Helping employees find meaningful ways to give back to their communities helps energize them, even during the busiest retail season of the year, says Chris Taylor, chief human resources officer at Best Buy Canada. “We have so many programs throughout the year, but like at many companies it really ramps up during the holidays,” he says. In […]
The beginning of a new year is a great time for employers to reflect on their benefits plans and take steps to get in ahead of potential challenges. Here are four ways to set the benefits year off on a good foot: 1. Review the company’s benefits philosophy Every organization should have a philosophy that drives the design and structure […]
To improve employee health and nutrition habits, HelloFresh Canada is taking staff out of the kitchen and into an online classroom — and then back into the kitchen. Employees of the Toronto-based meal-kit company can take interactive health and wellness courses through an online wellness portal to accumulate credits towards purchasing wellness rewards. The courses include modules on improving […]
Morneau Shepell Ltd. is partnering with the Canadian Football League Players’ Association to make its LifeWorks platform available to the league’s players. LifeWorks is a total well-being platform that supports users’ mental, physical, social and financial well-being. It will be provided to CFL players as part of the CFLPA Academy, which already offers career transition programs. Players […]
Both absenteeism and presenteeism affect employers’ bottom lines and employee morale, but does one have more impact on the workplace? Julie Holden, principal at Holden & Associates Ltd. In many ways, employee absence is a major disruption to the workplace and it has become much more complex over the years. On one hand, there’s the […]
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is taking its employees’ mental health seriously. Four years ago, it implemented a strategy to focus on building awareness, reducing stigma and encouraging self-care and wellness. This started with one-on-one mental-health first aid training for all employees, says Laleh Moshiri, the Toronto-based law firm’s national director of diversity and inclusion. “Raising […]
Nearly half (44 per cent) of Canadian workplaces now have formal policies on vaping at work, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The new policies comes in the wake of the ballooning number of vapers globally; in 2018, 14 million people vaped, compared to seven million in 2011. Julie […]
Hub International Ltd. is expanding its Canadian employee benefits and retirement services with six key service areas. It also named its employee benefits leadership team for the country, including Robert Taylor of TRG Group Benefits, which was acquired by Hub in January; Hub chief innovation officer Faizal Mitha; Mary-Lou MacDonald, Hub’s national practice lead of health and […]
Mercer is launching an all-in-one digital platform that gives employees access to a variety of wellness vendors to support their physical, mental, financial or social well-being. Mercer 365, which will be rolled out in January 2020, allows employers to offer their staff benefits through an online, self-serve platform. It will also include access to benefits utilization and […]
With a wellness strategy focused on complete employee health, Nav Canada was recognized with the Sanofi Canada Wellness Pioneer Award at Benefits Canada’s Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 17. The award is open to Canadian plan sponsors that have provided plan members with a wellness program for at least five years. It acknowledges an organization that’s developed […]