During a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health Summit in June, three plan sponsors discussed whether the size of an employer impacts its ability to support workers’ mental health. Telus Communications Inc., which has roughly 30,000 employees, has developed a mental-health strategy that recognizes the whole employee based on five wellness dimensions — […]
Nearly half (49 per cent) of executive leaders say financial stress often or very often prevents their frontline workers from doing their best work, according to a new survey by Dayforce Inc. The survey, which polled more than 6,900 workers, managers and executives from companies with frontline workers across the globe, found 62 per cent of […]
Employers that are considering dropping dental coverage from their benefits plan following the launch of the national dental care program are advised to think twice, says Graham Young, director of employee benefits at Capcorp Financial Corp. The national plan — administered by Health Canada, with support from a third-party benefits administrator — provides dental coverage for uninsured Canadians with […]
The unions representing more than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency employees have ratified a four-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. The agreement with, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Customs and Immigration Union, includes a pensionable $2,500 one-time, lump-sum payment for all employees upon the date of signing. For members […]
A story on how group insurers can help plan sponsors provide adequate coverage and ensure appropriate use of treatments for rare diseases was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Sounding Board: How employers can mitigate cost of […]
Nearly three-quarters (70 per cent) of U.S. employers say their company’s benefits package is critical to attracting and retaining the best workers, according to a new report by LIMRA. It found half (51 per cent) of employers believe their company will be offering more benefits in the future than it does today and another six […]
The World Health Organization defines a rare disease as having a prevalence of 65 or less per 100,000 individuals. It recognizes some 5,500 rare diseases, the majority being of genetic origin and often life-threatening. Medical research has yielded significant drug development for the treatment of rare diseases, increasing life expectancy and improving quality of life. However, […]
There has seen a “huge increase” in mental-health practitioner claims following the coronavirus pandemic, said Sylvana Leclerc, organizational health consultant for integrated health solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. Citing findings from the insurer’s annual Health by Design report, she said in 2022, […]
With obesity now understood to be a chronic health condition, it’s time for plan sponsors to revisit their approach to weight loss medications, said Philippe Laplante, principal for pension and benefits at Eckler Ltd., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. The conversation about extending coverage to new, high-cost anti-obesity […]
Employers can play a meaningful role in improving vaccine uptake, said Ajit Johal, a community pharmacist, clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and founder of vaccine education non-profit organization immunize.io, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. A recent partnership between the Richmond School District in British […]