Addressing employees’ well-being will be a critical component of returning to the workplace as isolation and closure measures start to loosen. “Our greatest assets [are our] people,” said Wendy Poirier, global well-being leader at Willis Towers Watson, during a webinar last week. “How do we keep them healthy and well, but [also] how do we make them resilient so […]
In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, virtual health care is taking centre stage. But Ontario Power Generation was ahead of the curve, introducing a pilot project in 2019 to help employees with high mental-health incidences and absenteeism rates minimize their sick leave usage. The pilot, implemented on July 1, 2019, provides about 500 hydro […]
Even as provinces prepare to gradually re-open, Canadians are feeling a little skittish about receiving in-person health care before a vaccine for the coronavirus is developed, according to a new survey by Green Shield Canada. The survey, which polled more than 500 benefits plan members, found that while 62 per cent said they’d be open to visiting […]
iA Financial Group is teaming up with Dialogue Technologies Inc. to improve health-care access for its group benefits plan members. The platform allows plan members and their families to speak with health-care professionals, anywhere in Canada, at any time. Available online or on any mobile device, its services include: prescription renewal and free delivery of […]
MindBeacon Group is partnering with the Ontario government to make its online mental-health service available free of charge for everyone in the province. Beacon is a digital platform that guides individuals through a personalized course of cognitive behavioural therapy. Users complete the therapy with a registered health professional providing one-to-one guidance through digital messaging to […]
Half of Canadian employees said their mental health has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by Teladoc Health Inc. The survey, which polled more than 1,500 Canadian workers, found women (57 per cent) were more likely to report a harmful impact on their mental health than men (43 per cent). […]
Medavie Blue Cross is adding a virtual health-care tool to its group benefits plans. The Online Doctors Unlimited tool, which is available through a partnership with Maple, includes consultations with Canadian-licensed doctors; access to a doctor immediately; service available 24/7/365; and an efficient administrative process. A lite version of the tool, with a limit of five […]
More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of Canadian employers said they don’t intend to make changes to their benefits plan during the coronavirus crisis, according to a new survey by the Conference Board of Canada. The survey, which polled 333 organizations, found just 32 per cent said they’ve made changes to their benefits offering or are in […]
Green Shield Canada is partnering with digital pharmacy PocketPills on a virtual pharmacy app for its group benefits plans. Plan members will be able to chat with a pharmacist, refill existing prescriptions through the app and have their medications delivered to their homes for free. The drugs come pre-sorted into packages by dosage and time, […]
Vancouver City Savings Credit Union has put its frontline staff on a rotation system and introduced a virtual health-care app to support them during the coronavirus pandemic. When the pandemic hit British Columbia, Vancity began to see a steep climb in unexplained absences, reaching as high as 140 a day. “Like many people across the […]