Building on a wellness program that covers employees’ overall well-being, Allstate Insurance Co. of Canada is introducing a trio of programs in January. “January can be a stressful and a tough month for many,” says Adrianne Sullivan-Campeau, the organization’s vice-president of human resources. “So you’re coming down from the holiday high, you have large bills coming in from your holiday purchases, […]
As the ways that Canadians use smartphones and apps continue to evolve, what are the implications for those technologies in health-care and wellness services? According to recent studies by digital marketing company Catalyst Canada, the number of apps per smartphone is declining, but the actual use of them is becoming more specialized. The studies note that, despite the […]
A recent arbitration decision underlines the pivotal role that collective bargaining agreement language plays in the extent to which employers and their insurers can make unilateral changes to benefits plans. “From the employer’s perspective, the less said about the benefits plan, the better,” said Brian Smeenk, a labour law expert at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP’s […]
More than two years ago, an Oakville, Ont.-based startup — a small technology company with nine employees — was looking to implement a benefits plan. Eager to attract and retain the best talent, its founder decided to go all out with a generous plan that saw the employer paying the full cost for 100 per […]
Great-West Life Assurance Co. has partnered with digital health-care provider Dialogue to offer its virtual health-care platform as part of its group benefits plans. The platform, which can be accessed through a mobile app or website, is open to employers in Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. The insurer says the impetus for the pilot was the need […]
While Allstate Insurance Co. of Canada provides several financial education and information sessions to employees throughout the year, it’s focusing on the importance of financial literacy this November to align its offerings with Canada’s Financial Literacy Month. “Financial wellness is actually a key component of our healthy workplace strategy at Allstate,” says Adrianne Sullivan-Campeau, the organization’s vice-president of human resources. Read: Just […]
Plan sponsors may have the best intentions of keeping members engaged with their pension or benefits communications, but it’s easy to miss the mark. Here are three common communications mistakes and tips to help avoid them. 1. Choosing the wrong media (or just one): Plan sponsors will often say, “Our members aren’t on social media,” or, […]
While mental health is often a sensitive area, the Co-operators Group Ltd. aimed to bring the issue into the open by introducing an online Yammer group as a safe place for employees to talk, share information and support one another. “It’s a way for us to have those organic conversations crop up from our staff,” said Stacey Kennedy, […]
For Manulife, building its benefits plan communication strategy was all about choice. Recognizing there are different ways employees prefer to access information, it rolled out a strategy that ensured a number of different communications options were available. This strategy helped Manulife earn the benefits plan communications award at Benefits Canada’s 2017 Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 12. […]