May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time when organizations create conversations around psychological well-being through campaigns, webinars and internal communications. In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been more important than ever for employers to prioritize employees mental-health needs. However, despite efforts to invest heavily in workplace mental-health benefits, there still appears […]
Flight Centre Travel Group’s pair of wins at the 2025 Workplace Benefits Awards is supporting the employer’s benefits communications strategy by reminding employees of available wellness offerings, says Anna Fisher, the organization’s health and wellness director. “The [Workplace Benefits Awards] are a big deal to us, because they give us a moment to pause and […]
Canadian employers are shouldering more than $110 billion a year in costs related to employee mental health, driven by lost productivity, disability leave and workplace accommodations, according to a new report from the Canadian Standards Association. It found those costs represent the largest share of an estimated $180 billion annual economic burden tied to mental-health […]
Closing the women’s health gap isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a “critical lever” towards addressing Canada’s flagging productivity, said Jennifer Foubert, head of group benefits, product and growth at Manulife Canada. Just over half (55 per cent) of the women’s health gap occurs during their working years, according to a 2021 report […]
Ottawa Community Housing Corp. is educating employees about their benefits offerings through a new monthly communication campaign. The campaign, which started in January, ties the employer’s benefits program to seasonal campaigns such as Heart Month in February and Financial Wellness Month in November by highlighting the corresponding aspects of the plan. Michael Dimaano, senior manager […]
For every dollar invested in integrated mental-health coverage and care, $1.50 is returned through lower mental-health claims by year two, even before accounting for the impacts of absenteeism or disability, according to a new report by Greenshield. The report — which drew on several sources, including reports by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the […]
In the 30 years since Symcor’s inception, it has brought in many employees with diverse ages, backgrounds, cultures and experiences. “We want to make sure that, with a workforce as diverse as ours, to have programs that are inclusive, meaningful, relevant and supportive,” said Rachel Wong, the organization’s vice-president of total rewards and human resources […]
Fewer than half of people leaders say they feel equipped to address employee mental-health issues, according to a new report by Telus Health. The report, which analyzed findings from the organization’s 2025 mental-health indexes, found only 62 per cent of workers rate their managers as ‘strongly humane’ and workers who rate their managers as ‘weak’ […]
This year marks Benefits Canada’s fifth annual Mental Health Issue, an initiative introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as employers ramped up their focus on this crucial topic. It hasn’t slowed down since. In fact, I’d argue employers’ attention to creating thoughtful and relevant mental-health resources and support for employees will continue its […]
In these uncertain times, there are strategic opportunities to implement mental-health polices, programs and services that provide tangible benefits for both employers and employees. Rebecca Gewurtz, occupational therapist and associate professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University Even during a challenging labour market, it’s important for employers to invest in employee mental-health […]