Since good nutrition contributes to better mental health, what people eat has a direct relationship to their mood and how they function, said Charmaine Alexander, senior advisor of disability management at Desjardins Insurance. “Let’s compare our brains to a car engine,” she said during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Mental Health Summit on Nov. […]
British Columbians are ringing in the new year by joining all Canadians in not paying monthly rates for health care. Premiums under the province’s medical services plan will be eliminated on Jan. 1, saving individuals up to $900 a year while families will pocket up to $1,800. The change comes two years after premiums were halved and […]
Popular legal cases in 2019 covered age discrimination, bankruptcy proceedings, constructive dismissals and a range of other topics. Benefits Canada rounds up the industry’s most popular legal stories of the year: 1. Settlement reached in Ontario age discrimination benefits case 2. Ontario appeal court decision could change pension landscape in bankruptcy proceedings 3. Court confirms employer’s right to change job conditions 4. Class […]
On the health benefits front, readers were focused on paid leave, legislative changes, medical cannabis and a range of other issues in 2019. Benefits Canada rounds up the industry’s most popular health and benefits stories of the year: 1. Employers urged to prepare for incoming EI parental sharing benefit 2. WSIB policy on medical cannabis takes effect 3. Scotiabank adds extra paid personal days […]
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 […]
Mental health is a growing concern both in and out of the workplace, and employees with these issues often need days to deal with them. Paula Allen, vice-president of research and analytics at Morneau Shepell Ltd., suggests employers provide employees with workplace flexibility because “we’re not robots.” Specifically, she supports and encourages mental-health days, though she believes the real promise and […]
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Sinclair Billard and Weld Ltd. and CJM Solutions + Inc., which do business under the name SBW Employee Benefits. The Halifax-based organization designs, administers, markets and manages group benefits programs and defined contribution plans for employers and associations across Atlantic Canada. It also provides consulting advice on employee […]
CAA Club Group is making virtual health care available to all its full- and part-time employees through its benefits plan. The program is a partnership between virtual care provider Maple and Morneau Shepell Ltd.’s employee assistance program. Employees will be able to reach doctors through Maple’s platform at any time of day and will be […]
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 […]
When the federal government signed the Cannabis Act into law in 2018, legalizing recreational cannabis, it also committed to providing patients with better access to medical cannabis and to more extensively researching the trends, use patterns, patient impact, potential therapeutic treatments and adverse effects of cannabis and cannabinoids. The legislation also prompted new conversations in […]