The 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey highlighted the perfect storm plan sponsors are facing: trying to strike the right balance between competitive benefits and plan sustainability. It’s something that resonates with the benefits leads of three major Canadian employers, who said during Benefits Canada’s report launch event that benefits utilization and meeting the needs of a […]
Four years ago, as the coronavirus pandemic entered its third month, I unknowingly — and unwittingly — took my first steps towards a new chapter in my career. As a writer for a Canadian travel trade publication, I was suddenly without work as the health crisis brought the global travel industry to a screeching halt. […]
With employees often struggling to find benefits offerings related to mental-health support or chronic conditions, demand for health-care system navigation services has increased significantly in the past few years. In May 2023, the Bank of Montreal launched a digital mental-health navigation guide, available to employees in both Canada and the U.S., that streamlines access to […]
Lululemon Athletica Inc.’s thorough and innovative approach to benefits communications resulted in a win at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 20. The apparel company won in the Benefits plan communications category for its detailed communications strategy — which includes professionally developed benefits overview videos and detailed guides for workers going on leave — and the […]
Half (51 per cent) of plan members say the coverage levels of at least one of their health benefits limit their ability to seek necessary treatment, jumping to 84 per cent among those with a major injury in the past 12 months, according to the 2023 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. It found this percentage increased […]
U.S. employers say they’re expecting their total health benefits plan costs to rise by an average of 5.4 per cent per employee in 2024, according to a new survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 1,900 employers, found the projected increase comes after more than a decade of annual cost increases typically averaging […]
Navigating the care path for health-care issues can be overwhelming and confusing — so much so, it can act as a deterrent to people seeking help. In terms of mental-health support, the Bank of Montreal launched a digital navigation guide in May to point staff in the right direction. The tool, which is available to […]