It’s no surprise that headlines in world news have been all about the European sovereign debt crisis—a downgraded credit rating here, a country’s austerity measures there.
As the eurozone crumbles before the eyes of global citizens and U.S. economic growth is slow to none, investors should start to look at emerging markets for comfort.
From Lafarge’s perspective, why is focusing on health and wellness a good business strategy? If we’re spending money on benefits above and beyond what the actual cost should be, it takes money out of the actual business operating budget, and we need to come up with that money somewhere else. Has Lafarge received recognition for […]
Lafarge North America is a leading supplier of construction materials. Until a few years ago, it was losing its battle against increasing healthcare costs in the U.S. and high disability costs in Canada. But the Reston, Va.-based supplier has since implemented a health and wellness strategy as part of its larger North American HR procedure. In […]
For individuals who are dependent on alcohol and/or drugs, that dependency can be more than just a social issue—it can also can impact their performance at work. Drugs and alcohol not only affect people physically, but also mentally because their cognitive skills (e.g., decision-making skills) can become impaired, said Barb Butler, president of Barbara Butler […]
One Friday morning in early August of 1994, the phone rang at a rented cottage in Rockport, Mass. Bruce Gowans, then vice-president of group underwriting at Confederation Life Insurance Company, answered. It was Bruce’s father, who’d just heard on the news that Confederation Life was in liquidation. Gowans knew the insurer was experiencing difficulties—he was […]
According to the World Health Organization, as of 2011, mental illness affects 20% of Canadians in the workplace, and mental illness costs Canada $51 billion a year (according to 2010 statistics from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health). Employers certainly know mental health in the workplace is a cause for concern, but how do […]
Lorna Willner, Steam Whistle’s HR manager, talks about the perks that keep employees interested. Explain Steam Whistle’s profit sharing and shareholder plans. Profit sharing is for everybody…even if, for the year, an employee does just 12 shifts, he or she would still be eligible to participate but on a pro-rated basis. Once an employee has […]
On March 22, 2000, Steam Whistle Brewing’s first bottles of Pilsner rattled along the production line. “Since that time, we’ve just worked on building a culture of respect here,” says Greg Taylor, who co-founded the brewery along with Cam Heaps. “Individuals can come to work and feel they can make a contribution. It’s a fairly […]
More than 100 people attended the 11th annual Solutions in Drug Plan Management conference presented by Drugstore Canada and Benefits Canada yesterday in Toronto. Pharmacists, plan sponsors, consultants and recordkeepers came together to discuss the theme for this year’s conference: Opportunities in a New Healthcare Landscape. Peter Zawadzki, a professional affairs executive with Pharmasave National, […]