Kelsey Rolfe

2023 Mental Health Summit: A closer look at intensive outpatient treatment programs for mental health

Many Canadians are dealing with mental-health challenges that require support beyond what’s available through an employee assistance program — that’s where intensive mental-health treatments could help, said Vahed Lokhand, business development operations and strategy at EHN Canada, during a fireside chat at Benefits Canada’s 2023 Mental Health Summit. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach that can work for […]

  • November 29, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 07:55

2023 Future of Work Summit: Employee attraction and retention, engagement and workplace culture top list of employers’ HR priorities

Even as signs emerge that the labour market is starting to shift in employers’ favour, employee attraction, retention and engagement remain top priorities. During Benefits Canada’s inaugural Future of Work Summit in October, a panel of employers, insurers and academics weighed in on the results of Benefits Canada’s 2023 Future of Work Survey. Almost two-thirds […]

  • November 23, 2023 November 17, 2023
  • 07:59

2023 Future of Work Summit: What do employers need to know about the use of AI in the workplace?

Artificial intelligence has the potential to make a variety of human resources tasks faster and more efficient, but while the technology is sophisticated, employers should be aware of its limitations and risks, said Matissa Hollister, assistant professor of organizational behaviour at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, during Benefits Canada’s 2023 Future of Work Summit. […]

  • November 23, 2023 November 17, 2023
  • 07:57

2023 Top 100 Pension Funds Report: How to improve retirement outcomes across diverse plan member groups

At the beginning of April, the OPSEU Pension Trust made a change to a definition in its plan text that will have meaningful implications for plan members with disabled children who need to continue to rely on their parents into adulthood. The organization expanded the definition of a child eligible for survivor benefits to include […]

  • June 23, 2023 June 22, 2023
  • 08:56

How is rising inflation impacting retirement savings?

After reaching a near 40-year high over the past year, headline inflation started to cool in the final months of 2022 following a series of aggressive interest rate hikes by the Bank of Canada. According to Statistics Canada, the consumer price index was up 6.3 per cent year over year in December, down from a […]

  • March 17, 2023 March 17, 2023
  • 08:57

What employers need to know about alopecia areata

In just three months, Jennifer Krahn’s life completely changed. The vivacious and confident ex-athlete and biology teacher began her journey with alopecia areata when she noticed a small bald spot on her head 14 years ago. She tried to treat the spot with steroids, but wasn’t successful. Within three months, she experienced total hair loss, […]

  • February 27, 2023 February 15, 2023
  • 07:58

How employers can support plan members with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, which tends to strike at the height of people’s working years, can have a significant impact on their productivity at work, as well as an opportunity cost of being unable to do the work they want to do, said Larry Lynd, professor at the University of British Columbia’s faculty of pharmaceutical sciences, during […]

  • February 27, 2023 February 15, 2023
  • 07:56

2022 Healthy Outcomes Conference: Using flexible, customized benefits to create healthy outcomes for employees

As employers increasingly see four generations represented in their workforces and a diverse range of employee needs, customization and flexibility in benefits and wellness plans are becoming key to creating healthy outcomes for all employees. The result of these offerings was “peace of mind for employees and their families and a sense of belonging in […]

  • December 16, 2022 January 13, 2023
  • 07:58

2022 Healthy Outcomes Conference: How can employers link disability management, employee well-being?

For too long, disability programs have been reactive rather than proactive, but connecting disability management to overall employee well-being strategies can help reduce disability trends and help employees on leave successfully return to work. “Where we’re seeing our [plan sponsor] clients have success is acknowledging the problem starts way sooner than [the point when] someone […]

  • December 16, 2022 December 12, 2022
  • 07:57

2022 Healthy Outcomes Conference: How is the pandemic changing plan sponsors’ mental-health strategies?

During the pandemic, employers are facing the “perfect storm” of major workplace disruption coupled with a poor mental-health baseline leading up to the crisis, according to Judith Plotkin (centre), vice-president of health solutions at People Corporation Inc., speaking during a panel session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 Healthy Outcomes Conference. “There was already huge pressure on […]

  • December 16, 2022 December 12, 2022
  • 07:56