From encouraging open discussions around mental health in the workplace to reintegrating workers once they return from disability leave, a lot of information is available on how to support employees. But what are employers’ responsibilities before they even hire someone? “Certainly, mental-health conditions can be a concern for an employer if it impacts on the […]
Two groups that represent injured workers in Ontario and a former Ottawa employee have launched legal proceedings against the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board and the provincial government over the treatment of chronic mental stress claims. The application, filed by the Ontario Network of Injured Worker Groups, Injured Workers Consultants and Margery Wardle on June […]
Workplace issues like missed deadlines or tardiness may mean employees are being careless or not managing their time well, but they could also be the signs of a much bigger problem, an expert suggested last week. During a Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute webinar on mental health on Wednesday, Jonathan Zinck, a wellness facilitator at […]
Does your absence management strategy, pension plan or health and wellness program deserve to be recognized? Benefits Canada’s annual Workplace Benefits Awards is now open for nominations. The 2017 program includes three new categories: pension performance, diversity program and drug/benefits plan innovation. Markers for success in the pension performance category include cost containment, increased participation […]
MHIB Global Inc. has introduced a new online mental-health training program for small- and medium-sized companies. Small businesses “sometimes feel a little overwhelmed,” says Julie Holden, executive vice-president of the company. “There’s a lot of information out there, which is good. . . . But it can be a bit daunting in terms of where […]
Sun Life Financial is expanding its mental-health plan by piloting a new virtual cognitive behavioural therapy program. Offered in partnership with the University of Regina, the one-year pilot project will first be rolled out for plan sponsors in Ontario and Saskatchewan. The expansion of the program next year will be based on the pilot’s results, […]
While employers have made great strides in helping employees manage their stress, they still lag in developing formal psychological health and safety programs that improve well-being in the workplace, according to the 2017 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Half (50 per cent) of employee respondents said their employers effectively help them manage stress, but almost a […]
A controller of a food producing operation asked me recently, “What do you think is the next trend in group benefits affecting employers?” One issue came to mind: workplace-caused mental stress. Currently, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario doesn’t cover mental-health issues caused by a workplace issue unless it’s an acute reaction to a […]
A person will bleed out quickly from a severed carotid artery. But in 1989, when a rogue skate slashed Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk’s artery — injuring his jugular vein in the process — his trainer pinched off the blood vessels until doctors could stabilize him. Malarchuk ended up losing a third of the blood […]
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is seeking public feedback on its plans to support employees who suffer from work-related chronic mental stress. The organization’s consultation on chronic mental stress follows up on the government of Ontario’s proposed legislation in its 2017 budget to expand the entitlement for injured around for compensation for work-related chronic mental stress. […]