With coronavirus vaccinations playing a key role in shaping the post-coronavirus pandemic workplace, employers can help employees overcome vaccine hesitancy through a variety of measures, says Daniel Michaluk, a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. “Most strategies are communication-based, such as encouragement through talking about the benefits of vaccination.” Read: Sounding Board: Employers playing a key […]
The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is calling on the federal government to permit standalone variable payment life annuities to pool participants from all registered retirement plans. In its 2022 federal budget submission, the CLHIA said VPLAs, as enacted, will only be available to members of very large defined contribution pension plans, excluding Canadians […]
More than half (59 per cent) of expatriate employees want employers to prioritize physical well-being when constructing or choosing health-care packages and benefits, according to a new survey by Aetna Inc. The survey, which polled 1,000 expats from Germany, Mexico, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, also found that those with children aged 16 and under favoured […]
The first strike at Vale Canada in more than a decade is drawing to a close after unionized workers at the Sudbury, Ont., mine ratified a collective agreement that includes improved pension and health benefits. Through the agreement — which expires May 31, 2026 — the monthly pre-age 65 defined benefit pension will increase by $50 to […]
New collective agreements for two separate groups of employees include improvements to health benefits and work-life balance. The negotiations between Federated Co-operatives Ltd. and Unifor, which have been bargaining since the last collective agreement expired on Aug. 31, 2020, include improvements to benefits, increased scheduling flexibility and a one per cent wage increase in each […]
Ontario’s temporary paid sick leave program is receiving less uptake than initially expected. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday that, as of July 21, a total of $13.2 million in claims have been made to the program, which is retroactive to April 19 and ends on Sept. 25. When the program was first launched this […]
With Canada’s public and private drug market an ever-evolving landscape, what value can be gained from collaboration and innovative solutions to ensure patient access to new medicines and vaccines in the future? During Innovative Medicines Canada’s virtual policy summit in June, Declan Hamill, vice-president of policy, regulatory and legal affairs, said the organization appreciates the […]
Hootsuite Inc. is supporting employee mental health by giving workers more time off this summer. The social media marketing and management company held its inaugural wellness week from July 5 to 12, allowing employees to recharge and make time for personal goals and activities. Claire Adams, director of learning and development at Hootsuite, says the […]
Many employees may be dreaming of a carefree retirement following many years in the trenches — but they’ll likely have to keep dreaming if they don’t have first-rate, post-retirement health and dental insurance coverage. Many employers provide supplemental health insurance (drug, dental, extended health and out-of-country medical) as part of comprehensive packages of employee benefits, […]
In the last 17 months, workplaces are prioritizing their employees’ physical health above all else. But what happens when employees’ mental health falls to the wayside? “Depression is a constellation of symptoms — and one must show five out of nine symptoms with some of the symptoms in question as slight as a change in […]