More than two years after many employees started working from their homes, both employers and employees are talking about how they want to work post-pandemic. However, few are factoring work-life boundary preferences into the discussion. Research in this area has shown employees use two different approaches — segmentation and integration — when attempting to balance work and family. This session will use data from the 2020-23 Employee Wellbeing in Times of COVID-19 study to review the relationship between boundary management preferences, work-life balance and employee well-being, outlining the implications for employers and employees as they seek a balance between what they want and what’s actually best for them.

Speaker:  Linda Duxbury, professor, Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business

With up to five generations in the workplace and each employee facing individual health conditions and life circumstances, a successful healthy outcome will look different from one plan member to the next. In this panel discussion, plan sponsors will share the details of their comprehensive health and wellness programs, including how they translate into healthy outcomes for their employees and their organizations.

Laura Glenn, wellness program manager, North America,
Ericsson

Merlyn Sequeira, director, total rewards, Samsung Electronics Canada

Elena Shiganova, senior manager, total rewards, City of Mississauga

Jennifer Paterson, editor, Benefits Canada

When health issues force an employee to take disability leave, early intervention is the best way for an employer to manage the process and ensure the employee returns to work, leading to a healthy outcome for both the employee and the organization. This panel will share how employers are connecting well-being to their disability journey, including how they can intervene earlier and treat employees’ health holistically to create a more resilient employee.

Kelly Dawson, global lead, wellness and leaves, Shopify

Taryn Huyer, vice-president, transformation, CBI Health

Brooke Schwarz, manager, national total rewards, BDO Canada LLP

Employers’ attention to mental health was on the rise long before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, but it’s certainly taken centre stage over the last two years and counting. In this panel discussion, employers will share their organization’s journeys in developing outstanding and innovative mental-health programs, including how these programs have evolved during the pandemic and what’s coming up next.

Ayman Alvi, vice-president, global pension and benefits, Scotiabank

Zabina Meru, mental health implementation advisor, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

Judith Plotkin, vice-president, health solutions, People Corporation

Many organizations are aligning their diversity, equity and inclusion strategies with employees’ psychological safety and well-being in the workplace, as well as framing the management of health conditions in the context of people’s different genders, races and socio-economic circumstances. In this panel discussion, employers will share how they align DEI with employee wellness, sharing the policies and initiatives underway to highlight this important topic.

Nermin Ibrahim, nurse practitioner, endocrinology, Halton Diabetes Program (made possible by Abbott)

Robin Doobay, senior manager, total rewards, Labatt Breweries of Canada

Rita Mizzi-Gago, interim head, human resources, Capital One Canada

Short- and long-term disability can create major issues for organizations around absences and productivity, but many are crunching the numbers to take a proactive approach in supporting employees. This panel discussion will delve into how disability management ties into employers’ health and wellness programs and how they use data to inform the development of these programs.

Kelly Dawson, global lead, wellness and leaves, Shopify

Tanya Hickey, senior manager, health and safety strategies, Ontario Power Generation

Nicole Horbatiuk, director, human resources and benefits, CAA Club Group

The onset of the global coronavirus pandemic upended the basic fabric of the workplace and dramatically changed the traditional employer-employee relationship. In this panel discussion, employers will share how they embraced this once-in-a-lifetime challenge to expand their benefits plans and communications strategies to keep employees engaged with employees, as well as how these new strategies will stick around as the pandemic subsides.

Karin Adams, vice-president, talent and total rewards, TMX

Crystal Arnold, senior manager, wellness, retirement and group benefits, LifeLabs

Janet Young, director, well-being and health services, people and culture, TELUS

With the coronavirus pandemic reimagining the way that people work, many employers are facing recruitment and retention issues in a labour market that strongly favours employees. This panel discussion will highlight health as an essential component to combatting the ‘Great Resignation,’ showing how mental health and holistic health strategies can help attract and retain quality employees.

Pragashini Fox, head, HR, product and head, talent and diversity, Thomson Reuters

Zayna Khayat, vice-president, growth and client success, Teladoc Health

The uncertain economic landscape is raising several concerns for employers and employees alike, with many people struggling to balance their various financial priorities and save for their future. In this panel discussion, employers will consider the broad spectrum of financial wellness and how it ties into employees’ mental well-being, including sharing some steps they’re taking to support employees’ holistic health.

Ayman Alvi, vice-president, global pension and benefits, Scotiabank

Dr. Jim Chung, chief medical officer, Air Canada

Michael Dimaano, manager, total compensation and HR policy, Ottawa Community Housing Corp.