Pharmacogenetic testing has become a popular addition to employee benefits packages, primarily because of its ability to inform personalized drug treatment, especially in mental health where it can be challenging to find an appropriate treatment and dosage that’s effective without causing side-effects. Many patients end up trying multiple medications and dosages without achieving improved outcomes, […]
Approximately two in five Canadians live with a mental-health disorder and about eight million are struggling with non-prescriptive addiction. Medically managed intensive outpatient programming, or MMIOP, provides rapid access to treatment, resolution of symptoms and rapid return to work, said Dr. Rob Tanguay, vice-president and chief medical officer at the Newly Institute, during a session […]
Mental health is the leading cause of disability for Canadian employers of all types, sectors and sizes, with 70 per cent of employers saying expanding access to mental-health care is a top priority. Speaking during a Tech Insights spotlight session at Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Mental Health Summit, Anna Chif, co-founder and chief strategy and product officer […]
Mental health is a major pandemic in and of itself, with surveys showing a 300 per cent increase in people reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the availability of hundreds of drug treatments, rates of mental illness continue to increase and “there hasn’t been any pharmacotherapy innovation for mental illness,” […]
When Nasreen, a 32-year-old marketing manager at a Toronto firm, started to suffer from anxiety and depression related to her isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, her manager and colleagues took notice. Nasreen, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, was experiencing increased presenteeism and absenteeism as she suffered from an increasing number of […]
More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of U.S. employees said they want their employer to offer paid leave after adopting a new pet, according to a new survey by LiveCareer. The benefit was more popular among millennial workers (82 per cent) than their older counterparts (73 per cent). In addition, 77 per cent of all […]
KPMG in Canada is supporting its transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse employees with a new gender affirmation policy. Stephanie Braid, director of inclusion, diversity and equity at KPMG in Canada, says the policy provides employees who are in the process of affirming their gender with a complete support plan, including how to announce a name change […]
Paid sick days for employees continues to be a hot topic as the coronavirus pandemic rages on, with the top two stories over the past week focusing on legislation that’s tackling the issue at the federal and provincial levels. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. B.C. giving workers five paid sick […]
The federal Liberal Party is following through on an election campaign promise by introducing legislation that would provide 10 paid sick days per year to employees in the federally regulated private sector. In a press release, the government said it will consult with federally regulated employers and workers toward the implementation of this legislation. Prime […]
Migraine affects 12 to 15 per cent of Canadians, said Dr. Elizabeth Leroux, a Montreal-based neurologist, president of the Canadian Headache Society and chair of Migraine Canada, during a webinar hosted by Benefits Canada and sponsored by Lundbeck Canada Inc. in October. According to the World Health Organization, a severe migraine attack is as disabling […]