To paraphrase philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre: hell is other people trapped in an office together all day long, at least according to the results of a new survey by career site Zety. The survey asked more than 1,000 American employees what drives them up the cubicle wall, how irritating those situations are and how often they happen. To whittle […]
The majority (90 per cent) of Canadian employers now offer at least one non-insurance benefit such as paid time off, employee assistance programs or flexible working, according to a new survey by business research organization LIMRA Inc. The survey found paid time off was by far the most popular non-insurance benefit for employers of all sizes to offer, with […]
Employers promote competition, interactive booths and benefits information to engage employees in their wellness offerings. “Someone lasted seven minutes,” says Stephanie Enright, the Mississauga, Ont. company’s director of talent management and administration. “Our employees really like the competitiveness, and these activities help draw people to the health fair.” Over the last decade, the organization’s health […]
Sixty per cent of working Canadians have experienced a mental-health issue, an increase from 52 per cent in 2017, according to Sun Life’s 2019 barometer survey. However, the survey also found 60 per cent of working Canadians who are suffering from mental-health issues aren’t accessing support through their workplace benefits, said Carmen Bellows, the insurer’s senior mental-health […]
People don’t often make the association between nutrition and long-term mood, as well as how diet can impact the brain’s function and its structure, according to Charmaine Alexander, senior advisor on Desjardins Insurance’s disability management team. “We know that between the rise of mental illness in our current lifestyle, just as with obesity, maybe what we’re […]
Between 2017 and 2019, the number of individuals reporting mental-health issues has risen by seven per cent, according to Dr. Sam Mikail, psychologist and senior mental-health consultant at Sun Life. “We haven’t seen an improvement,” he said during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Toronto Mental Health Summit on Nov. 29. “If anything, we’ve seen […]
Mental-health symptomology — such as difficulty concentrating, feelings of isolation and lack of motivation — is incredibly impactful in the workplace and makes it difficult for people to function at or return to work. “There’s no question that anxiety and depression are very prevalent in the Canadian workplace and are very relevant to plan sponsors,” […]
Looking ahead to 2020, all indicators point to technology playing a greater role in human resources practices given the rapid advances in artificial intelligence and emerging virtual health-care services. But while HR and wellness professionals adapt to these new technologies, they should also be looking at other important considerations to help make their workplaces more comfortable and their employees […]
When my husband got a new job in Pickering, Ont., it became clear that a four-hour return commute from our west-end neighbourhood on public transit wasn’t sustainable for him. We weighed the pros and cons of either moving or buying a car. The car won out, but only if we could both use it as […]
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 […]