The third Monday of January, known as Blue Monday, is considered the saddest day of the year, but some Canadian employers are trying to make it a little happier for their employees. At CAA Club Group, Blue Monday will kick off a week of events dedicated to mental-health awareness. “We have a mixture of fun things, educational things and […]
Strong competition to attract and retain talent will drive employers to adopt holistic employee wellness strategies in 2020, according to the Workforce Institute at Kronos Inc.’s global workforce predictions for the year. “We have these war for talent issues going on everywhere,” says Joyce Maroney, executive director at the Workforce Institute. “One of the ways […]
Over the last 40 years, the mortality morbidities of cancer, HIV and cardiovascular disease have dropped dramatically, but the mortality of suicide has gone up, according to Dr. Sam Ozersky, president and chief executive officer of FeelingBetterNow. “Ten people per day, mostly from the ages of 15 to 25, die from suicide,” he said during […]
The Swedish word “tack” translates to “thank you,” which is precisely what IKEA is saying to employees with its Tack! loyalty program. In Canada, the program operates as a deferred profit-sharing plan and is part of employees’ total rewards package. “The [program] was launched in 2013 based on the wish of IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad […]
Perceptions of the stigma around receiving professional psychological help can be a barrier to seeking out mental-health services, according to a new study. The study, which was published by the Employee Assistance Trade Association’s EASNA Research Notes, looked into perceptions of stigma in relation to seeking help from employee assistance programs in a sample of […]
It’s no surprise that FreshBooks takes its employees’ financial literacy seriously. The Toronto-based accounting software firm regularly holds lunch-and-learn workshops and hosts subject manner experts on a wide range of financial wellness topics, including investing basics and ethical investing, mortgages, building up savings and several aspects of tax preparation during tax season. It also offers […]
Morneau Shepell Ltd. is appointing Neil King as executive vice-president and president of LifeWorks, effective Jan. 1, 2020, as Rita Fridella retires at the end of 2019. In the role, King will also take direct responsibility for all of sales and marketing activities for LifeWorks, a group that currently reports to Jamie True. True will […]
With a wellness strategy focused on complete employee health, Nav Canada was recognized with the Sanofi Canada Wellness Pioneer Award at Benefits Canada’s Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 17. The award is open to Canadian plan sponsors that have provided plan members with a wellness program for at least five years. It acknowledges an organization that’s developed […]
Epcor Utilities Inc.’s senior manager of pension and benefits talks mental-health training, volunteering benefits and whitewater canoeing. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. A big challenge is employees . . . thinking the company is 100 per cent responsible for all of their paramedical [and] dental costs, and that any […]
Mental-health benefits offerings are on the rise, with the share of Canadian organizations that provide mental-health coverage nearly doubling over the past five years, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey, released this week to coincide with World Mental Health Day, found more than three-quarters (79 per cent) […]