Controlling costs on both the employer and employee side of benefits plans is a top concern for human resources professionals, according to a new survey by Hub International Ltd. The survey, which polled nearly 200 benefits decision-makers at Canadian organizations, found 36 per cent of respondents said employee costs are a concern and 32 per cent said employer […]
MHIB Global Inc. is rolling out an online tool to help improve mental health in the workplace. The online tool, called Mental Health in a Box, is designed for both small and mid-sized organizations that lack extensive human resources departments, as well as large companies that can tie it into their existing mental-health programming. “This is […]
With just one week to go before recreational cannabis is legalized, a disconnect still exists between employers and employees around policies and expectations, according to a new survey by ADP Canada. Slightly more than one-third (36 per cent) of managers surveyed said their organization is introducing or changing workplace policies and guidelines ahead of legalization. However, just […]
As many organizations turn their focus to mental-health awareness in October, Staples Canada is reminding its employees they have help available if they need it. The company’s October campaign will include promoting the employee assistance program, sharing the mental-health website from Morneau Shepell Inc. and fostering a stigma-free work environment, according to Kate Tilsley, Staples Canada’s senior director of […]
Depression and alcoholism are the leading mental health and substance abuse conditions covered by employers, according to a report by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey, which polled nearly 300 Canadian and American organizations, found 84 per cent of employers cover depression and 82 per cent cover alcohol addiction. Anxiety disorders (78 per cent), […]
Any decision reached on pharmacare reform in Canada should guarantee the viability of current health benefits plans, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association in its submission to the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. Jeopardizing current benefits plans could lead to a delay in access to new medicines and could potentially […]
Green Shield Canada is launching a new benefits product, which will focus on drug coverage and mental-health support and eliminate coverage for massage therapy. The new plan, called SMARTspend, will include a managed drug formulary with 100 per cent coverage and no dollar caps, digital mental-health support options, health coaching from pharmacists and dietitians and vision […]
On Sept. 20, the 2018 Halifax Benefits Summit featured insightful sessions on benefits, health and wellness and drug plan trends. With population numbers struggling in the Maritimes, the conference looked at how companies can ensure they’re providing plan members with the best, most competitive benefits options in order to attract and retain talent. Here are some of the highlights of […]
The issue of a national pharmacare program is more nuanced than it may appear at first glance, said Joe Farago during a presentation at the 2018 Halifax Benefits Summit on Sept. 20. “Canadians are starting to change their views,” said Innovative Medicines Canada’s executive director, private payers and investment, during the conference. Farago pointed to a national poll of health-care providers, managers and the […]
Perceptions of pharmacists are behind the times. While plan members, and even plan sponsors, may see the role of the pharmacist as primarily counting pills, there’s much more that goes into filling a prescription, delegates heard at the 2018 Halifax Benefits Summit in September. This includes keeping up to date with medications, talking with patients and thinking […]