Historically, Epcor Utilities Inc. provided employees with $1,000 in annual coverage for each paramedical service, ranging from massage therapists, physiotherapists and chiropractors to speech therapists, naturopaths and dieticians. But in 2018, the Edmonton-based utilities company looked at its annual paramedical costs and found its massage therapy spend had ballooned to nearly match the cost of […]
Employees at steelmaker Ivaco Rolling Mills Ltd. in L’Orignal. Ont. have ratified new collective agreements that include improvements to their wages and benefits. About 400 employees who are members of United Steelworkers locals 7940 and 8794 voted this week to ratify five-year collective agreements. The new contracts include improvements to benefits, including long-term disability, vision […]
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 […]
Epcor Utilities Inc.’s senior manager of pension and benefits talks mental-health training, volunteering benefits and whitewater canoeing. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. A big challenge is employees . . . thinking the company is 100 per cent responsible for all of their paramedical [and] dental costs, and that any […]
Canadian insurers paid out $98 billion in benefits in 2018, an increase of seven per cent over 2017, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. Similar to previous years, this was led by retirement benefits from annuities ($49 billion), health benefits for prescription drugs and extended health providers like dentists […]
Almost all employers offer paramedical benefits for psychology and many are adopting programs to support employee mental health, according to a new survey by Aon. Canadian employers are increasingly realizing the individual and business risks that arise from mental-health issues. “While fewer than half of the employers we talked to identified mental health as a serious […]
Almost half (44 per cent) of plan members said they’ve had a benefits claim denied, according to the 2019 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Among this group, 20 per cent have had a dental claim denied, followed by a prescription drug claim (15 per cent) and a claim for a paramedical service (13 per cent). More […]
Phzio Canada has signed an agreement with Benefits by Design Inc. and Green Shield Canada to launch a virtual physiotherapy pilot project. The partnership will enable BBD’s existing group benefits plan members to access Phzio’s tele-physiotherapy platform, which is available in Canada and the U.S. Green Shield Canada will support BBD in the launch of the […]
More than four out of five (83 per cent) Canadian workers are satisfied with their work, according to a study on the Canadian workplace by office supplies, technology products and furniture distributors Novexco Inc. The majority (90 per cent) of employee respondents said they’re very engaged, 81 per cent are motivated by their job and 75 per […]
Most people agree massage offers some therapeutic benefits, such as reduction of muscle tension and pain related to soft tissue strains and injuries. Studies have also shown it’s helpful in treating symptoms related to anxiety, digestive disorders, headaches and several other conditions. It wasn’t that long ago that paramedical practitioners represented about 15 to 20 per […]