Latest news in Disability management

Workplace stress on the rise as mental-health stigma declines: survey

Workplace stress on the rise as mental-health stigma declines: survey

Workplace stress is on the rise and employees are feeling the pressure, according to new research by Morneau Shepell Ltd. In a survey of employees…

  • By: Staff
  • January 30, 2019 September 13, 2019
  • 10:30
Evolving trends in absence and disability management

Evolving trends in absence and disability management

With the start of a new year, organizations have new goals and budgets to meet. Many organizations take the new year as an opportunity to…

  • January 15, 2019 September 13, 2019
  • 08:00
How the Health Benefit Trust of Alberta redesigned its mental-health program

How the Health Benefit Trust of Alberta redesigned its mental-health program

The Mental Health Commission of Canada attributes nearly one-third of short- and long-term disability claims to mental-health illnesses. As many employers grapple with helping employees…

A 2018 roundup of the top legal cases in the benefits industry

A 2018 roundup of the top legal cases in the benefits industry

When considering the legal cases attracting the most attention from the pension and benefits industry in 2018, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal’s decision in Talos v.…

Conference Coverage: 2018 Mental Health Summit Toronto

Conference Coverage: 2018 Mental Health Summit Toronto

At the annual Mental Health Summit Toronto on Nov. 12, industry experts provided insights on mental health and the workplace, including how to remove the…

Workplace culture touted as beneficial for return to work

Workplace culture touted as beneficial for return to work

For employees who have been away from the workplace due to mental illness, providing treatment, reducing stigma and getting employees back to work comes down to…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • December 14, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 07:55
Medavie Blue Cross appoints VP of product, disability management

Medavie Blue Cross appoints VP of product, disability management

Medavie Blue Cross has appointed Marc Avaria as vice-president of product and disability management. In the new role, Avaria will lead the development of new products…

  • By: Staff
  • November 28, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 15:00
A look at using pharmacogenetic testing in determining depression treatment

A look at using pharmacogenetic testing in determining depression treatment

One young man is on the road to recovering from depression following timely pharmacogentic testing through his employer. Allison Hazell, director of genetics at Medcan,…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • November 12, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 16:11
Second-opinion partnership for mental health boosts positive results

Second-opinion partnership for mental health boosts positive results

A partnership focused on second opinions for mental-health issues is yielding positive results. The Co-operators Group Ltd. and WorldCare International Inc. formed the partnership to research medical second…

  • By: Staff
  • November 12, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:15
Controlling health-care spending top objective of workplace clinics: survey

Controlling health-care spending top objective of workplace clinics: survey

A large majority (89 per cent) of employers cited a better control of health-care spending as the top reason for having workplace medical clinics, according…

  • By: Staff
  • November 7, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00
Award winners discuss paths to improving employees’ well-being

Award winners discuss paths to improving employees’ well-being

These days, peace of mind is hard to come by, but the employers at the 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards roundtable centred their discussion around the…

Great-West Life’s Aarssen awarded for industry leadership

Great-West Life’s Aarssen awarded for industry leadership

Perseverance, communication and innovation are just a few of the words used to describe Jeff Aarssen. Aarsseen, the recently retired vice-president of group customer sales at Great-West…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • October 30, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00
Staples Canada earns mental-health award for focus on early prevention

Staples Canada earns mental-health award for focus on early prevention

An increased focus on early intervention led Staples Canada to the mental-health award at Benefits Canada’s 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 11.  After…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • October 25, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:45
OPG wins absence management award for efforts to shift workplace culture

OPG wins absence management award for efforts to shift workplace culture

While Ontario Power Generation has had a major medical absence program in place for years, it saw an opportunity for a review and update in…

Legal cases highlight issues around LTD coverage

Legal cases highlight issues around LTD coverage

Whether considering age eligibility or policy wording, recent rulings for employees in a pair of Ontario cases are reminders to employers to review their long-term…

Medavie Blue Cross, Medaca launch virtual CBT pilot project

Medavie Blue Cross, Medaca launch virtual CBT pilot project

Medavie Blue Cross and Medaca Health Group are introducing a virtual cognitive behavioural therapy pilot project to provide plan members easier access to mental-health care.…

  • By: Staff
  • October 10, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:51
New software aims to aid return to work from disability

New software aims to aid return to work from disability

Crawford and Co. Canada Inc. is adding a new software platform, designed to help employees return to work sooner, to its human risk service line.  The software,…

  • By: Staff
  • October 9, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 10:21
Advice from a 38-year journey with rheumatoid arthritis

Advice from a 38-year journey with rheumatoid arthritis

As the former senior vice-president of sales in the group customer division of the Great-West Life Assurance Co., Jeff Aarssen is very familiar with drug…

Copyright_ jirsak_123RF

Manulife lowers STD claims with mental-health benefits boost

Manulife Financial Corp.’s short-term disability claims related to mental health have decreased since it boosted its benefits to employees last year. In January 2017, Manulife…

Proactively identifying people at risk next stage in mental-health awareness

Proactively identifying people at risk next stage in mental-health awareness

In the coming five years, Canadians can expect to see the next stage of awareness around mental health, according  one health expert. “Where we need to build on awareness is…

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • September 27, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00
Half of Canadians view depression as a disability: poll

Half of Canadians view depression as a disability: poll

Among Canadians who have missed work due to disability, 30 per cent cited mental illness, according to a new survey by RBC Insurance. The survey,…

  • By: Staff
  • September 25, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 15:45
2018 Healthy Outcomes conference: Inspiring change for better health outcomes

2018 Healthy Outcomes conference: Inspiring change for better health outcomes

At Benefits Canada’s 2018 Healthy Outcomes conference in May, industry experts shared valuable insights and best practice tips for taking a tailored approach to employee…

Court allows terminated employee to continue appeal for LTD benefits

Court allows terminated employee to continue appeal for LTD benefits

An Ontario court is allowing a terminated employee to continue with an action for long-term disability benefits despite signing a document that released such claims. When…

Improving employee mental health among top HR priorities for 2019

Improving employee mental health among top HR priorities for 2019

Improving the mental health of employees ranks ahead of physical health and wellness as a top priority for human resources leaders for 2019, according to a…

  • By: Staff
  • August 14, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 10:09
Take a psychological perspective when helping employees manage chronic pain

Take a psychological perspective when helping employees manage chronic pain

One in every five Canadian suffers from some form of chronic pain, a condition that often — though not always —starts with an injury or illness…

  • July 31, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 17:00