for disability management at Desjardins Insurance, during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit. The survey, by […]
In response to growing awareness and incidences of anxiety, Ontario-based Symcor Inc. is hosting a webinar this month to help employees recognize and manage the condition. “Based on surveys and reports, we can see anxiety is a very common condition,” says Rachel Wong, the company’s vice-president of total rewards and human resources technology. “[This webinar] […]
When tracing a woman’s career across her various life stages, the ebbs and flows will impact the support she needs from her employer and the way she embraces the workplace, from building a family to parental leave to balancing child rearing and later, experiencing perimenopause and menopause. As the middle-aged mother of two young children, […]
In the midst of the current backlash against the very concept of diversity, equity and inclusion, VHA Home HealthCare is reinforcing its decades-long focus on developing an inclusive workplace culture. “Our commitment to DEI is central to our people strategy, so we’re not backing away, but rather continuing to emphasize and double down on our […]