Lululemon Athletica Inc.’s holistic approach to absence management led to a win at Benefits Canada’s 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 20. The apparel company won in the Absence management program category for its comprehensive leave policies. In 2022, Lululemon launched a formal employee workplace accommodations program for its North American population. The program establishes clear policy and guidelines, […]
The majority (88 per cent) of Canadians employees say the coronavirus pandemic changed how they work in one or more ways, a percentage that increases among employees who work remotely (91 per cent) and those in a hybrid work arrangement (96 per cent), according to a survey conducted by RKI Inc. this spring. The results […]
While the World Health Organization defines stress as any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain, simply put, it’s the body’s response to anything that requires attention or action, according to Sherry Hnatyshyn-Webster, Carepath Inc.’s managing director, speaking during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Chronic Disease at Work conference in early […]
When it comes to chronic conditions, there’s a difference in understanding and appreciating — “and this difference goes a long way in helping employers navigate their disability claims and accommodations,” said Yvonne Murphy, director of disability claims and group benefits at Sun Life Financial Inc., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2023 Chronic Disease at Work conference. […]
In 2021, more than 50 per cent of people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis said their condition has had a negative impact at work, according to Antonella Scali, executive director at the Canadian Psoriasis Network, speaking during a session at the annual Canadian Arthritis Research Conference last week. People living with inflammatory conditions often report […]
As the coronavirus crisis moves into an endemic phase, employers are diligently rebuilding their workplaces to suit the new working environment that’s emerged from this cataclysmic disruption. In the meantime, Canadians are facing the rising cost of living and trying to balance the responsibilities in their work and family lives. In the face of all […]
Canada has one of the highest incidence rates of inflammatory bowel disease in the world. “We don’t know why, but Canada is one of the hotspots,” said Dr Mark Silverberg, gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto, during a webinar hosted by Benefits Canada and sponsored by Takeda Canada in November. IBD […]
Arthritis Society Canada is supporting female employees by including menopause in its accommodation policy. The policy identifies ways in which a menopausal woman might require similar accommodations as a pregnant woman and includes adjusting an employee’s job responsibilities, finding alternate work and taking leave, says Trish Barbato, president and chief executive officer at Arthritis Society Canada. “I see […]
An Alberta court has ruled that a Calgary grocery store worker placed on indefinite unpaid leave — for failure to comply with a mandatory mask policy — has resigned as opposed to being constructively dismissed and isn’t entitled to reasonable notice or compensation in lieu thereof. “This decision may signal that adjudicators will have little […]
Severe asthma is a complex condition that impacts between 150,000 and 250,000 Canadians, according to Vanessa Foran, president and chief executive officer of Asthma Canada, during a webinar hosted last month by Benefits Canada and supported by AstraZeneca. It’s an acute condition where people have difficulty achieving control of their disease despite proper use of […]