Linda Lewis-Daly is a workplace wellness program consultant at GoodLife Fitness and owner of Lewis-Daly & Associates.
These are the views of the author and not necessarily those of Benefits Canada.
Linda Lewis-Daly is a workplace wellness program consultant at GoodLife Fitness and owner of Lewis-Daly & Associates.
These are the views of the author and not necessarily those of Benefits Canada.
The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is currently slamming into regions across Canada, once again testing employers’ resilience in the face of mounting challenges. But resilient managers can bounce forward out of adversity, stay focused and productive through constant change and continue to thrive when things are difficult. Resilience equips people to deal with […]
There’s no question that COVID-19 has disrupted usual work-life routines. The need to work from home, self-isolate and quarantine can have significant impacts on the well-being and mental health of employees. For this reason, it’s important that employers continue to provide support through a virtual wellness program during the pandemic — and likely beyond. Here are […]
Looking ahead to 2020, all indicators point to technology playing a greater role in human resources practices given the rapid advances in artificial intelligence and emerging virtual health-care services. But while HR and wellness professionals adapt to these new technologies, they should also be looking at other important considerations to help make their workplaces more comfortable and their employees […]
No matter the size of a business, nothing affects the bottom line more than declining employee productivity. Employees can be the best and brightest parts of an organization, but if they’re sitting sedentary at their desk for eight hours a day with no stimulation, even the sharpest minds become sluggish and productivity plummets. Left unchecked, this can decline into a […]
While “brain fog” isn’t a clinical condition, it feels like forgetfulness, slow thinking and difficulty concentrating. It happens to everyone at some point and can often impact productivity at work. Some common causes of brain fog include stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, hormonal changes from pregnancy or andropause/menopause, an unhealthy diet, vitamin B12 deficiency, chemotherapy and side-effects […]
The mantra “build it and they will come” may have worked in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams, but it doesn’t always work with wellness programming. When wellness programs are first introduced, they typically achieve fairly high levels of participation. However, participation often declines once the newness wears off. Incentives can help engage, re-engage and […]
A new year typically brings a renewed focus on health and wellness both at the personal level, via goals or resolutions, and at the corporate level through benefits and wellness programming. Here are five fitness and health trends to watch for 2019. 1. Faster, focused workouts The No. 1 excuse for not working out continues to be lack […]
Fall is a season of new beginnings. It’s a time when many workplaces introduce, or re-launch, weekly group exercise classes to get employees motivated to stay healthy. One of the most effective approaches, which is growing in popularity, is high-intensity interval training. An HIIT workout is all out, with 100 per cent effort through fast, intensive bursts of exercise, followed […]
Many of us are counting down the days until a much-needed vacation as summer approaches. Unfortunately, a lot of people cancel or postpone their vacation time because of real or perceived work obligations. A vacation provides well-deserved time off from work and an opportunity to rest and recharge. Too much time spent at work and managing […]
With studies showing high levels of employee stress about their finances that’s translating into lost productivity, absenteeism or health issues, the time is right for financial wellness programs in the workplace. There’s an opportunity for employers to step in and offer much-needed guidance, but they could (and should) be helping workers with far more than the basic advice about […]
In a recent case, the Ontario Superior Court found an employee failed to mitigate damages when he refused a return-to-work offer from his employer, with whom he…
Many of the changes that were introduced to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act in January 2018 were short-lived, as the province’s new government elected in June…
With the legalization of recreational cannabis on Oct. 17, 2018, employers have been preparing to answer questions about whether their current benefits plans should provide…
In a recent decision, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found an employer didn’t constructively dismiss a long-service employee when it provided her with 18 months…
On Oct. 17, 2018, it will be legal to purchase and consume recreational cannabis in Canada. In a recent survey of Mercer’s employer clients and Canadian employees, we found…
Some organizations are unique. Their employees are genuinely excited to be at work and an undercurrent of energy and vitality permeates the air. They’ve transformed the…
While many Canadian organizations continue to search for solutions to rising health-care costs, most are falling short. That’s why they must investigate any opportunity to find…
Macroeconomic trends such as longer lives, a lack of access to pensions and retirement supports, a low-growth environment, and persistent lack of financial literacy and…
The images of floods, forest fires and heat waves over the past few years is putting climate change front of mind for many, including pension…
Pension governance policies have been common for many years, at least since the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities published its initial guidelines on pension…
Employers that act as pension plan administrators have statutory fiduciary duties that are defined by the plan documents and by governing pension legislation. While those duties…
An important case around an employer’s ability to change its practice in granting consent benefits under a pension plan is winding its way through the courts. The…
Any return to the workplace, whether it’s after a medical or parental leave — or say, following a global pandemic — requires consideration and care…
With the repatriation of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor following their three-year incarceration in China, relations between Ottawa and Beijing are to be reset.…
It’s a welcome development that so many pension fund managers are increasingly preoccupied with the ethical implications of their investments and incorporating data to ensure…
Various forms of digital health care have been available in Canada for several years, but I’d argue nothing has accelerated the awareness, need and adoption…
Anyone who’s ever run a marathon or completed an endurance race or trek knows the last few miles are the hardest, both physically and mentally.…
Any do-it-yourself handyman’s toolbox isn’t complete without a roll a flexible multi-purpose cloth adhesive that has unlimited uses — a.k.a. duct tape. It’s been used…
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, technology was blurring the lines between work and home life. An unhealthy attachment to our mobile phones made it easy…
COVID-19 cases are dropping and vaccine counts are rising. The economy is reopening and we can expect to be back at the office soon. But…
Employee benefits and total rewards planning have always been a critical element of business planning, but never more so than during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.…
Over the past few months, we’ve all had to deal with the challenges of social distancing and self-isolation. Some people have faced the extra pressure…
It’s the only story around these days. COVID-19 — the coronavirus — has broken out all over the world, leading to strain on health-care resources,…
Whether institutional investors welcome it — or even realize it — cryptocurrency is having an impact on their portfolios. The immense size of the crypto…
Whether institutional investors welcome it — or even realize it — cryptocurrency is having an impact on their portfolios. The immense size of the crypto…
In case you missed it, a recent legal opinion by pension lawyer Randy Bauslaugh suggested plan sponsors might be personally liable for failing to consider…
A lawsuit settlement on the other side of the world is reverberating around the globe as it increases the environmental, social and governance standards for…
Meeting a deadline in the midst of a pandemic seems like a good test of corporate resiliency and, according to a recent survey of Canadian…
There is nothing like a deadline to focus the mind. Asset owners and managers who are signatories of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investments…
Many employees may be dreaming of a carefree retirement following many years in the trenches — but they’ll likely have to keep dreaming if they…
For years, a major public sector pension governance time bomb has been hidden in plain sight. But it may be too late to alert the bomb squad;…
A report published by the Canadian Public Pension Leadership Council in February 2019 offers compelling evidence about the broad benefits of workplace pension plans. The report,…
While retirement income security is top of mind for many Canadians, British Columbia’s public sector pension plans are noteworthy models that can be emulated by sponsors…
Diversity, equity and inclusion is top of mind for many plan sponsors these days. And, while issues around retirement and pensions likely aren’t the key focus…
More Canadian employers should consider target-benefit pension plans for their employees these days. The model is gaining steam. In mid-December, 2020, the Quebec legislator signed into…
The future will increasingly favour institutional investors that can break old patterns of thought. As we move forward and industries and new technologies converge at…
Almost 16 months since the global coronavirus pandemic was first declared, there’s now yet another thing for institutional investors to worry about — the possibility…
Back in December 2018, I wrote an article asking whether it was a good time for pension plan sponsors to revisit value investing. At that time, public…
Last August, I wrote about whether central banks were creating a financial bubble with their coordinated easing programs intended to spur economic growth and/or lift inflation.…
The investment industry has been talking a lot about our position in the economic cycle and our proximity to a recession. In fact, I wrote about it…
Words and imagery have the power to connect, evoke emotion and elicit a reaction. They also have the power to be inclusive, or exclusive, and…
It’s often said perception is reality and that’s definitely true when it comes to benefits plans. If employees can’t easily perceive the value in their…
How long is your attention span? Be honest and think back to the last time you received an email about your employee benefits and didn’t…
As many employees struggle with mental-health issues during these tumultuous times, internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy is one tool that may help them bounce back. Employers…
On average, one in three Canadians will be disabled for 90 days or more at least once before they reach age 65, according to the…
Plan sponsors are faced with competing offers by insurance carriers, group managing general agents and third-party administrators, as each group promotes their own unique, yet…
While the move to more defined contribution-style health benefits plans provides greater clarity and flexibility to plan sponsors, it would be natural to wonder whether or…
Over the past several months, much attention has been paid to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on financial markets and, subsequently, defined benefit pension plans’ financial conditions…
In January 2020, the Canadian Institute of Actuaries released final changes to the actuarial standards of practice for calculating commuted values, with the changes scheduled…
A retiree whose retirement savings are primarily in a registered savings plan, such as a life income fund or registered retirement income fund, already faces…
The holiday season is a time to reflect on the events of 2019 and how they may affect trends in the year to come. I…
As Canadians watch the U.S. reopen with life returning to normal in various stages, in addition to thoughts of attending sporting events, concerts and gathering…
As coronavirus cases rise across the country and some return-to-work plans become return-to-home plans, many employers are wondering how to help their employees adapt once again…
The coronavirus pandemic has been disruptive for all and sadly, devastating and difficult for many. In the pandemic’s early days, we saw a great deal…
The beginning of a new year is a great time for employers to reflect on their benefits plans and take steps to get in ahead of potential challenges.…
As the era of cap rate compression draws to a close, how can institutional investors maintain the outsized returns they’ve enjoyed for over a decade?…
For most Canadians, it’s been well over a year since most of the country went into its first lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. I…