Latest news in Disability management

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…

Manulife lowers STD claims with mental-health benefits boost

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
Novus Health partners with iA Financial Group to provide health, wellness tools

Novus Health partners with iA Financial Group to provide health, wellness tools

Novus Health is partnering with iA Financial Group to provide employers with health and wellness tools for their plan members. “For many Canadians, health literacy remains a…

  • By: Staff
  • July 24, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 16:15
Taking big data to next level key to boosting employee health promotion

Taking big data to next level key to boosting employee health promotion

By taking the use of data to the next level, employers and insurers can improve their ability to promote better health through benefits plans. That…

The role of convenience, personalization in a changing health-care landscape

The role of convenience, personalization in a changing health-care landscape

With the workplace changing rapidly, the health-care landscape will be evolving along with it, a speaker told the audience at Benefits Canada‘s Calgary Benefits Summit…

Great-West Life, Morneau Shepell partner for online cognitive behavioural therapy

Great-West Life, Morneau Shepell partner for online cognitive behavioural therapy

The Great-West Life Assurance Co. has partnered with Morneau Shepell Ltd. to offer web-based cognitive behavioural therapy to plan members receiving disability benefits for a…

  • By: Staff
  • June 13, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 15:15
Extreme weather takes toll on workplace absenteeism, disability claims, study finds

Extreme weather takes toll on workplace absenteeism, disability claims, study finds

Alongside its financial impact, extreme weather takes a toll on absenteeism, mental health and disability claims, according to a new study by the Intact Centre on Climate…

SSQ Insurance partners with genetic testing company

SSQ Insurance partners with genetic testing company

SSQ Life Insurance Co. Inc. is partnering with genetic testing company BiogeniQ Inc. to offer some plan members suffering from depression the chance to undergo…

  • By: Staff
  • June 5, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 16:00
Navigating the ’50 shades of grey’ surrounding marijuana legalization and the workplace

Navigating the ’50 shades of grey’ surrounding marijuana legalization and the workplace

While a recent court ruling has given some relief to plan sponsors concerned about having an obligation cover medical marijuana under their benefits plans, they…

Julie Holden forms new workplace health consultancy

Julie Holden forms new workplace health consultancy

Julie Holden is principal of a new workplace health consultancy, Holden & Associates. Since July 2014, she worked at SEB Benefits & HR Consulting Inc., most recently…

  • By: Staff
  • May 18, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 16:00
Green Shield Canada launches pilot to help plan members track chronic pain

Green Shield Canada launches pilot to help plan members track chronic pain

Green Shield Canada is offering plan members who suffer from chronic pain free access to a mobile app that tracks their pain, analyzes it and…

  • By: Staff
  • May 17, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 15:00
Newer benefits professionals get a primer on a complex industry

Newer benefits professionals get a primer on a complex industry

While she has 20 years of experience in the industry, Sheila Phillips is aware of how difficult it is to know everything in the benefits…

Sounding Board: Workplace mental health requires all hands on deck

Sounding Board: Workplace mental health requires all hands on deck

More than ever, mental health is at the centre of our national conversation. From mayors to chief executive officers to well-known Canadians, mental health has never had…