The growth of gene and cell therapies are raising significant questions among private payers about who bears the responsibility for the costs of these treatments, says Tim Clarke, president at TC Health Consulting Inc. “One issue is whether this is going to be paid for by public health or if it’s an employer health issue. […]
President Joe Biden’s order that federal employees in the U.S. get vaccinated against the coronavirus has been blocked by a federal appeals court. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has rejected arguments that Biden, as the nation’s chief executive, has the same authority as the chief executive officer of a private corporation to require […]
Amid the lingering coronavirus pandemic, vaccination policies and paid sick leave were top of mind among Benefits Canada’s readers in 2022. However, stories about new employee benefits and compensation planning, as well as pension and retirement matters, also caught readers’ eyes. Here are Benefits Canada’s 10 most popular stories of the year: 1. Feds consider definition of ‘fully […]
The Toronto Transit Commission is ending its mandatory coronavirus vaccination requirement for workers and offering to reinstate employees who were terminated as a result of the policy without back pay. The transit agency said the mandate — introduced in September 2021 — will be lifted Nov. 27, though it’s continuing to encourage employees to stay […]
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 […]
Around half (53 per cent) of Canadian benefits plan sponsors and two-thirds (65 per cent) of plan members say their workplace implemented a coronavirus vaccination policy, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. Among plan sponsors, vaccination policies were more likely with unionized workforces (72 per cent compared to 44 per cent of employers with […]
Former employees of the City of Windsor, Ont. are pursuing legal action after being fired for violating the City’s coronavirus vaccination policy. While the lawsuit currently has 20 plaintiffs, more employees will be added, says Courtney Betty, the plaintiffs’ lawyer. The plaintiffs cover a wide range of occupations including firefighters, city employees and frontline workers. “[Through […]
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is lifting most coronavirus vaccination requirements for employees returning to the office. In a company memo, the bank informed employees that starting next week, they can work onsite regardless of their vaccination status, with no requirements to participate in regular testing or wear face coverings, according to a report by Bloomberg. […]
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 […]
An article on Public Health Sudbury’s violation of the Ontario Human Rights Code following an employee’s termination over a vaccine refusal was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Arbitrator finds employer violated Ontario Human Rights Code for termination over vaccine refusal 2. More […]