Benefits plan sponsors’ efforts to reduce stigma around mental-health challenges and encourage employees to bring their whole selves to work are bearing fruit, said benefits and wellness experts during Benefits Canada’s launch event for the 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. The survey found three-quarters of plan members and 87 per cent of plan sponsors agreed […]
More than half (54 per cent) of Canadian employees say affordability is among the top barriers to improving their well-being, according to a new survey by RBC Insurance. The survey, which polled 1,000 working adults, found while nearly all said they need to improve their health and well-being, respondents cited barriers including lack of motivation […]
When Jennifer Young, a global human resources business solutions consultant at Manulife Financial Corp., found out she was expecting her first child in 2021, she thought the coronavirus pandemic would pose the biggest challenge to a healthy pregnancy. But, like many parents, her journey into motherhood ended up requiring a circle of care dependent on […]
Despite the prevalence of pregnancy loss, many employers still don’t have a plan in place that adequately supports employees experiencing this type of loss, says Michelle La Fontaine, a program manager at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network. “We’ve heard a variety of experiences from families who have experienced pregnancy and infant […]
BDO Canada LLP employees who are considering taking a pottery course, planning a family vacation or even booking a caterer for their wedding can get a little financial assistance from the company’s newest benefit. The consultancy’s Do What You Love program, which launched in 2022, provides plan members with a set annual reimbursement amount for […]
Securian Canada’s chief human experience officer discusses weaving inclusivity and employee well-being into the workplace culture, leveraging artificial intelligence to make human resources objectives more impactful and enjoying a tapestry of experiences through world travel. Q: What top challenges do you face in your role? A: Securian Canada was formed from the integration of three […]
An article detailing how Canada’s exemplary pension regulatory system is helping to safeguard plans from mismanagement was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the past week: 1. Culture of compliance prevents mismanagement, conflict at Canadian pension funds: expert 2. OPB making key appointments […]
Mental health and musculoskeletal problems are currently two of the main drivers of disability claims and it isn’t uncommon for plan members with a mental-health diagnosis to also have a secondary physical condition or vice-versa, said Rebecca Smith, director of group life and disability services at Medavie Blue Cross, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health […]
Warren Shepell has had a front-row seat for the evolution of how mental health has been treated in the workplace. Shepell was the pioneer and founder of employee assistance programs in Canada. He launched his first one in 1979 while working as an organizational consultant, after human resources professionals started referring employees struggling with mental-health […]
During a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health Summit in June, three plan sponsors discussed whether the size of an employer impacts its ability to support workers’ mental health. Telus Communications Inc., which has roughly 30,000 employees, has developed a mental-health strategy that recognizes the whole employee based on five wellness dimensions — […]