Fidelity Canada’s traditional health and wellness program has evolved into a holistic initiative that incorporates every aspect of working life, leading to its award win for a health and wellness program for an organization with more than 1,000 employees at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 17. “I think the reality […]
When Fidelity Canada’s employees are facing challenges around their work-life balance, the company offers support through a number of absence management programs. The financial services company provides five weeks of vacation, one paid personal day and two paid volunteer days, as well as a sabbatical program that’s available to employees who’ve been with the company […]
Flexibility is on the top of Vanessa Sauve’s workplace wellness program wish list. As a registered nurse with Alberta Health Services in Edmonton, Alta., she finds that shift length, which is often 12 hours, can be a barrier to taking even a 15-minute lunch break, let alone participating in her employer’s wellness program. The AHS’s […]
Epcor Utilities Inc.’s senior manager of pension and benefits talks mental-health training, volunteering benefits and whitewater canoeing. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. A big challenge is employees . . . thinking the company is 100 per cent responsible for all of their paramedical [and] dental costs, and that any […]
As Canadian employers seek to attract and retain top talent, the majority (66 per cent) are focusing on making salaries more competitive, according to a new survey by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. However, the survey’s respondents are aware salary isn’t everything. One-third (34 per cent) of employers said they’re upgrading their well-being initiatives to attract talent […]
Employers, health-care professionals and people living with obesity disagree on how the disease develops, how to manage it and who’s responsible for treatment, according to a new study by Obesity Canada. The study, which was published in the journal Clinical Obesity this month, surveyed 150 employers, 395 physicians and 2,000 individuals living with obesity. More than […]
Mental-health benefits offerings are on the rise, with the share of Canadian organizations that provide mental-health coverage nearly doubling over the past five years, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey, released this week to coincide with World Mental Health Day, found more than three-quarters (79 per cent) […]
Great-West Life Assurance Co. is launching a mobile-friendly health and wellness platform with strategic features to encourage plan members to take charge of their own health. Health Connected includes digital health coaching, which allows users to complete a comprehensive, personalized health-risk assessment outlining risks across 15 health and wellness categories, as well as their standing in seven core skills mastered by […]
Canadian employers are going beyond traditional health benefits to address all the facets of their employees’ well-being, according to a new survey by global staffing firm Robert Half. The survey found employers are offering physical (63 per cent), financial (65 per cent) and mental (73 per cent) wellness programs. As well, organizations are covering at least some of the […]
Office workers in Vancouver are increasingly placing high value on workplace amenities that influence healthy and eco-friendly choices, according to a tenant satisfaction study by GWL Realty Advisors Inc. The survey examined office design and building amenity preferences along with the commuting methods of 573 office workers at three Vancouver GWLRA-managed office buildings. In total, it canvassed […]