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 […]
The City of Mississauga’s newest employee, Ajax the two-year-old golden labrador retriever, is dogged in his pursuit of better mental health for emergency services personnel. Ajax, a facility dog from National Service Dogs, is available to Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services staff as part of the department’s wellness-fitness initiative. The goal of having Ajax on-site […]
While employer-provided wellness programs can include incentives or penalties for members, the industry is divided on which tactic is most effective in encouraging employee participation. Dominic Cole-Morgan, senior vice-president of total rewards at Scotiabank: The reality is the workforce has never been more diverse than it is today. No employee’s needs, preferences or backgrounds are […]
Pethealth Inc.’s senior vice-president of HR talks flexible working, mental health and crime fiction. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. A key challenge is balancing between the needs and wants of employees. For example, employees at different life stages value different benefits — some employees want more vacation time, while […]
Manulife Financial Corp. is rolling out its Vitality health and wellness app to all its group benefits plan members after initially launching it with its own employees. The Vitality program, which connects with wearable devices, including smartwatches, fitness bracelets and smartphones, is designed to encourage users to make healthy choices and rewards them with gift […]
Mercer is appoints Dr. Andrew Halpert as clinical innovation leader for health in the U.S. and Canada. In the role, Halpert will be responsible for leading Mercer’s clinical consulting offerings and health strategy development. With 30 years of experience in the industry, he was previously the senior director for clinical and network solutions at Collective Health and […]
Workplace programs to promote healthy food choices could improve employees’ eating habits, according to a study by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. A two-year study at the hospital examined the purchasing habits of almost 5,700 employees before and after researchers put in place a “traffic light labeling and choice architecture program.” […]