The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association has released a critical illness insurance guide to help Canadians better understand the benefits of critical illness insurance and how it works. Critical illness insurance is less well known than other types of insurance, so the guide helps to fill in the blanks for Canadians who may have […]
An article on how a shorter workweek can support higher levels of employee health and happiness was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the past week: 1. Four-day workweek improves employee well-being, retention: expert 2. Report finds women taking 69% of all mental-health leaves of […]
Hub International Ltd. is acquiring London, Ont.-based Zavitz Insurance & Wealth Inc. Zavitz Insurance provides group employee benefits, living benefits, life insurance services and financial and retirement planning. The organization is the latest acquisition by Hub over the last few years. Read: Hub International acquiring Oakville, Ont.-based Mitchell Sandham Last month, Hub acquired Oakville, Ont.-based Mitchell […]
With 2024 well underway, it’s important for employers to adapt their strategies in the ever-evolving landscape of employee benefits. Employee expectations continue to evolve and the emphasis on mental health, well-being and personalized benefits continues to grow, requiring plan sponsors to balance innovation with keeping costs in check during uncertain economic conditions. Read: How family-building […]
More than 300 employees of Windsor, Ont.’s Jamieson Laboratories Ltd. are ending their 34-day strike after securing a new contract agreement that includes significant wage increases and benefits enhancements. On March 5, members of Unifor Local 195 voted to ratify a four-year collective agreement — effective Feb. 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2028 — that […]
Amid a wave of frank and open discussions about women’s health, more plan sponsors are beginning to review their benefits and human resources policies with an eye to providing better support. It’s something that a group of health-care experts, speaking during a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Chronic Disease at Work conference in February, […]
For nearly 10 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. On Feb. 8, insurers and health-care professionals shared their insights into several chronic conditions impacting Canadian employees, including Alzheimer’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, menopause and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Here’s […]
Employers can support employees going through menopause by improving their workplace culture, communication and accommodation policies and employee benefits, said Janet Ko, president and co-founder of the Menopause Foundation of Canada, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Chronic Disease at Work conference in February. She said menopause came a barrage of symptoms that “blindsided” her and disrupted her […]
After her husband Mike Kessler was diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease in 2021, Karen Kessler admitted she would hover around him. The Windsor, Ont. couple implemented many strategies in place to manage Mike’s diagnosis, and Karen remembers believing he would need plenty of help. “I was doing everything, I was carrying the load, and quite […]
Employees with pulmonary arterial hypertension can experience significant impacts to their quality of life and workplace experience, said John Granton, a respirologist with the University Health Network in Toronto, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Chronic Disease at Work conference in February. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a very rare condition, affecting less than 10,000 Canadians. It’s […]