The majority (70 per cent) of Canadian hybrid employees say they’re more productive than they were prior to the coronavirus pandemic, noting they have more time to relax after work (48 per cent) and enjoy work more (46 per cent), according to a new survey by IWG. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 Canadians […]
Employee absences and presenteeism are costing Canadian employers nearly $645 million annually, according to a new report by Manulife Financial Corp. The report — which analyzed data from nearly 50 Manulife group benefits plan sponsor clients, as well as survey responses from more than 4,900 employees — found an average of 48 days per employee were […]
A pilot project between Sun Life Canada and CloudMD found employees who had access to a mental-health coach and targeted interventions at the early stage of a mental-health challenge saw significant reductions in their symptoms over time, as well as lower short-term disability durations for those who took leave. “Early detection initiatives can really enhance […]
Almost half (48 per cent) of Canadian employees are experiencing at least one work-related mental-health risk factor, according to a new report by Manulife Corp. The report also highlighted that 16 per cent of working hours (or 41.2 days) were lost in 2021 due to absences and presenteeism. In addition, mental fatigue was the No. […]
Employers are turning to virtual health care offerings to support employees’ physical wellness amid the ongoing pandemic. Since Alithya, a Montreal-based technology company, launched a wellness portal last July, a virtual fitness program has become one of the most utilized benefits offerings, says Catherine Bourque, its vice-president of human capital. The program — which allows employees to […]
Roughly a quarter (23 per cent) of Canadians working exclusively at physical workplaces said their working lives have worsened since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest mental-health index. The survey — which was conducted between Nov. 9 and Nov. 22, 2021 and prior to the spread of the Omicron variant […]
As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, it’s dragging down plan members mental and physical health, according to the 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. About a third of plan members reported increased feelings of anxiety or sadness/depression, decreased physical fitness (34 per cent) and/or poorer eating habits (31 per cent) in the past year. More than one in […]
SAP Canada Inc. is accelerating the expansion of virtual wellness offerings through its benefits package amid the coronavirus pandemic. “The pandemic has essentially pressed fast-forward on a direction that the market was already going,” says Megan Smith, vice-president and head of human resources at the software company. “It forced the issue of remote work, causing employers […]
The mental-health impacts of isolation and quarantine are clear, but Canadians may not realize loneliness can also harm their physical health, said Diane McIntosh, psychiatrist and chief neuroscience officer at Telus Health, during Benefits Canada’s 2020 Mental Health Summit on Nov. 12. “There have been correlates that loneliness or isolation . . . is like […]
Online sleep clinic Haleo and employee assistance program provider Optima Global Health are forming a partnership to make solutions for insomnia and other sleep disorders accessible to millions of Canadian employees. Through the partnership, Haleo’s personalized insomnia treatment will be integrated into all of the basic issues covered in Optima’s EAP framework. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, […]