Trends, benefits fraud and drug coverage led the top health and benefits stories in 2018. Benefits Canada rounds up the industry’s favourite health and benefits stories of the year: 1. Seven benefits trends to watch in 2018 2. Ontario unveils new drug, dental coverage for people without workplace benefits 3. TTC fraud update: More than 220 employees fired or have resigned, retired […]
Providence Health Care isn’t new to offering health challenges to its staff. Every October during healthy workplace month, the company encourages its employees to change a habit they can easily integrate into their workday. But when Linda Rankin, the organization’s occupational health and safety coordinator, learned about the annual health challenge offered by Pacific Blue Cross, she was keen to roll […]
When an individual visits their doctor’s office complaining of feeling blue, wondering if they’re depressed or whether they’ll ever shake off this sinking feeling, their doctor will look deeper for serious mental-health concerns. But the doctor may also hand over a prescription for an activity that gets the individual out of the house and into the community — maybe guitar or singing lessons, or even […]
Half an hour after I check in at reception, I’ve already been siphoned of blood, weighed and measured. This is the beginning of my health screening at Medcan’s office in downtown Toronto, which will also include tests for my heart, fitness, blood pressure and body fat composition, among a host of others. When it’s over, […]
Workplace wellness programs that encourage employees to take charge of their own weight may have a detrimental effect on those with obesity, according to research published in the academic journal Frontiers in Psychology. The study, by researchers at the Netherlands’ University of Groningen and Britain’s Leeds Beckett University, found these types of programs can potentially result in increased […]
Cossette Inc. introduced webinars and information sessions around mental health and wellness in October. The offerings, which were provided through the communications company’s employee assistance program, are part of its focus on preventative health, according to Yee Makowich, vice-president of talent. With six offices across Canada, each office features its own wellness initiatives, in addition to a company-wide […]
Sun Life Financial is piloting its new wellness rewards website among its workforce before rolling it out widely to its employer clients. Since the program was launched in August, Sun Life’s website has received 43,000 visits. “We’re off to a great start,” says Helena Pagano, executive vice-president and chief human resources and communications officer at […]
These days, peace of mind is hard to come by, but the employers at the 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards roundtable centred their discussion around the many ways they can positively contribute towards their workforces’ mental, physical and financial health, particularly when it comes to absenteeism and improving return-to-work processes. “We know that if people are […]
Employer-provided financial wellness programs have a measurable affect on employees’ retirement readiness, according to a recent study by U.S.-based think-tank Financial Finesse Inc. When employees repeatedly engage with programs, their financial well-being moves from four to a six on a 10-point scale, which correlates with a 38 per cent increase in the amount they contribute to their retirement […]
For its multi-faceted and tech-savvy wellness strategy, the Regional Municipality of York took home the Sanofi Wellness Pioneer Award at Benefits Canada‘s 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 11. Since the organization introduced the wellness program in 2006, it has ensured is effectiveness by leveraging data analytics. Annually, its integrated data analysis highlights health risks […]