Chronic disease rates are rising and cases are becoming more complex, with a higher share of plan members experiencing multiple co-morbidities. This growing trend necessitates an approach to chronic disease management that promotes self-management and healthy lifestyle choices, as well as helps plan members better navigate the health-care landscape, said Jeffery Chan, assistant vice-president of […]
People leaders and managers have an important role to play in the well-being of their team members, said Carmen Bellows, registered psychologist and director of mental health solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health Summit in June. “[They can] recognize when mental health might be impacting someone, […]
It’s important for plan sponsors to educate employees about the benefits of a good night’s sleep, said Ken Porter, national sustainability director for the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health Summit in June. “Getting enough quality sleep is essential to our physical, mental and emotional wellness. It serves in a […]
When the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace was released just over a decade ago by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Bureau de normalisation du Quebec and the CSA Group, many employers questioned the benefit and effectiveness of the voluntary standard, said Liz Horvath, manager of psychological health and […]
Multi-family real estate is set up for long-term sustained returns given the extreme dislocation between housing supply and demand in Canada and record-high federal immigration targets, said Michael Tsourounis, managing partner and head of real estate at Hazelview Investments, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum in December. He noted while Canada […]
A quality investing strategy has some of the same benefits of a well-made pair of sneakers, said Ranjit Sufi, managing director and head of institutional services for Aristotle Capital Management, during a fireside chat at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum in December. For Sufi, the importance of quality dates back to […]
After years of viewing diversity, equity and inclusion as a side-of-the-desk issue, Canadian employers are increasingly considering it a top priority and integrating their organizational DEI goals into their benefits plans. While employers have been introducing DEI initiatives for years, incorporating these goals into benefits plans had been neglected, according to multiple panellists during Benefits Canada’s […]
When Jessica Charbonneau decided to have a child through assisted reproduction a few years ago, it wasn’t cheap, but her employer helped shoulder some of the costs. Charbonneau, a 36-year-old student affairs case manager at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus, started with intrauterine insemination, spending a total of $15,000 for six rounds. The university’s […]
At the beginning of 2020, the OPSEU Pension Trust upped its gold allocation to close to six per cent of its total fund after a comprehensive portfolio assessment. The decision paid off. In an environment of historically low interest rates and coronavirus-related market uncertainty, the commodity’s price skyrocketed to reach an all-time high of US$2,000 […]
When People Corp. started looking into reducing its claims numbers related to chronic disease, it decided to tackle what Judith Plotkin, vice-president of health and wellness solutions, called “the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse:” diabetes, obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. The four conditions are comorbidities not only with each other but other afflictions […]