More than a third (39 per cent) of U.S. employers see promise in using behavioural economics to help employees adhere to their medical treatment plans, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Organizations are employing the theory of behavioural economics through a variety of methods that nudge their workforce […]
With permanent behavioural change so difficult to instil, how can employers ensure their wellness programs achieve their intended results? At Benefits Canada‘s Healthy Outcomes conference in Toronto on Friday, Dr. Steven Grover, a professor of medicine at McGill University, shed some insight from his experiences dealing with the impacts of digital health programs. He’s the […]
Key areas of focus for employers for 2018 include the themes of well-being, data, new rewards and technological advances, according to Deloitte’s latest annual report on human capital trends. With input from more than 300 Canadian business and human resources leaders, the report noted many employers are introducing programs around financial wellness, mental health, mindfulness, sleep, stress management, […]
Who wouldn’t want a coach to help with achieving health goals? According to the 2017 Sanofi Canada health-care survey, health coaching is a popular idea: 61 per cent of plan members expressed interest in coaching around personal health goals. But is health coaching a worthy investment for employers to include as a benefit for their […]
When the calendar turns to May, employees at Bell strap on their walking shoes. Last year, during the company’s mental-health week, Bell started a walking challenge, says Marie-Josée Boivin, vice-president of human resources. “So our employees could either join a team or create a team, but for a full month, people were counting their steps […]
The SickKids Foundation, a Toronto-based charity, is encouraging its employees to skip the elevator and use the stairs, beginning with a wellness challenge piloting the Carrot Rewards’ mobile app. Earlier this year, the organization opened new meeting space on the eighth floor of its office location. Previously, the foundation had only been on the 12th, 13th and […]
Ericsson is adding sleep and nutrition features to its online wellness program to educate employees and motivate changes in behaviour. Its E-Health program, which began in April 2016, is rolling out the new options to coincide with its two-year anniversary. Since its introduction, more than 60 per cent of Canadian and American employees have participated, according […]
Carrot Rewards is launching a new peer-to-peer rewards platform to help Canadians encourage one another to get physically active. The wellness app is a platform that leverages behavioural economics and nudge theory to motivate Canadians to make better lifestyle choices. Users connect the app to the built-in pedometer in their smartphones or to an external device […]
Managing costs is the top benefits priority for American employers in 2018, according to an annual survey by global insurance brokerage Hub International Ltd. The survey, which polled 300 American employee benefits professionals, found helping employees make more informed benefits decisions (44 per cent) and improving wellness and productivity (32 per cent) also ranked highly on employer’s lists […]
Organizations that involve organizational leadership in their wellness programs and offer stress management within the program are more likely to notice a positive effect on health-care costs and higher employee participation rates, according to a new report by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Looking at specific actions, the report compared successful wellness programs with those that are less successful. Among the […]