As employers begin mandating a return to the office, it’s important they consider how remote working has improved the employee experience for workers who are from typically marginalized groups. A 2022 survey of U.S. employees by Future Forum found remote working led to increases in Black knowledge workers’ employee experience scores. Compared to the previous […]
Canadian employers are increasingly focusing on coverage for women’s health and gender affirmation in their employee benefits plans, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled more than 100 employers, found half (49 per cent) of organizations reported women’s health as a top or high priority. To that end, two-fifths (39 per […]
Canada’s workforce increasingly reflects the unique health challenges faced by its female population. Between 2018 and 2023, women represented a little more than half of the total claimants and spend in Express Scripts Canada’s drug claims data, according to Farah Belayadi, the organization’s senior manager of clinical services and health technology database, during Benefits Canada’s […]
With all the focus on women’s health in the workplace in the past year, employers should be providing more support for pregnant employees by improving their financial security, having open discussions around symptoms and offering more flexibility. As a soon-to-be first-time mom — who was unsure how she felt about becoming pregnant at first — my […]
A third (32 per cent) of women employees in British Columbia say menopause symptoms impact their job in some way, according to a new survey by the Women’s Health Research Institute, in collaboration with the B.C. Women’s Health Foundation and Pacific Blue Cross. The survey, which polled more than 2,000 women aged 39 to 60, […]
The percentage of female benefits plan members using fertility drugs rose by roughly 12 per cent between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report by Manulife Financial Corp. The report, which analyzed the insurer’s 2024 aggregate claims data, found between 2021 and 2023, 15 per cent of new mothers made claims for mental-health treatments within […]
L’Oréal Canada Inc. is creating a more menopause-inclusive workplace by hosting discussions on the topic, providing sufficient benefits coverage and having a dedicated employee resource group. Women represent more than 60 per cent of the workforce at L’Oréal Canada and 31 per cent are aged 40 or older, so it’s important for the company to […]
PepsiCo Canada’s 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards win demonstrates how weaving diversity, equity and inclusion into strategic business practices can foster employee mental health and wellness. The food and beverage company’s inclusive end-to-end business transformation strategy made it this year’s winner in the DEI Program category. “It’s so fantastic that all of our hard work has been […]
With the return of autumn, change is once again in the air. For the last nine months, I’ve lead the editorial team at Benefits Canada while Jennifer Paterson was taking parental leave to welcome the youngest member of her growing family. This month marks the return of our editorial team to full strength — welcome […]
One chief executive officer acknowledges that employers have made promising progress, while a human resources director argues more work needs to be done. Jodi Kovitz, chief executive officer of the Human Resources Professionals Association I’m heartened by the progress we’ve made towards gender equity in Canada, particularly in leadership roles. Since 2015, the percentage of […]