The Ontario government is extending its paid sick leave program to March 31, 2023 to ensure employees don’t lose pay if they miss work due to a coronavirus infection. Eligible workers will continue to receive up to $200 a day for a maximum of three days if they need to get tested, vaccinated, receive booster […]
With more data emerging showing vaping can lead to lung injuries and other adverse health issues, many employers have concerns about the potential cost of providing extended health-care benefits to employees who vape, says Julie Stich, vice-president of content at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. “We’re seeing more and more evidence coming forth […]
In the age of the #MeToo movement, the coronavirus pandemic and the global outcry for social justice, Canadians workers have been glued to their phones or tablets. Doomscrolling — the ongoing consumption of negative news — is taking its toll on their mental health. Doomscrolling is on the rise in Canada and employers need to […]
A quarter (26 per cent) of U.S. employers are considering expanding the abortion services they cover, according to a new pulse survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Almost half (46 per cent) of respondents said they aren’t making any changes to coverage levels, while 26 per cent don’t know or are waiting […]
In the first quarter of 2022, new annual premiums for supplemental health insurance products totalled $1.1 billion in the U.S., a six per cent increase from the same period last year, according to LIMRA’s latest workplace benefits sales surveys. Most workplace supplemental health insurance product lines ― accident, critical illness, cancer and hospital indemnity insurance ― […]
More than two-thirds (70 per cent) of large U.S. employers are planning to beef up their benefits plans in 2023 to enhance their attraction and retention efforts, according to a new survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 700 employers, found a third (32 per cent) of large employers already offer inclusive family-building […]
After the U.S. Supreme Court revoked the federal right to an abortion that’s been in place for half a century, companies like Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Walt Disney Co. pledged to cover travel costs for employees who live in states where the procedure is now illegal so they can […]
Severe asthma is a complex condition that impacts between 150,000 and 250,000 Canadians, according to Vanessa Foran, president and chief executive officer of Asthma Canada, during a webinar hosted last month by Benefits Canada and supported by AstraZeneca. It’s an acute condition where people have difficulty achieving control of their disease despite proper use of […]
Employers can help employees achieve an optimal work-life balance by embedding a right-to-disconnect policy into their overall business practices, says Lidia Pawlikowski, associate vice-president of Hub International Ltd. Last month, Ontario’s right-to-disconnect legislation took effect, requiring employers with 25 or more workers to have a written policy for employees to disconnect from their job at […]
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the nation’s constitutional protections for abortion has catapulted employers of all types into the most divisive corner of politics. Some companies that stayed silent last month — when a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito was leaked to Politico — have spoken up for the first time, including […]