The mayor of a city west of Toronto says municipal employees will have to wear masks for the next six weeks amid rising illnesses among workers and in the wider community. Marianne Meed Ward, the mayor of Burlington, Ont., says masks will be required for all employees in city facilities, with some exceptions, but won’t […]
Two-fifths (41 per cent) of U.S. women say they expect to retire at age 70 or older or don’t plan to retire at all, according to a survey by the Harris Poll on behalf of the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Among women who plan to work past age 65 or who don’t plan to retire, […]
While 80 per cent of U.S. employees view mental-health coverage as critical, only 61 per cent have access to mental-health care as part of their benefits package, according to a new survey by Aflac Inc. The survey, which polled more than 2,000 employees and 1,200 employers in the U.S., found more than half (59 per cent) […]
In the midst of the enduring conversation about the changing nature of work and the workplace, some often underappreciated — and potentially underused — benefits have taken centre stage during the coronavirus pandemic. This month, Benefits Canada is exploring two black sheep of the benefits plan: employer-provided travel coverage and vision benefits. In English idiom, […]
In March 2020, Bill Gosling Outsourcing’s benefits plan was facing unsustainable costs, as well as a deficit due to incoming premium increases. The coronavirus pandemic, which was declared at the same time, presented an opportunity for the organization to make significant changes. “During the pandemic, people were housebound, so they weren’t going to the dentist […]
While the provision of travel insurance has long been a staple in many group benefits plans, it was thrust into the spotlight during the coronavirus pandemic. The benefit helps cover unexpected costs that employees may incur while travelling outside of the country, including emergency travel assistance services and emergency medical costs. In addition, some policies […]
Fluor Canada Ltd.’s manager of Indigenous relations and DEI discusses the post-coronavirus pandemic workplace, employee resource groups and fishing. Q: What top challenges do you face in your role? A: Employee engagement can be challenging in the post-[coronavirus] pandemic hybrid working model. We’ve come out of a strictly work-from-home circumstance to a hybrid model and, […]
As the coronavirus crisis enters an endemic phase, employers are beginning to see a return to pre-pandemic levels in paramedical benefits’ usage. During the first eight months of the pandemic, many plan members put off paramedical appointments because they were uncomfortable with non-essential, in-person interactions. In addition, many paramedical services were unavailable due to restrictions […]
Walmart Canada is increasing its mental-health benefits coverage for employees and expanding access to virtual health care. Effective Feb. 1, 2023, the company will provide $3,500 in annual mental-health coverage per employee, up from $1,000. “We wanted to make a statement with our [employees] in terms of support for their mental health and $1,000 just […]
The City of Toronto is lifting its coronavirus vaccination mandate for employees, effective Dec. 1. According to a press release, the mandate, which was introduced in September 2021, is ending due to more than 99 per cent of City employees and more than 90 per cent of the public having at least two doses of […]