Canadian health benefits plan members’ top stressors have shifted to reflect the new work environments created by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. The survey, formerly known as the Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey, found that 35 per cent of plan members described their stress level at the beginning of 2021 […]
Employees at several Indigo Books & Music Inc. stores across Canada are unionizing, as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has “highlighted the precarity of retail work in general and how little say workers have in rapidly changing work environments. “Joining [United Food and Commercial Workers Canada] provided security and gave workers a voice without fear of retaliation,” […]
Sun Life is buying DentaQuest, a U.S.-based provider of dental benefits, for $3.1 billion. The company, which offers dental benefits through employers, will become part of Sun Life’s U.S. business. The insurer said the acquisition will more than double the size of its U.S. employee benefits business by revenue. DentaQuest currently has more than 33 million members in 36 […]
Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada’s group benefits and Lumino Health platform are rebranding as Sun Life Health, a new business unit focused on empowering Canadians to live their healthiest lives no matter where they are in their wellness journey. “Sun Life Health brings these areas of expertise together, providing Canadians with a partner on their […]
More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of U.S. employers plan to differentiate and customize their benefits programs over the next two years, according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson. As drivers to revamp their benefits strategy, personalize the employee experience and manage the costs of their offerings, survey respondents cited an increased focus […]
If elected, the Conservative Party is promising to help employers prioritize mental health in the workplace. As part of its election platform, the Conservative Party said it will provide employers with a federal tax credit for 25 per cent of the cost of adding mental-health coverage to their employee benefits plans for the first three […]
Victoria, B.C.-based Adamek Financial, a boutique benefits consulting firm, is merging with Sterling Capital Brokers Ltd. Founded in 2014, Sterling Capital is an independent benefits consulting firm based in Toronto and specializing in servicing small- to medium-sized employers. Adamek Financial’s team has a combined 92 years of consulting experience that includes benefits plan reviews, plan management, […]
More than a third (41 per cent) of U.S. employees believe unvaccinated workers should pay higher insurance rates, with generation Z the least supportive (23 per cent) and baby boomers the most supportive (45 per cent), according to a new survey by Eagle Hill Consulting. The survey was published this week as federal regulators in […]
Willis Towers Watson is selling its global reinsurance business, Willis Re, to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. for US$3.25 billion. The transaction is set to close by the end of the first quarter of 2022 and there’ll be an earnout payable in 2025 of up to US$750 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments. Read: […]
Telus Communications Inc. recognizes that all employees manage their health and well-being in different ways, so it allows staff to choose how they use the company’s flexible wellness offering — they can take time off to enjoy a staycation, pay down student loans or top up their health-care spending accounts. “We provide [employees] with credits […]