It was 2023 and Henry Schein Canada was “late to the wellness party,” recalled Faye Gagne (pictured centre), the company’s manager of employee relations and wellness. Post-pandemic, the company’s culture surveys indicated employee stress levels were high, she said, noting she and other senior leaders wanted to reduce disability leave instances and durations, as well […]
Despite the World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus pandemic over in May 2023, the health crisis continues to shape workplaces around the globe. “Before the pandemic, workplaces were more structured and, if something occurred in an employee’s life that meant they couldn’t get into the office, they weren’t working,” says Erin Evans, a benefits and […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan was a winner at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Workplace Benefits Awards for its absence management program, which excels because the organization manages its benefits plan, wellness program and disability support in the same portfolio. According to one judge, the HOOPP’s prevention and return-to-work practices are leading edge because of the […]
In both an in-person and virtual format on Sept. 16, the inaugural Toronto Benefits Summit brought together more than 300 employers, consultants, industry providers and other key stakeholders for a full day of exploring trends in the benefits and wellness space. The packed agenda, which was presented to a sold-out room, included panel discussions presenting […]
With many Canadian employers likely to have employees go on leave related to cancer, one survey suggests they need guidance on how to support those plan members before, during and after their leave, according to Julie Holmes, senior advisor for disability management at Desjardins Insurance, during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit. The survey, by […]
The Canadian Cancer Society estimates 30,500 women and 290 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, with about 5,500 Canadians expected to die from the disease. For employers, the numbers show how often breast cancer intersects with the workplace and why clear, compassionate support is critical. At BDO Canada, support begins the moment […]
Mood, anxiety and related disorders are some of the most common conditions that arise in pregnancy and in the year after childbirth, according to Dr. Archana Vidyasankar, perinatal psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology in the faculty of medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland, during a session supported by Biogen Canada […]
While successfully reintegrating employees into the workplace following an illness or injury clearly benefits the returning employee, it also benefits employers by enabling employees to continue contributing to the organization and mitigating costs such as premiums. During a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Mental Health Summit, Robert Cross, senior director of claims, contact centres, group […]
Women’s mental health has historically been underfunded and under-researched, with just three per cent of neuroscience and psychiatry studies between 2009 and 2019 conducted exclusively in females, compared to about 30 per cent in males, according to research cited by Manulife Canada’s Georgia Pomaki during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Mental Health Summit. Yet, […]
Colliers International Group Inc.’s win at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards is highlighting the company’s efforts to support employee well-being via its absence management program, says Sonia-Sophia Vallie, the company’s benefits, leaves and accommodation specialist. “This was an exciting moment for the entire company, to receive such an award where the efforts of our […]