In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, people found different ways of coping, from baking sourdough bread to clapping for health-care heroes to drinking ‘quarantinis’ during Zoom happy hours. While the baking, clapping and drinking has tapered off for many, some employees have struggled with substance use as the pandemic drags on. But many […]
Endy’s director of people and culture discusses the importance of the employee experience; diversity, equity and inclusion commitments; and exploring Toronto. Q: What top challenges do you face in your role? A: Working in a remote environment is difficult at times for our employees and the extended isolation can take a toll on their physical […]
The federal government’s 2022 budget, which set out $56 billion in new spending on Thursday, has a few offerings that could impact employers and employees. Dental-care program, pharmacare The budget confirmed the government’s commitment to rolling out a national dental-care program, which was announced in March, by specifying a $5.3-billion investment in its implementation. It also […]
Changes to Quebec’s policy on the use of biosimilars in its public drug plan could result in savings for private benefits plans, says one expert. On April 13, 2022, the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec will delist certain biologic drugs from its formulary, requiring patients covered by the plan to switch to a biosimilar […]
Telus Health is acquiring digital health platform Sprout Wellness Solutions. Sprout is designed to inspire employees to improve their health through behaviour change, according to a press release, which noted Sprout will be integrated with Telus Health’s virtual care service. Read: Telus Health acquires health division of Toronto-based software company “We know preventative health practices can […]
Canadian employers looking to redesign their benefits plans are in a holding pattern until they hear more details on the Liberal Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party’s joint proposed national dental-care and pharmacare programs. Last week, the two parties announced plans to form an alliance until 2025 in order to deliver these programs […]
More than two-thirds (71 per cent) of small- and mid-sized U.S. employers said offering more employee benefits helps improve retention, while 70 per cent said benefits help with recruitment efforts, according to a new survey by Principal Financial Services Inc. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 employers, found two-thirds (67 per cent) said employee […]
While Canadian employers have spent millions of dollars to address and support employee mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, the co-author of a new study says employee feedback is key to addressing gaps in the improvement of workplace psychological health and safety. “We’ve got random acts of wellness and we’re spending millions of dollars on […]
A story on a pilot benefits plan program that provides plan members with access to traditional Indigenous medicines and services was the most read article over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. First Nations community providing Indigenous wellness benefits to plan members 2. Just 52% of Canadians […]
Rio Tinto Group is making parental leave more accessible for employees by removing the distinction between primary and secondary caregivers. The policy change — which takes effect in Canada in June and will be implemented worldwide by the end of 2023 — provides all new parents with 18 weeks of 100 per cent paid parental […]