More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of Canadian employers said they don’t intend to make changes to their benefits plan during the coronavirus crisis, according to a new survey by the Conference Board of Canada. The survey, which polled 333 organizations, found just 32 per cent said they’ve made changes to their benefits offering or are in […]
Green Shield Canada is partnering with digital pharmacy PocketPills on a virtual pharmacy app for its group benefits plans. Plan members will be able to chat with a pharmacist, refill existing prescriptions through the app and have their medications delivered to their homes for free. The drugs come pre-sorted into packages by dosage and time, […]
Vancouver City Savings Credit Union has put its frontline staff on a rotation system and introduced a virtual health-care app to support them during the coronavirus pandemic. When the pandemic hit British Columbia, Vancity began to see a steep climb in unexplained absences, reaching as high as 140 a day. “Like many people across the […]
In the midst of the most significant socio-economic and health crisis since WWII — and maybe even longer — virtually every aspect of modern society has been affected in some way, and employee benefits programs are no exception. Before the coronavirus pandemic was in full swing in Canada, employers were focused on ensuring employees diagnosed with the […]
BMO Financial Group is highlighting a number of its health supports for employees during the coronavirus pandemic. The bank is hosting conference calls with physicians and mental-health professionals, which are recorded so employees can listen to them later on-demand. So far, 15,000 employees have participated, says Karen Collins, the bank’s chief talent officer. “It’s really […]
The Royal Bank of Canada is expanding its partnership with telemedicine platform Wello to give Canadian businesses and their employees access to virtual health care during the coronavirus pandemic. Through Wello’s platform, RBC’s plan sponsor clients and their employees will have access to health resources including prescription and medical referrals, consultations for chronic health conditions, mental-health […]
Over the last decade, the group benefits space has been all about digitizing documents and data, embracing a mobile-first mindset and urging plan sponsors and members to ditch paper and go online for a more customized experience. The next decade will build on all of that, pushing group benefits plans into the era of hyper-personalization, […]
Telus Communications Inc.’s director of pension and benefits talks about plan member choice, honouring diversity and local walks. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. Providing personalized, meaningful benefits to our team members, while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the program through prudent cost management — it can be a […]
With the coronavirus pandemic affecting many businesses, employers are considering their options for shifting their benefits plan spend. Usage rates for benefits such as dental and paramedical services, which generally have high uptake among plan members, are currently in decline, since non-essential business are shuttered for the foreseeable future and Canadians are staying at home. “Specifically in […]
While physical well-being is vital during the coronavirus pandemic, the situation is raising multiple mental-health issues, including rising stress levels exacerbated by job uncertainty and social isolation. Looking at mental-health policies and tools, innovative practices and work-from-home protocols, Benefits Canada hosted a panel of experts in a webinar on March 31 to answer plan sponsor […]