Commuting to work is part of daily life for many Canadians. In the 2016 census, Statistics Canada found 15.9 million citizens were commuters, spending an average of 26.2 minutes travelling to work each day. So how do employers make commuting easier? And how do they communicate perks, such as free parking, discounted transit passes and bike-friendly […]
Manulife Financial Corp. is making its Vitality health and wellness platform available to Canadian group benefits plan members next year. The platform, which connects with wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness bracelets, is designed to help users make healthy choices and then rewards them with discounts and gift cards for doing so. “We believe this program will help […]
Willis Towers Watson has launched an online shopping option for employee benefits. Its marketplace platform, which is both mobile and web-based, allows employees to shop for benefits online and provides coverage decision support. “For employers, Benefits Marketplace moves us toward a truly personalized approach,” said Dawn Noordam, director of health and benefits consulting and leader of Benefits […]
Allstate Insurance Co. of Canada, Federal Express Canada Corp. and Marriott Hotels are among the best employers in Canada, according to Aon’s annual benchmark and study, which recognizes 49 companies across the country. This year, the study found that organizations with high levels of employee engagement create a strong and compelling employment brand, excel at fostering […]
These days, peace of mind is hard to come by, but the employers at the 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards roundtable centred their discussion around the many ways they can positively contribute towards their workforces’ mental, physical and financial health, particularly when it comes to absenteeism and improving return-to-work processes. “We know that if people are […]
Medical plan costs paid by employers are outpacing inflation, according to a new report by Aon. In Canada, however, medical cost inflation is trending down, lower than both the global and North American averages. Aon expects Canadian medical costs to rise by six per cent next year. Factored against average general inflation of 2.1 per cent in 2019, […]
Taking a varied and thorough approach to employee health helped Niagara Casinos take home the award for best health and wellness program for an employer with more than 1,000 employees at Benefits Canada‘s 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 11. The variety of wellness offerings and activities included kickboxing, paddle boarding, bath bomb workshops, an onsite […]
Promoting health and wellness as a business priority and effectively communicating this to the workforce was the Town of Richmond Hill’s recipe for success at Benefits Canada’s 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards. The organization took home the award for best health and wellness program for a company with less than 1,000 employees at a ceremony in Toronto on Oct. 11. […]
Last year, Ceridian HCM Inc. began allowing its Canadian and American employees to take two hours off for any reason without manager approval. The program was introduced as a pilot, initially covering the period between late May and Labour Day, says Lisa Sterling, chief people and culture officer at the organization’s U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis. […]
Dental benefits accounted for $7.9 billion of the $32.5 billion spent on extended health services by group or individual insurance plans in 2016, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s most recent data. And dental spend is rising significantly, from $4.1 billion in 2006 and $2.3 billion in 1996. But these figures tend […]