While the coronavirus pandemic may be in the rearview mirror for most employers, the Ontario-based Workplace Safety and Insurance Board knows all too well that the shadow pandemic that emerged from the health crisis is still impacting employees in the workplace. At a time when some employers are considering cutting back on mental-health benefits, the […]
Half (51 per cent) of plan members say the coverage levels of at least one of their health benefits limit their ability to seek necessary treatment, jumping to 84 per cent among those with a major injury in the past 12 months, according to the 2023 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. It found this percentage increased […]
Last year, a benefits plan member in British Columbia was shocked when his insurance provider rejected an orthotics claim because the prescriber was a nurse practitioner rather than a “physician.” In the story, reported by the Victoria, B.C.-based Times Colonist, the chief executive officer of Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of B.C. said it wasn’t the […]
The union representing more than 250 employees at Woodbridge Foam Corp. in Woodbridge, Ont. has ratified a three-year agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. The agreement includes the introduction of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology’s DBplus pension plan at a two per cent employer match. It also increases annual vision coverage from […]
While gender affirmation and fertility benefits coverage still isn’t included in all group benefits plans, around half of Canada’s group benefits providers include gender affirmation coverage (50 per cent) or fertility benefits coverage (59 per cent) in some of their plan offers, according to an exclusive survey by Benefits Canada. The survey, which polled Canada’s […]
LifeLabs Inc.’s 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards win is helping the company communicate the value of its mental-health support offerings to employees. The organization’s holistic wellness strategy took home the mental-health program award for companies with more than 5,000 employees. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, LifeLabs strengthened its mental-health strategy to address employees’ […]
The ‘Great Resignation’ is ushering in a period of great transformation for employers, the workforce and the workplace of the future, said Charmaine Alexander, senior advisor of disability management at Desjardins Insurance, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2022 Benefits and Pension Summit on June 1. With labour shortages continuing to plague the workforce, Alexander believes […]
As Citigroup Inc. begins rolling out its plans for returning to the workplace, it’s focusing on supporting employees’ mental health and wellness throughout the transition. Although Citi has yet to formally announce its full return-to-work plans for its employees who were shifted to remote working in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the organization expects […]
Canadian employees want more comprehensive coverage under their benefits plans, according to a survey by the Conference Board of Canada and Telus Health. The survey, which polled more than 1,500 Canadian workers, found a majority (82 per cent) of respondents want basic dental services (such as preventative and minor restorative) covered by their benefits plans, […]
Shopify Inc. was awarded for its digital-first employee health and wellness strategy at Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 14. The technology company won the award in the Coronavirus and Benefits category for an employer with more than 5,000 employees. Although the organization already had a few remote workers, it swiftly transitioned all of its employees […]