Working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic day in and day out, health-care workers experienced significant mental-health challenges over the past two and a half years — and while the most acute phases of the pandemic may have passed, the sector is preparing for the psychological fallout. Employers in the sector have responded proactively […]
While traditional therapy benefits and virtual-care options are now table stakes in benefits plans, there’s more employers can do to equip employees with the resources to manage their mental-health challenges and build resilience, said Rebecca Smith, director of group life and disability services at Medavie Blue Cross, during Benefits Canada’s 2022 Mental Health Summit in […]
Since an organization’s most valuable asset is its people, the coronavirus pandemic made it clear that having healthy, happy employees on the job isn’t just valuable, it’s essential to profitability, said Valerie Fernandez, organizational health senior advisor at Beneva, during Benefits Canada’s 2022 Mental Health Summit in November. In addition, she noted health isn’t an individual […]
Benefits plans tend to support employees dealing with either mild or severe mental-health symptoms, but an entire middle category of plan members lack a treatment option geared toward their moderate symptoms. As such, plan sponsors should think about matching services with severity when they’re considering which mental-health programs to incorporate into their benefits plans, said […]
Four months ago, my daughter woke up with a stye in one eye. While my 10-year-old was handling her infection like a champ, I wasn’t. All I could think was, “I need to get her to a doctor as fast as humanly possible.” But it had been almost two years since we visited her physician’s […]
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, people found different ways of coping, from baking sourdough bread to clapping for health-care heroes to drinking ‘quarantinis’ during Zoom happy hours. While the baking, clapping and drinking has tapered off for many, some employees have struggled with substance use as the pandemic drags on. But many […]
This year, Canadian employers are marking Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk Day by addressing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the mental health of employees. The annual event, which began in 2010 to encourage discussions about mental health, is built on four pillars: mental-health research, workplace leadership, ending stigmas around mental health and advocating for mental-health […]
Mental health is the leading cause of disability for Canadian employers of all types, sectors and sizes, with 70 per cent of employers saying expanding access to mental-health care is a top priority. Speaking during a Tech Insights spotlight session at Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Mental Health Summit, Anna Chif, co-founder and chief strategy and product officer […]
By beefing up its benefits programs and putting flexibility at the core of its offerings, Willful has been able to grow its staff amid a coronavirus pandemic-fueled tight labour market. The online estate planning company credits its fulsome total rewards package and its flexible workplace culture for its recruitment success. As a very small employer […]
Scotiabank is increasing its focus on mental health through expanded benefits coverage and additional training for employees in leadership roles. Beginning April 1, 2022, all eligible employees and dependants will have $10,000 — up from a previous limit of $3,000 — in mental well-being services as part of their core coverage, including access to clinical counsellors, internet-based […]