While many Canadian organizations continue to search for solutions to rising health-care costs, most are falling short. That’s why they must investigate any opportunity to find substantial savings and then take action. One health-related cost that hasn’t gained much attention is absenteeism. As issue often linked to mental-health issues, it’s costing Canadian organizations billions of dollars in payroll costs, […]
Plan sponsors looking to integrate pharmacogenetic testing into their benefits plan will soon have lots of information to consider as Canada’s biggest insurance companies roll out pilot projects and research begins to shed light on the return on investment. “The market is expanding. Insurers are piloting projects. You will hear a lot about pharmacogenetics over the next 12 months,” said […]
Rates of workplace absenteeism reached peak levels in 2016 compared to the last five years in both the public and private sectors, according to Statistics Canada. The public sector lost 13.5 days per employee on average, up from 12.5 in 2012. The private sector had been trending down from 8.3 days in 2012 but returned […]
Saskatchewan’s auditor says she is concerned about the number of sick days being taken, particularly by workers in the province’s health-care and gaming sectors. Provincial auditor Judy Ferguson highlighted employee absenteeism at the Heartland Regional Health Authority and Saskatchewan Gaming Corp. in her annual report released Tuesday. She said she zeroed in on both because […]
On Wednesday, the Ontario legislature passed the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act. The highlights of the act include: Requiring equal pay for casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees when performing substantially the same job for the same employer as full-time workers. The changes also include equal-pay provisions for employees of temporary help agencies. The provisions come […]
While the discussions around the reasons employees need to miss work are getting more specific in many provinces, leave options remain fuzzy to non-existent from a government perspective for many emergency scenarios. On Wednesday, Ontario passed a new bill that includes expanding personal emergency leave to 10 days per year for all employees, with at least two paid […]
More workers have been calling in sick when they aren’t actually ill, according to a new survey by human resources company CareerBuilder. The survey, which polled more than 2,200 full-time hiring managers and human resources professionals and almost 4,000 full-time employees in the United States, found 40 per cent of workers had called in sick when they weren’t […]
In one episode of the television show The Office, salesman Stanley Hudson has a heart attack during a workplace fire drill. A few days later, he’s back at his desk, with only a doctor’s orders to “relate more positively” to his surroundings. Many employers can only dream of such an easy return to work. In […]
Once simply considered a dismissive solution to life’s woes, “just walk it off” can become a message with a proactive purpose, as well as a way to resolve conflict in the workplace. A benefit to both physical and mental health, walking is ideal for any fitness and commitment level. Employers would be wise to promote […]
Sun Life Financial will be offering plan members on short- and long-term disability leave for depression or anxiety the chance to take part in a study on the impact of pharmacogenetic testing. The insurer is participating in a study that examines the effectiveness of the technology in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental […]