New Zealand’s parliament unanimously approved legislation last month that gives couples the right to three days of paid leave after a miscarriage or stillbirth, making it one of the first countries in the world to do so. While the country had previously required employers to provide paid leave in the event of a stillbirth — […]
The Royal Mail Group Ltd. will soon make history in the United Kingdom by becoming the first employer to sponsor an entirely new type of pension plan, called a collective defined contribution scheme. Under the U.K.’s Pension Schemes Act 2021, which received royal assent in February, collective DC pensions will essentially be a hybrid of […]
With a diverse and geographically spread-out employee population of office workers, retail store associates and delivery drivers, Sleep Country Canada’s human resources team knew it needed to get creative to make sure all its staffers received a high-quality employee experience. “We continuously wanted to improve and have a better way of communicating and give employees […]
When Desjardins Insurance wanted to determine the value of virtual health care in employer-sponsored benefits plans, it used its own employees as guinea pigs. The results were a resounding success. In the 2018 pilot project, Desjardins’ more than 48,000 employees received access to Telus Health’s Medisys on-Demand virtual application. Among employees who used the app, […]
Embarking on a workplace chronic illness or mental-health strategy is incomplete without factoring in sleep, said Bradley Smith, chief executive officer of Haleo Clinic, during Benefits Canada’s 2021 Tech Insights conference in January. “Sleep has been overlooked and, in our view, undervalued for quite a long time, yet good sleep is essential for coping [with] […]
It took Kristy Dickinson almost seven years, numerous appointments with health-care providers and multiple failed treatment plans to be diagnosed with a complex, rare disease. “Navigating the Canadian health-care system as a person living with a complex illness often feels like a full-time job,” said Dickinson, managing director for Chronically Simple, during Benefits Canada’s 2021 […]
As Canadians face worsening overall mental health and heightened levels of stress during the coronavirus pandemic, internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy can be a powerful tool in supporting plan members, said Nigel Branker, president of health and productivity solutions and executive vice-president of Morneau Shepell Ltd., during Benefits Canada’s 2021 Tech Insights conference in January. “Our […]
Promising vaccine and coronavirus treatment news, coupled with the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden, has given markets a glimmer of certainty and optimism this year. But, investors are keeping their eyes on simmering trade and anti-globalization trends that may return to the fore after being placed on the back burner during much of 2020. […]
The coronavirus pandemic is fundamentally changing the future of work and, very likely, the nature of employer-sponsored benefits and pension plans. Looking to the end of the crisis, Canadian consultants see an array of major changes on the horizon, from more flexible benefits plans and mental-health care to an outsourcing of pension administration and the […]