Controlling costs on both the employer and employee side of benefits plans is a top concern for human resources professionals, according to a new survey by Hub International Ltd. The survey, which polled nearly 200 benefits decision-makers at Canadian organizations, found 36 per cent of respondents said employee costs are a concern and 32 per cent said employer […]
The majority (80 per cent) of Canadian executives in the finance industry would be willing to provide tuition reimbursement or professional development for new employees without a degree, according to a survey by Robert Half Canada Inc. The survey, which polled 270 Canadian finance leaders, found 81 of small organizations and 67 per cent of larger […]
Depression and alcoholism are the leading mental health and substance abuse conditions covered by employers, according to a report by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey, which polled nearly 300 Canadian and American organizations, found 84 per cent of employers cover depression and 82 per cent cover alcohol addiction. Anxiety disorders (78 per cent), […]
Green Shield Canada is launching a new benefits product, which will focus on drug coverage and mental-health support and eliminate coverage for massage therapy. The new plan, called SMARTspend, will include a managed drug formulary with 100 per cent coverage and no dollar caps, digital mental-health support options, health coaching from pharmacists and dietitians and vision […]
Indigo Books & Music Inc. is the first national employer to pilot the Great-West Life Assurance Co.’s student debt savings program. Employees in the program will receive a matching contribution, up to a maximum, to their retirement savings account within Indigo’s group retirement plan for every payment they make to their Canadian or provincial government student loan. […]
Manulife Financial Corp.’s short-term disability claims related to mental health have decreased since it boosted its benefits to employees last year. In January 2017, Manulife increased its mental-health benefit, from $1,000 to $10,000 per person per year, including coverage for family members. “Really the goal of that was to remove any financial barriers, real or […]
The pension and retirement savings was once again the growth leader in the life and health insurance industry in 2017, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. Of the $651 billion held in employer-sponsored pension plans last year, the industry was responsible for managing $152 billion, which is up from […]
The gig economy might not be the new frontier for North America’s workforce after all. From Uber to TaskRabbit to YourMechanic, so-called gig work has been widely seen as ideal for people who want the flexibility and independence that traditional jobs don’t offer. Yet the evidence is growing that over time, they don’t deliver the […]
Among American employees enrolled in an employer-sponsored health plan, just seven per cent pay no deductible, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Among those with single coverage, nearly half (46 per cent) of respondents pay a deductible between $1,000 and $2,999, followed by $500 to $999 (19 per cent), under […]
Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of American employees said they’d be more productive working from home than in an office setting, according to a new survey by FlexJobs. The survey, which polled more than 3,o00 Americans, found the reasons included fewer distractions (75 per cent), fewer interruptions from colleagues (74 per cent), less commuting stress (71 per cent) […]