The documentation of formal diversity, equity and inclusion policies and approaches is one of the most significant changes to the Canadian workplace over the last decade. Progress of this magnitude seldom comes quickly. Employers are being asked tough questions about their implementation of the goals they’ve laid out — and they’re not always getting great […]
Telus Communications Inc.’s proactive approach to fostering employee mental health led to its win in the Mental-health program category for companies with more than 1,000 employees at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 20. The organization’s winning strategy includes a commitment statement, signed by its leadership team, affirming that a psychologically safe and healthy […]
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 […]
When Jessica Charbonneau decided to have a child through assisted reproduction a few years ago, it wasn’t cheap, but her employer helped shoulder some of the costs. Charbonneau, a 36-year-old student affairs case manager at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus, started with intrauterine insemination, spending a total of $15,000 for six rounds. The university’s […]
The organization’s manager of national total rewards discusses incorporating ESG into the DEI space, its experience reimbursement program and spending time around B.C.’s lakes and mountains Q: What new programs or initiatives are you looking to implement? A: Since the actions of organizations are deeply intertwined with environmental, social and governance issues, excelling in these […]
Changes to the Public Service Health Care Plan, which took effect on July 1, include $75,000 for certain gender affirming procedures not covered by provincial or territorial health-care programs. Other new benefits include: $300 per year each for a registered dietician, occupational therapist and lactation consultant; $200 per year for batteries for hearing aids; $600 per […]
Canadian plan sponsors and insurers are revisiting how they classify obesity drugs under their benefits plans, amid plan members’ rising demand for Ozempic as a weight-loss treatment. Ozempic, also known under the generic name semaglutide, is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. However, the medication has also been credited as a weight-loss treatment, […]
The annual Benefits & Pension Summit, which was hosted virtually on June 1, is the only Benefits Canada event that brings together health benefits and capital accumulation plans in one event. This year, delegates heard the results of Benefits Canada‘s exclusive CAP Member Survey with a panel of experts discussing the findings, case studies from two leading […]
TD Bank Group credits its culture of care for the recent enhancements to its benefits plan. “We place a great amount of emphasis and focus on this, which is a key element of our [employee] promise,” said Susy Michor, the bank’s vice-president of human resources, global retirement benefits and well-being, during Benefits Canada’s 2023 Benefits […]
Since 2016, millennials have made up a larger share of the working population than baby boomers — and today, one in three Canadians of working age is a millennial, according to Charmaine Alexander, senior advisor in disability management at Desjardins Insurance, speaking during Benefits Canada’s 2023 Benefits & Pension Summit in June. A recent survey […]