A third (33 per cent) of Canadians say their employer doesn’t offer workplace addiction support programs, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest mental-health index. The survey, which polled 3,000 working Canadians, found the overall mental-health score rose very slightly in March to negative 10.5 points from negative 10.6 in February. However, those without workplace addiction support […]
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, 96 per cent of U.S. employers say their employees are stressed out, with 58 per cent saying they’re “somewhat” stressed out and 38 per cent saying they’re “very” stressed out, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. In addition, 88 per cent said the […]
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, people found different ways of coping, from baking sourdough bread to clapping for health-care heroes to drinking ‘quarantinis’ during Zoom happy hours. While the baking, clapping and drinking has tapered off for many, some employees have struggled with substance use as the pandemic drags on. But many […]
In Canada, the year-over-year cost increase for claims under a medical plan on a per-person basis is projected to reach 8.6 per cent this year, up from eight per cent in 2021, according to a new report by Mercer Canada. The report, which analyzed responses from 210 insurers across 59 countries, found the year-over-year cost […]
New collective agreements for two separate groups of employees include improvements to health benefits and work-life balance. The negotiations between Federated Co-operatives Ltd. and Unifor, which have been bargaining since the last collective agreement expired on Aug. 31, 2020, include improvements to benefits, increased scheduling flexibility and a one per cent wage increase in each […]
The coronavirus pandemic has increased health-care costs in the U.S., while shifting how and where employees access care, according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. It projected that the costs of medical treatment in the U.S. will increase by 6.5 per cent in 2022, slightly lower than this year (seven per cent). “The pandemic’s long […]
An equal percentage of Canadian employees said their employer does (27 per cent) or doesn’t (27 per cent) provide resources to help those experiencing challenges related to substance abuse, according to the latest mental-health index from LifeWorks Inc. In addition, 40 per cent of respondents reported they either don’t know if their employer offers resources […]
Substance use disorder is the largest unmanaged disease in modern health care, but few options exist that allow those affected to continue to work while being treated and that address plan members whose substance use issues aren’t visible in the workplace. “The overwhelming majority of substance use cases is invisible to the eye,” said Elliot […]
While workplaces around the world deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many employees are also struggling with the secondary crisis of increased alcohol and drug use. This particular side effect of the pandemic was noted early on. Last July, a poll by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found 25 per cent of Canadians […]
The Canadian Mental Health Association is publishing a free resource to help employers develop new workplace impairment policies or update their existing ones. The guide’s goal is to promote mental health and wellness in the workplace and help employers understand their legal requirements, according to a press release. When creating policies focused on impairment, the resource recommended employers […]