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 […]
When the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace was released just over a decade ago by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Bureau de normalisation du Quebec and the CSA Group, many employers questioned the benefit and effectiveness of the voluntary standard, said Liz Horvath, manager of psychological health and […]
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 — […]
Nearly half (49 per cent) of executive leaders say financial stress often or very often prevents their frontline workers from doing their best work, according to a new survey by Dayforce Inc. The survey, which polled more than 6,900 workers, managers and executives from companies with frontline workers across the globe, found 62 per cent of […]
Three-fifths (60 per cent) of working women believe health issues around menstruation, menopause and reproductive health can affect their career advancement abilities, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc. It found four in 10 working women said they’ve made career-limiting decisions for health-related concerns or to care for their family and 10 […]
The majority (91 per cent) of the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s members are strongly opposed to the Treasury Board’s new hybrid work mandate, according to a recent survey by the PSAC. In May, the Treasury Board announced its decision to require federal public service workers to be in-office a minimum of three days per […]
By creating a psychologically safe workplace in which employees can feel free to be their authentic selves, employers can encourage increased communication and collaboration, said Paola Ardiles Gamboa, a senior lecturer who served as special projects advisor to the vice-president of people, equity and inclusion at Simon Fraser University, during a session at Benefits Canada’s […]
There has seen a “huge increase” in mental-health practitioner claims following the coronavirus pandemic, said Sylvana Leclerc, organizational health consultant for integrated health solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. Citing findings from the insurer’s annual Health by Design report, she said in 2022, […]
With obesity now understood to be a chronic health condition, it’s time for plan sponsors to revisit their approach to weight loss medications, said Philippe Laplante, principal for pension and benefits at Eckler Ltd., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. The conversation about extending coverage to new, high-cost anti-obesity […]
While disability management poses many challenges to plan sponsors, rehabilitation consultants can address many of these hurdles, said Francis Marois, manager of the rehabilitation team at iA Financial Group, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. Plan sponsors often don’t communicate with an employee on leave to ensure they […]