U.S. employer-sponsored health insurance and well-being programs are expected to yield an average return on investment of 47 per cent this year, according to a new report by Avalere Health, commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It found the key drivers of this ROI are improved employee productivity (US$275.6 billion), reductions in direct medical […]
An article on the possible surge of disability claims linked to long-haul coronavirus and remote work injuries was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Employers can expect surge of claims linked to long-haul coronavirus, remote work injuries: lawyers 2. 74% of employers say […]
Employees are experiencing more pain than ever before, with nearly half of the workforce diagnosed with some form of chronic pain lasting more than three months, according to Dr. Ayla Azad, chief experience officer at the Canadian Chiropractic Association, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 Benefits & Pension Summit on June 1. Citing several different […]
As the pandemic winds down, employers can expect to see an increase in disability claims related to long-haul coronavirus infections and compensation claims resulting from injuries incurred while working remotely, says Joshua Goldberg, a Toronto-based personal injury lawyer. The most common long-haul coronavirus symptoms are fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog and muscle and joint […]
The union representing 700 employees at Resolute Forest Products has ratified an agreement that includes benefits gains. Unifor members working in Resolute’s paper mills voted 90 per cent in favour of the four-year agreement. Vision and dental care will increase by $100 per year on Jan. 1, 2023 and dental will increase by another $100 on […]
Roughly two-fifths (37 per cent) of U.S. employers are increasing the quality of their existing benefits offerings to help with employee retention and attraction efforts, according to a survey by Principal Financial Services Inc. The survey, which polled 500 employers and 200 employees, found the top three enhanced benefits are short- and long-term disability insurance, […]
The United Way British Columbia and the union representing the organization’s employees have reached an agreement to increase extended mental-health coverage. The coverage, which has been increased to a combined maximum of $1,200 per person annually, can be used to access psychologists, registered clinical counsellors, social workers and online cognitive behavioural therapists, according to a press […]
Using a real-time benefits scoring tool, Targeted Strategies Group is making changes to its benefits plan to enhance its employee value proposition amid a tight labour market. Since 2017, the insurance brokerage firm, which has 142 employees, has used CloudAdvisors’ benefits ranking tool to gauge whether it’s accomplishing the goals it’s set out to achieve […]
The burden of musculoskeletal disease has had a significant impact on the lives of Canadians at home and at work, said Alison Dantas, chief executive officer at Canadian Chiropractic Association during Benefits Canada‘s 2022 Chronic Disease at Work event in February. According to the World Health Organization, musculoskeletal conditions are the leading cause of disability around […]
Alberta’s move to enter the captive insurance market could have significant benefits for employers in the province. On Dec. 2, 2021, the province’s proposed Bill 76, the Captive Insurance Companies Act, received royal assent, taking it one step closer to becoming law. If passed, the legislation will make Alberta the second province, after British Columbia, to […]