LifeLabs Inc.’s 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards win is helping the company communicate the value of its mental-health support offerings to employees. The organization’s holistic wellness strategy took home the mental-health program award for companies with more than 5,000 employees. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, LifeLabs strengthened its mental-health strategy to address employees’ […]
Employees are experiencing more pain than ever before, with nearly half of the workforce diagnosed with some form of chronic pain lasting more than three months, according to Dr. Ayla Azad, chief experience officer at the Canadian Chiropractic Association, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 Benefits & Pension Summit on June 1. Citing several different […]
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is adding gender affirmation coverage to its benefits program and enhancing existing offerings such as paid parental leave and fertility treatments. The gender affirmation benefit will cover specific gender transition surgeries and procedures not covered by provincial programs to an annual maximum of $10,000 and a lifetime maximum of $25,000, according to […]
While almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of British Columbians said they’re covered by either a group or personal health benefits plan, just 18 per cent said they’ve accessed mental-health benefits, according to a new survey by Pacific Blue Cross. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 adults in B.C., found that, among respondents with an […]
LifeLabs Inc. is marking Mental Health Week by offering additional mental-health resources including telemedicine through its benefits program. “We’re hoping it will provide a lot of convenience for our employees, just to save time,” says Trin Pettingill, LifeLabs’ national director of total rewards, human resource operations and technology. “It’s something we’ve been looking at for […]
The union representing roughly 900 workers at Metro Inc. warehouses in Etobicoke, Ont. has ratified a new 4.5-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. Sandeep Kakan, director of pension and benefits at Unifor, says the agreement includes an increase in the defined benefit pension plan’s flat-rate benefit, retroactive to 2001, as well as […]
Sagamok Anishnawbek, a First Nations community in northeastern Ontario, is participating in a pilot benefits plan program that provides plan members with access to traditional Indigenous medicines and services. Located along the north shore between Sudbury, Ont. and Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., the community’s employee base includes fire department workers, school teachers, community planners and […]
Increased benefits and expanded mental-health coverage are among the highlights of a new collective agreement ratified by Oakville Transit workers who are also members of Unifor Local 1256. Under the agreement, which ends a two-week strike, the workers will see an increase in their vision care coverage, from $400 to $450 annually. It also includes […]
Lupus, a chronic but “invisible” autoimmune disease with no cure, is a life-altering diagnosis that impacts all areas of patients’ lives, including their work performance. But there’s plenty employers can do to support these employees and help them continue to thrive at work, said Leanne Mielczarek, executive director of Lupus Canada, during Benefits Canada’s 2022 […]
The burden of musculoskeletal disease has had a significant impact on the lives of Canadians at home and at work, said Alison Dantas, chief executive officer at Canadian Chiropractic Association during Benefits Canada‘s 2022 Chronic Disease at Work event in February. According to the World Health Organization, musculoskeletal conditions are the leading cause of disability around […]