Workplace design, not just benefits coverage, may determine whether women remain in the workforce during menopause, according to new research from the University of Ottawa. Madeline Toubiana, professor and Desmarais Chair in entrepreneurship at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management, says many organizations focus on benefits coverage without examining the structural workplace barriers […]
The Bank of Montreal is supporting women’s health through information sessions and an enhanced resource hub. The bank is hosting the latest session in its women’s health series at the end of March on women’s cardiovascular health, a virtual and in-person event that will discuss heart health and how it impacts women differently. Sarika Gundu, […]
This year marks Benefits Canada’s fifth annual Mental Health Issue, an initiative introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as employers ramped up their focus on this crucial topic. It hasn’t slowed down since. In fact, I’d argue employers’ attention to creating thoughtful and relevant mental-health resources and support for employees will continue its […]
When the return-to-office mandate arrived, 39-year-old Supreet Singh, a corporate communications manager at a bank, didn’t argue, escalate it to human resources or request an accommodation. After nearly seven years of balancing full-time work with caregiving for an ageing parent and two school-aged children, she resigned. The company had been clear there would be no […]
Skip is enhancing its fertility and mental-health coverage, as well as its focus on menopause, to help employees stay engaged and feel supported throughout their careers, says Cailey Brown, the employer’s head of human resources. The delivery service has expanded its fertility coverage from drugs only to include fertility treatment coverage with a $20,000 lifetime […]
Among the 21 million Canadians in the workforce, eight million are women over the age of 40. “We have a large workforce that’s going through the journey of menopause,” said Shawna O’Hearn, co-director and founder at Menopause Society of Nova Scotia, in a session sponsored by Astellas during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Healthy Outcomes Conference. A 2023 […]
Cancer rates among Canadian women age 50 and younger are twice as high as those of men in the same age group, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc. The report analyzed health claims data from more than three million plan members and 20,000 employers. It found cancer continued to drive a […]
When tracing a woman’s career across her various life stages, the ebbs and flows will impact the support she needs from her employer and the way she embraces the workplace, from building a family to parental leave to balancing child rearing and later, experiencing perimenopause and menopause. As the middle-aged mother of two young children, […]
When Priya*, a 38-year-old consultant at a mid-sized professional services firm, realized the timing wasn’t right to have children, she began exploring egg freezing as a way to preserve her options. Like many women balancing career goals, personal circumstances and the realities of fertility, she saw it as a proactive step towards building the future […]
One in 10 Canadian women leave the workforce due to unmanaged menopause symptoms, according to a new report from iA Financial Group. The report, based on Canadian and international studies, found 33 per cent of working women aged 40 and older said symptoms such as fatigue, hot flashes and brain fog affected their performance while […]