Latest news in Absence management

How to use analytics to improve your benefits plan

How to use analytics to improve your benefits plan

When 3sHealth wanted to look at its dental plan design, prescription drug deductibles and the impact of new benefit enhancements, the first step was to…

The need for a strategic response to absence management

The need for a strategic response to absence management

Can return-to-work efforts be strategic as well as tactical? If an employee is off work due to injury or illness, isn’t it a simple matter…

  • By: Bill Shapiro
  • November 15, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 08:51
Federal government invests in Montreal-area workplace wellness project

Federal government invests in Montreal-area workplace wellness project

The federal government is investing $869,000 in a workplace wellness project that aims to engage 6,000 employees at nine Montreal-area companies in health promotion. The…

  • By: Staff
  • November 8, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:29
City of Toronto calculation error meant 11 staff earned more on LTD than when working

City of Toronto calculation error meant 11 staff earned more on LTD than when working

Over the past 15 years, 11 seasonal employees at the City of Toronto earned more on long-term disability leave than they did while working, assistant…

St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton wins health and wellness award

St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton wins health and wellness award

Health services provider St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton knows a thing or two about catering to the health needs of its patients, but it also knows…

EPCOR Utilities wins award for absence management process

EPCOR Utilities wins award for absence management process

When employees at Edmonton-based utilities company EPCOR Utilities Inc. get sick, they simply call the company’s reporting line where a case manager offers to connect…

Have your say: Is it OK for employees to call in sick via text and social media messaging?

Have your say: Is it OK for employees to call in sick via text and social media messaging?

While text messaging has become a relatively common practice in today’s workplace, some employers are still hesitant about receiving notice of an absence through text…

  • By: Staff
  • October 25, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:05
Victoria airport highlights total health for Healthy Workplace Month

Victoria airport highlights total health for Healthy Workplace Month

Victoria Airport Authority is focusing on its employees’ total health as it hosts a number of events and programs for Healthy Workplace Month in October.…

  • By: Jann Lee
  • October 12, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:30
My Take: Employers don’t need a reason for flexible work requests

My Take: Employers don’t need a reason for flexible work requests

After hearing in May that the federal government was consulting with Canadians on bringing the right to request flexible working to all federally regulated employees,…

RBC Insurance partners with Best Doctors Canada for mental-health program

RBC Insurance partners with Best Doctors Canada for mental-health program

RBC Insurance has signed an agreement with Best Doctors Canada to include a mental-health support and advocacy program in its group disability insurance. The program,…

  • By: Staff
  • October 6, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00
Employers offer flexible working to attract and retain talent: report

Employers offer flexible working to attract and retain talent: report

In the pursuit of top talent, employers are becoming more flexible when it comes to employee time off, according to a new report by the…

  • By: Staff
  • October 6, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 08:38
Why preserving Canada’s health system matters to employers

Why preserving Canada’s health system matters to employers

Employers have always depended on the public health system to treat their employees in a timely manner. However, because of health cutbacks and the resulting…

Five tips for successful workplace mental-health training

Five tips for successful workplace mental-health training

One of the more surprising results from the Morneau Shepell research report into workplace mental-health priorities for 2016 was the fact that almost 75 per…

  • By: Paula Allen
  • October 4, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 08:50
Should employees be able to report sickness via text, social media?

Should employees be able to report sickness via text, social media?

Employees at Lakeside Process Controls Ltd., a process automation company based in Mississauga, Ont., sometimes call in sick by sending text messages to their managers.…

  • By: Jann Lee
  • October 4, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 08:48
Canadian employers must evaluate effectiveness of substance misuse policies: report

Canadian employers must evaluate effectiveness of substance misuse policies: report

Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of Canadian organizations have a formal drug and alcohol policy in place, but just 32 per cent evaluate the effectiveness…

  • By: Staff
  • September 28, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:35
Workplace depression costs eight countries $246B per year: study

Workplace depression costs eight countries $246B per year: study

Workplace depression collectively costs Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South Africa and the United States more than US$246 billion each year, according to a…

  • By: Staff
  • September 26, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 10:56
Treating mental health could boost Canadian economy by $48B a year

Treating mental health could boost Canadian economy by $48B a year

The Canadian economy loses $47.6 billion each year due to poor productivity from employees with depression ($32.3 billion) and anxiety ($17.3 billion), according to a…

  • By: Staff
  • September 2, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 10:15
The importance of integrating treatment with return-to-work plans

The importance of integrating treatment with return-to-work plans

With 30 per cent of all disability claims now related to a mental illness and the numbers continuing to rise, are we making headway in…

  • By: Julie Holden
  • September 1, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 08:55
Are bonus days off a good way to cut absenteeism?

Are bonus days off a good way to cut absenteeism?

While positive reinforcement in the form of bonuses, pay raises and awards is a common human resource tool, does it work when it comes to…

  • By: Jann Lee
  • August 9, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 08:56
B.C. Nurses’ Union staff strike over sick day benefits

B.C. Nurses’ Union staff strike over sick day benefits

About 70 administrative employees at the B.C. Nurses’ Union went on strike Friday after their employer locked them out for an hour. While there are disagreements about…

  • By: Jann Lee
  • July 25, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 10:05
Pokémon Go: Is game a disruption or a wellness tool for employers?

Pokémon Go: Is game a disruption or a wellness tool for employers?

Fanatical users of Pokémon Go are eager to catch all of the monsters they can, even if it means looking for a Charmander under a colleague’s…

Employers cite productivity, morale gains among ROI from health programs

Employers cite productivity, morale gains among ROI from health programs

Two-thirds (66 per cent) of U.S. employers have experienced a return on investment on their efforts to boost employee health and performance, according to a…

How wellness programs can empower employees with knowledge and support

How wellness programs can empower employees with knowledge and support

As we all well know, one of the top reasons for an organization to implement a workplace wellness program is to reduce the costs associated…

  • July 18, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:30
KPMG seeks workplace flexibility through vacation purchase plan

KPMG seeks workplace flexibility through vacation purchase plan

While some employers have responded to employee requests for more workplace flexibility by offering unlimited vacation time, professional services firm KPMG has taken a different…

How to use data to address workplace absence

How to use data to address workplace absence

When Sandy Coughlin first joined B.C. health provider Providence Health Care in 1996, she didn’t see herself as much of a numbers person. Two decades…