On Dec. 11, the Mental Health Summit Vancouver highlighted how the stigma surrounding mental illness can be removed from the workplace and what employers can do to help facilitate a comfortable return to work for those with mental-health issues. Here are some of the highlights of the sessions: Dealing with stigma of returning to work […]
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 take a critical look at current practices and processes, including the way these align with their business goals. One area gaining attention over the years, due to increasing costs, is […]
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 stigma, a look at new technologies and ways to help facilitate a smooth return to work. Here are some of the highlights of the sessions: Accommodation an affordable path to […]
Providing accommodation to employees with mental illness can yield major benefits savings of about $56,000 to $200,000 per employee over a five-year projection. Speaking at Benefits Canada’s 2018 Mental Health Summit Toronto on Nov. 12, Nitika Rewari, manager of workplace mental health at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, shared the results of employer case studies, […]
With 44 per cent of Canadian workers experiencing mental-health issues and mental health the fastest growing and leading cause of disability claims, benefits plans are feeling the strain. “The numbers are staggering in terms of what we’re seeing and the continual growth of this as an issue,” said Rebecca Smith, director of group life and […]
A national doctors’ group is raising concerns about the Ontario government’s move to allow employers to require workers to provide a doctor’s note to explain even minor illnesses, such as the common cold. Canadian Medical Association president Dr. Gigi Osler says the measure, included in the government’s Bill 47, could cause public health issues, as […]
Achieving radiant health through nutrition is an ancient trend that southern Alberta pharmacist Melissa Hozack is helping to revive. “In 400 BC, Hippocrates said, ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ How can we promote health instead of looking at sick care?” said Hozack, a consultant pharmacist and owner of Redcliff Pharmasave, at […]
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 to a new survey by Mercer and the National Association of Worksite Health Centers. The survey, which queried 121 U.S. employers offering onsite or near-site medical clinics, found 84 per cent of […]
As part of the Ontario government’s new bill amending the Employment Standards Act, it’s bringing back the option for employers to request a medical note from employees taking sick leave, family responsibility leave or bereavement leave. As legislation currently stands, employers may require evidence classified as “reasonable in the circumstances” to prove an employee is eligible to […]
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 2016, leading to changes that solidified its win for best absence management program at Benefits Canada’s 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 11. Working with many stakeholders, including unions, human resources […]