Brooke Smith

With left-handed people comprising about 10 per cent of the population, there are likely to be a few of them in each workplace. Yet the majority (97 per cent) of employers don’t ask new recruits about handedness, according to a recent survey by Britain-based online recruiter CV-Library Ltd. The survey of 2,400 employees found 82 per […]

  • September 15, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 08:30

With employers already facing enough cost pressures around their benefits plans, adding additional coverage for paramedical services may be a daunting prospect. But with employees often looking for coverage for a broader range of services, is athletic therapy worth considering? The Canadian Athletic Therapists Association, in fact, helpfully provides employees with a sample letter on […]

  • August 30, 2017 July 2, 2024
  • 09:30

What are the top challenges plan sponsors face?

  • August 15, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 09:09

While the Bank of Canada had long talked down the idea of raising interest rates any time soon, the sentiment changed last month when it announced the economy was now strong enough to handle an increase. The move followed the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to raise its key interest rate for the third time in […]

  • August 15, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 08:57

Ontario is joining Alberta and New Brunswick in making abortion pill Mifegymiso available at no cost to the public. The abortion pill first became available in Canada in January 2017 at a cost of about $300. This spring, the common drug review recommended public drug coverage for Mifegymiso. “We continue to make important progress helping women across […]

  • August 4, 2017 May 16, 2022
  • 08:45

An independent review panel has provided the Alberta government with a report that includes 60 recommendations to restructure the province’s Workers’ Compensation Board and its processes. The panel spent nearly two years compiling its review of the board. It examined previous reviews and spoke with employers, injured workers, unions, employee advocates and safety organizations. “It […]

  • July 12, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 09:45

While employees want good benefits, finding ways to effectively convey information about the plan can be a challenge, particularly when today’s workforce is far from homogeneous. Employees are different ages and at disparate stages of life. They may be from various ethnic backgrounds and speak different languages. Another distinction is union versus non-union settings where […]

  • June 27, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 08:51

There has been much in the news these days about concussions in sports. But concussions and traumatic brain injuries can occur on or off the sports field and can have an impact on the workplace. “For traumatic brain injury or concussion, there isn’t any common pattern,” says Sil Cabral, director of group life and disability […]

  • March 21, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 08:54

Many people would love to volunteer, but when it comes to actually doing it, time is a major concern. How can people give their time when they spend so much of it at work? Cisco Systems Inc. has given its employees a chance to use some of that time to volunteer. In 2015, the information […]

  • January 17, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 08:59

If employees don’t take their medications as required, their non-adherence can affect not only themselves but also their employer. Non-adherence involves many issues, Chris Goguen, strategic pharmaceutical partnerships lead at Medavie Blue Cross, said during a panel discussion at the Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum in Toronto on Dec. 8. “It’s not only […]

  • December 22, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00