The proportions of mental health-related disability increased 2.3 percentage points from 2019 (6.4 per cent) to 2021 (8.7 per cent), according to combined data from Statistics Canada’s labour force survey and Canadian income survey. Among those who were employed during the first four months of 2021, more than one in five (21.5 per cent) had a […]
A migraine attack is much more severe than a headache because it comes with a lot of other symptoms, according to Dr. Elizabeth Leroux, a neurologist, president of the Canadian Headache Society and chair of Migraine Canada, speaking during a session supported by Abbvie at Benefits Canada‘s Chronic Disease at Work event in February. Migraine, […]
The burden of musculoskeletal disease has had a significant impact on the lives of Canadians at home and at work, said Alison Dantas, chief executive officer at Canadian Chiropractic Association during Benefits Canada‘s 2022 Chronic Disease at Work event in February. According to the World Health Organization, musculoskeletal conditions are the leading cause of disability around […]
Musculoskeletal issues have a far-reaching impact on the mental, physical and emotional wellness of benefits plan members and their families — however, they also come at a cost to plan sponsors. According to Sun Life Assurance. Co.’s 2020 disability claims, 20 per cent were related to musculoskeletal health conditions and 30 per cent of these affected […]
Kristy Dickinson woke up on a recent Monday unable to move her body. The delay waiting for medication and a heating pad to kick in threw off her morning routine and a flare-up of gastrointestinal symptoms forced her to reschedule back-to-back work meetings. She wasn’t able to get her work done until later in the […]
People living with multiple sclerosis can continue to thrive in the workforce with early access to specialists in the disease and accommodations that give them control over their work environment. “MS really has a pretty broad impact on affected individuals’ health system and [on] society,” said Ruth Ann Marrie, professor of medicine and community health […]
It took an “intense, painful and scary” flare and emergency surgery at age 38 for Marie-Josée Lafleur (pictured right) to finally be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, after being misdiagnosed for 15 years. IBD, which is typically diagnosed between ages 16 and 30, is caused by the body’s immune system attacking the gastrointestinal tract, creating […]
An article on British Columbia’s paramedics and their need for enhanced mental-health benefits was the most read story over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. B.C. paramedics seeking enhanced mental-health benefits 2. Canadian pension plans overcoming legislation, governance challenges: webinar 3. Ontario’s DB pension plans should take steps […]
ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada is renewing three collective agreements with its employees, including improvements to the defined benefit pension plan, disability benefits and life insurance. The new six-year agreements were ratified by 800 unionized employees. For the DB plan, the agreements include a total $9 increase in the monthly pension credit, so at the end […]
As this wave of the coronavirus pandemic abates and more organizations settle into their respective futures of work, leadership teams are considering how the many factors around the management of work and people will need to evolve. While some organizations don’t want — or can’t — change where people work, those that can have numerous […]