Although jobs that involve working remotely have been around for decades in some form or another, the coronavirus pandemic brought them front and centre. There are several issues regarding salary and these working arrangements. The first is whether such jobs should be paid the same as the same job in the office. Generally, hybrid and remote […]
Canada’s life and health insurers paid out a record $128 billion in health and retirement benefits last year, up from $114 billion in 2022, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. “The benefits that life and health insurers provide through workplace plans and individual policies contributed significantly to Canadians’ health […]
When Jennifer Young, a global human resources business solutions consultant at Manulife Financial Corp., found out she was expecting her first child in 2021, she thought the coronavirus pandemic would pose the biggest challenge to a healthy pregnancy. But, like many parents, her journey into motherhood ended up requiring a circle of care dependent on […]
Despite the prevalence of pregnancy loss, many employers still don’t have a plan in place that adequately supports employees experiencing this type of loss, says Michelle La Fontaine, a program manager at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network. “We’ve heard a variety of experiences from families who have experienced pregnancy and infant […]
A majority (82 per cent) of Canadian companies have employment and retention programs focused on, or inclusive of, people with disabilities, according to a new report by advocacy group Disability:IN. It also found 71 per cent of U.S. employers have a requirement to ensure digital products are accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities, up […]
The union representing employees of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario has ratified a three-year collective agreement that includes multiple benefits gains, ending a two-week strike. The agreement includes increases in coverage for mental-health services for up to 90 per cent of the total cost of the prescribed plan of treatment, to a combined annual […]
Mental health and musculoskeletal problems are currently two of the main drivers of disability claims and it isn’t uncommon for plan members with a mental-health diagnosis to also have a secondary physical condition or vice-versa, said Rebecca Smith, director of group life and disability services at Medavie Blue Cross, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health […]
Nearly three-quarters (70 per cent) of U.S. employers say their company’s benefits package is critical to attracting and retaining the best workers, according to a new report by LIMRA. It found half (51 per cent) of employers believe their company will be offering more benefits in the future than it does today and another six […]
Telus Communications Inc. is ensuring employees bring their best self to the job by supporting their well-being both in the workplace and at home, said Wade Domries, the company’s vice-president of global total rewards, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. The organization’s current approach to well-being started taking shape […]
Sales of U.S. workplace supplemental health products totalled nearly US$1.3 billion in new annualized premiums in the first quarter of 2024 ― a three per cent increase year over year, according to a new report by LIMRA. It found major product lines of accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity insurance combined grew four per cent from […]