Poor sleep is affecting employee’s health, productivity and workplace performance, according to Carmen Bellows, registered psychologist and director of mental health at Sun Life Health, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2026 Vancouver Benefits Summit. “Sleep is something we all intuitively know is important, but we all tend to sacrifice. Despite the risk to our […]
Workplace benefits plans can play a crucial role in improving women’s health outcomes, but many haven’t yet evolved to recognize the unique health needs and transitions women face over their life. “We have so much knowledge now of the transitions, the health situations that women face, but yet we haven’t seen that evolution in our […]
Most health-care spend isn’t a treatment problem, it’s a timing problem, according to Dr. Kristy Prouse, chief medical advisor of women’s health at Science&Humans, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2026 Vancouver Benefits Summit. Global life expectancy has increased 19 years over the past six decades, she said, but the proportion of life spent in […]
As all aspects of employee well-being increasingly overlap, it’s never been more critical to look at the intersection between health and wealth, especially for a traditionally underserved part of the population. The inaugural Women’s Health & Wealth Summit, which was hosted in Toronto on March 5, brought together plan sponsors and other industry thought leaders […]
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 […]