The third Monday in January, also known as ‘Blue Monday,’ is considered to be the saddest day of the year, as people contend with frigid weather and higher-than-normal credit card bills from the holiday season. Employers can use this occasion to check in with employees and plan their mental-health strategies for the year, says Janet […]
When Bell Canada launched its Bell Let’s Talk initiative in 2010, the telecommunications company announced a plan to spend $155 million on fighting stigma, improving access to care and funding research for mental health — but it also knew it had to lead by example. One of the pillars of its plan was improving the […]
Thomson Reuters Corp. is supporting employee well-being with a new policy that allows workers to choose how many vacation days they take each year. Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, employees in Canada and the U.S. can take vacation time as needed to work on personal well-being, to travel or pursue personal interests. The vacation policy is part […]
Labatt Breweries of Canada’s wide-reaching diversity, equity and inclusion strategy led to a win in the DEI program category at Benefits Canada’s 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 18. “The whole team is thrilled with the win and that all their hard work and efforts have paid off,” says Robin Doobay, senior manager of total rewards […]
Thomson Reuters Corp. is marking Mental Illness Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day with the launch of a new mindfulness practice. The practice, called ‘be purposefully present,’ is the result of employee discussions and research conducted throughout the year, says Mary Alice Vuicic, chief people officer at Thomson Reuters. “We [want to help] employees adopt a new […]
Microaggressions — everyone has heard them or may have even used them. Defined as everyday verbal and behavioural slights against a person or group that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative feelings, these put-downs, assumptions and comments — regardless of intention — are hurtful, insulting and damaging to a person’s self-esteem. Especially prevalent in the workplace, […]
The more diverse a company is, the better talent they can attract — and in this competitive market, attracting and retaining workers is important to growth. According to a recent McKinsey & Co. report, companies are increasingly regarding inclusion and diversity as a source of competitive advantage and, specifically, as a key enabler of growth. In […]
Black, Latinx and Asian American-Pacific Islander employees feel less comfortable engaging in mental-health conversations in the workplace than their white colleagues, according to a new survey by the Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The survey, which polled more than 2,300 U.S. workers, found 48 per cent of white employees are […]
A third (34 per cent) of Canadians say their employer doesn’t provide training or support to deal with workplace conflict, while another 20 per cent say they’re experiencing increased aggression at work, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest mental-health index. The survey’s respondents reported an overall mental-health score of 64.9, up slightly from 64.8 in April. […]
Employees everywhere are redefining what work means to them and redrawing their expectations of employers. Mental-health supports and flexible working options are now imperative if an organization is to remain competitive. To these ends, workplaces need a mental-health strategy. But a workplace mental-health strategy isn’t ping pong tables and a snack bar. It requires real […]