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, […]
The group insurance industry saw a rapid rise in claims related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly among women over age 40, said Catherine Biermann (pictured left), manager of digital products, solutions and partnerships at Medavie Blue Cross, moderating a Q&A session with two medical experts at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Mental Health Summit. […]
Employers can provide better support to female employees with caregiving responsibilities by adjusting their benefits strategy and including men in the conversation, says Sarah Kaplan, founding director of the Institute for Gender and the Economy at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. “We have a system that’s simply not designed for caregivers. Women […]
The company’s director of corporate human resources services discusses a new women’s health initiative, the challenge presented by GLP-1 drugs and the Ukrainian art of pysanky. Q: What new programs or initiatives are you looking to implement? A: I’m really excited about a new women’s health initiative we’re going to be piloting with one of […]
When Lisa, a 46-year-old marketing manager, started experiencing perimenopause, her career took a hit. Dealing with brain fog, sleep disruption and hot flashes, she shifted to a four-day workweek, cutting her income by 20 per cent, and also started to contemplate an early retirement. Her doctor dismissed her symptoms as just a part of aging […]
An article on how employers are supporting working parents and caregivers was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. 6.1 million Canadian workers juggling jobs and caregiving: report 2. Survey finds 75% of women want benefits to […]
Three-quarters (75 per cent) of women say they want or need benefits that specifically support women’s health, including services for fertility and menopause, according to a new survey by RBC Insurance. The survey, which polled 1,000 working Canadians between the ages of 18 and 65, also found women were more likely than men to report […]
The percentage of female benefits plan members using fertility drugs rose by roughly 14.57 per cent in 2024, according to a new report by Manulife Financial Corp. The report, which analyzed the insurer’s 2024 aggregate claims data, also found while more than half (53 per cent) of Canadian employers offer coverage for fertility drugs, fewer […]
For the past 10 years, Benefits Canada’s Chronic Disease at Work conference has examined the current trends in chronic disease in Canada and what they mean for plan sponsors. Hosted in a virtual format on Feb. 12, the 2025 conference explored several chronic diseases, as well as their impacts on the workplace and the role of employers […]
As employers begin mandating a return to the office, it’s important they consider how remote working has improved the employee experience for workers who are from typically marginalized groups. A 2022 survey of U.S. employees by Future Forum found remote working led to increases in Black knowledge workers’ employee experience scores. Compared to the previous […]