On Nov. 7, Benefits Canada hosted its annual Mental Health Summit, the industry’s most popular and well-known conference in this space. Designed for our audience of employers and the advisors who consult with them, this virtual event covered key areas including links to disease impacts, treatment options and much more. Here’s what you missed! Positive work relationships […]
If absenteeism is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to employees’ mental health and well-being, presenteeism is the bulky underwater mass, said William Lindsay, senior disability management advisor at Desjardins Insurance, during Benefits Canada’s 2023 Mental Health Summit. While absenteeism — defined as an employee being repeatedly absent for more than half a day — is […]
While employees dealing with mental-health challenges like depression need quality and personalized care as quickly as possible, people seeking care through the public health system face months- or years-long wait times, according to Diane McIntosh, a psychiatrist and founder and chief medical officer of RAPIDS Health, speaking during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2023 Mental Health Summit. “We […]
As the proportion of Canadians living with one or more chronic disease continues to rise, plan sponsors have the opportunity to provide specific solutions to some of the most common conditions in their employee population, said Karen Callaghan, senior director of chronic disease education and patient support at Novo Nordisk, during Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Healthy […]
While Canadian culture has long been described as a mosaic, employers’ holiday policies are more likely to tie statutory holidays to Christian celebrations than reflect the country’s true multicultural identity. In 2022, to better support an increasingly diverse workforce in both Canada and the U.S., Victoria-based software company Redbrick formalized its policy of allowing employees […]
While many workplaces have shifted to hybrid arrangements coming out of the coronavirus pandemic, employment experts say workers should be cautious about using that added flexibility to work from home when feeling sick. It’s a situation that some observers of remote working trends predict could become more prevalent as companies increasingly make their hybrid arrangements […]
Citing a variety of surveys, Terry-Lynn Levy (pictured left), manager of human resources, benefits, wellness and HR information systems at Fluor Canada, said more than a third of Canadians cite money as their biggest financial concern and people experiencing financial stress are twice as likely to report poor overall health. These individuals are also more prone […]
An article on why a higher salary is the No. 1 reason employees are searching for a new job was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. 40% of Canadian workers say they aren’t fairly paid: survey 2. 45% of Canadian autistic employees feel […]
Employee absences and presenteeism are costing Canadian employers nearly $645 million annually, according to a new report by Manulife Financial Corp. The report — which analyzed data from nearly 50 Manulife group benefits plan sponsor clients, as well as survey responses from more than 4,900 employees — found an average of 48 days per employee were […]
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, employers will likely start to see more chronic diseases in their employee population and should consider proactive strategies for supporting workers’ overall health, said Peter Nord, chief medical officer at Medcan, during Benefits Canada’s 2023 Chronic Disease at Work conference in early February. “Employees are looking around for […]