The Canadian Mental Health Association is publishing a free resource to help employers develop new workplace impairment policies or update their existing ones. The guide’s goal is to promote mental health and wellness in the workplace and help employers understand their legal requirements, according to a press release. When creating policies focused on impairment, the resource recommended employers […]
Employees dealing with mental-health or other well-being issues spend more than a third of their time at the office being unproductive, according to new research by Morneau Shepell Ltd. and the International Employee Assistance Professionals Association. The research found this ineffective time at work adds up to eight days a month of lost productivity. The same […]
Sun Life has launched a three-month pilot project to test virtual independent medical exams, recognizing that when people are facing a mental-health issue, it can be challenging to schedule an in-person appointment and find the right care. In addition, the pilot was meant to mitigate the problems of wait times to see a mental-health professional, as well […]
May’s mental-health week is the biggest of the year for Denis Trottier, KPMG Canada’s chief mental-health officer. “My role is very interesting. I have nothing to do except mental health, looking at our mental-health practices, helping the firm do a benefits review and so on,” he says. While the role is currently an uncommon one, it’s likely […]
The contents of employee assistance programs are growing and reflecting a wider range of services. At the same time, attitudes to pricing are also changing. Trader Corp., a Toronto-based digital marketing company serving the automotive industry, expects more from its EAP provider and is willing to pay for it. “Our workforce is increasingly diverse with […]
Between 2000 and 2015, antidepressant drug consumption doubled in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. This is potentially a reflection of people’s growing willingness to admit they need help, the availability of therapies and general attitudes around mental-health issues. However, the consumption varies between countries, with Canada one of the top consumers. Nancy Tibbo, […]
Manulife is launching a preventative opioid management program, extending its Vitality program to group benefits plans and partnering with digital health company Akira Health. The opioid management program features a two-step system. The first ensures plan members who start opioid treatment do so with a short-term supply, while the second encourages using short-acting opioids at the outset. […]
The Public Service Alliance of Canada is declaring a bargaining impasse after failing to make substantial progress towards a new contract with the federal government. According to a press release from the union, the government is dissolving an existing memorandum of understanding on mental health without replacing it with updated framework. It also noted the government isn’t implementing recommendations […]
Members of the United Association Local 721 union in Prince Edward Island went on strike last week after being unable to reach a new agreement with their employers over wages and benefits. The union, which represents more than 130 plumbers, pipefitters and welders in PEI, began negotiations with four employers in December. Its previous contract expired […]
Retirement is a time in every employee’s life that evokes a number of emotions: anticipation, excitement, fear, stress, anxiety and relief, among others. The positive emotions are amplified when planning has taken place to remove the stress, fear and anxiety, so it’s important that people considering retirement aren’t leaving preparation to the last minute, especially not the month or […]