After years of viewing diversity, equity and inclusion as a side-of-the-desk issue, Canadian employers are increasingly considering it a top priority and integrating their organizational DEI goals into their benefits plans. While employers have been introducing DEI initiatives for years, incorporating these goals into benefits plans had been neglected, according to multiple panellists during Benefits Canada’s […]
More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of large U.S. employers are reporting an increase in mental-health needs among their workforces, according to a new survey by Business Group on Health. The survey, which polled around 150 large employers employing 19 million people, found this is a 33 per cent increase compared to last year, when […]
The costs of U.S. employer-sponsored medical benefits are expected to rise seven per cent in 2024, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey found 79 per cent of U.S. employers’ benefits plans are self-funded (with or without stop-loss coverage), while 21 per cent are fully insured. The […]
In 2022, Xero sent out a global survey to all of its employees asking them to rank the most important components of its total rewards program, from time off to flexible working policies, salaries to employee benefits. The software company’s Canadian employees ranked health benefits as one of the most important aspects of total rewards. […]
Three main drug categories — diabetes, asthma and stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — accounted for rising drug claims in 2022, according to Lavina Viegas, Telus Health’s director of client account management, speaking during Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Benefits & Pension Summit in June. Referring to Telus Health’s 2023 drug plan trends report, she said […]
Like other large employers, Ontario Power Generation Inc. has a diverse workforce that embodies the broader Canadian population across multiple demographics. The Crown corporation uses a variety of methods and measurements for gathering diversity, equity and inclusion data, including engagement surveys and focus groups to establish mental-health indicators by analyzing benefits usage, says Tanya Hickey, […]
U.S. employers are increasing their family and caregiving benefits in 2023, according to a new survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. The survey, which polled more than 4,000 employers, found a quarter (25 per cent) said they cover infertility treatments and in vitro fertilization, while five per cent cover egg freezing for non-medical […]
Specialty drugs are accounting for a slightly smaller portion of the total eligible amount for all drug claims, declining from 33.6 per cent in 2021 to 33.1 per cent in 2022, according to Telus Health’s annual drug trends report. The report, based on claims data from more than 4.6 million plan members in 2022, found the […]
Just like professional athletes, employees have to balance high performance with periods of rest. To this end, Shopify Inc. introduced its Intermission program in 2018 to ensure workers aren’t burning out. “We must feed our mind and body with good input to achieve good output,” says Kelly Dawson, the organization’s global lead for wellness and […]
By focusing on cancer as part of a wider chronic disease management strategy, employers can support employee health while reducing benefits costs, said Chris Bonnett, founder and principal at H3 Consulting, during a webinar hosted by the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute. While long-term disability plans pay out, on average, $3,500 per month, cancer patients […]