Blue Cross and SSQ Life Insurance Co. Inc. are the latest insurers to join as sponsors of MindBeacon Group’s Stronger Minds, a free digital program available for all Canadians during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to guidance from Beacon’s team of clinical psychologists, the platform offers resources focused on resilience building, videos and quick reads […]
The Empire Life Insurance Co. is including a mental-health navigator in all of its group benefits plans beginning May 1. Through the navigator, which is provided by Teledoc Health Inc.’s Best Doctors, plan members are guided by a registered nurse or social worker specializing in mental health. It draws on a care team of clinicians, […]
Does your organization’s benefits or pension plan communications deserve recognition? Are you leading the way when it comes to supporting your employees’ mental health? Is your company’s financial wellness program award-worthy? Benefits Canada’s annual Workplace Benefits Awards is officially open for nominations. Submit your entries here. As in previous years, the 2020 awards will continue to honour the achievements of […]
Many employers expect to maintain the flexible and remote-working policies they’ve recently put in place once the coronavirus pandemic is over, according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson. The survey, which polled 200 U.S. employers, found 59 per cent said they expect their work-from-home policies will remain in effect after the pandemic, while […]
While employers of frontline workers have beefed up their policies to physically protect workers from the spread of the coronavirus, many aren’t providing additional supports or mental-health resources, according to a new survey by ADP Canada Co. The survey, which polled more than 750 working Canadians, found that across all industries, 45 per cent of employers are offering extra mental-health […]
Vancouver City Savings Credit Union has put its frontline staff on a rotation system and introduced a virtual health-care app to support them during the coronavirus pandemic. When the pandemic hit British Columbia, Vancity began to see a steep climb in unexplained absences, reaching as high as 140 a day. “Like many people across the […]
In the midst of the most significant socio-economic and health crisis since WWII — and maybe even longer — virtually every aspect of modern society has been affected in some way, and employee benefits programs are no exception. Before the coronavirus pandemic was in full swing in Canada, employers were focused on ensuring employees diagnosed with the […]
With the increase in job losses, illnesses, uncertainty and self-isolation, how is the coronavirus survey affecting Canadians’ emotional and psychological well-being? Half of Canadians reported a worsening of their mental health with 10 per cent saying it has worsened a lot, according to a new survey by the Angus Reid Institute. When asked to describe […]
BMO Financial Group is highlighting a number of its health supports for employees during the coronavirus pandemic. The bank is hosting conference calls with physicians and mental-health professionals, which are recorded so employees can listen to them later on-demand. So far, 15,000 employees have participated, says Karen Collins, the bank’s chief talent officer. “It’s really […]
More than a third (35 per cent) of Canadians said they expect to lose their job or the main source of self-employment income in the next four weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by Statistics Canada. The survey, which polled more than 4,600 Canadians in all 10 provinces in late March and early April, found […]