The Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Pension Plan is expanding the definition of who can qualify to receive benefits as disabled or as a dependant child under its plan. Effective Dec. 1, 2021, the CAAT’s DBprime plan design was amended to remove the requirement that a member must be receiving benefits from an employer’s long-term […]
As the phenomenon of coronavirus long-haulers — individuals who display symptoms for months following infection — becomes more prominent amid the ongoing pandemic, plan sponsors are taking a flexible and individualized approach through their human resources practices and benefits offerings to support impacted plan members. Mike Mousseau, national well-being and engagement consultant at Arthur J. […]
The Fraser Health Authority has always taken care of its employees when they go on disability leave, but the organization recently decided to change the trajectory of employees’ disability journey, introducing new services that can help them earlier in the process. One cause of disability the health authority aimed to address was substance use disorder, […]
When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, Fluor Canada was ready with ample mental-health supports for its employees, all thanks to a mental-health strategy the company had put in place years ago and has continued to build on. It began in 2018 when Fluor Canada’s newly appointed senior management team wanted to renew the […]
Benefits plans with a wide range of mental-health supports are taking on new importance as employers look to attract and retain key talent in a tight labour market, said Julie Gaudry, head of group insurance at RBC Insurance Inc., during Benefits Canada’s 2021 Mental Health Summit. One third of Canadian businesses are currently grappling with […]
As inflation hits a record high in Canada, employers are helping workers weather the storm through various benefits and compensation offerings, according to several experts. In October, the Canadian inflation rate increased year over year by a record 4.7 per cent, the largest increase since February 2003, according to Statistics Canada. The Bank of Canada […]
Shopify Inc. was awarded for its digital-first employee health and wellness strategy at Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 14. The technology company won the award in the Coronavirus and Benefits category for an employer with more than 5,000 employees. Although the organization already had a few remote workers, it swiftly transitioned all of its employees […]
With the Delta variant leading the coronavirus pandemic in a renewed surge, employers continue to have a surplus of challenges, regardless of whether or not they’re planning a return to the workplace. I discussed this latter challenge in my Editorial last month, but at the risk of heaping on more doom and gloom, it may […]
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ottawa Community Housing Corp. battened down the hatches and focused on addressing any absence management issues before they occurred. Now, Cindy Newell, the company’s director of human resources, says OCH is expecting to see fewer disability leaves post-pandemic, thanks to a proactive absence and disability management strategy […]
As the country began shutting down to focus on beating back the coronavirus at the height of the pandemic in March 2020, people with chronic health conditions fell to the back of the health-care line. “While all Canadians probably faced — to some extent — a negative impact due to some of the public health […]