While the subject of loneliness isn’t one that immediately comes to mind when considering workplace wellness, a 2017 study by Britain’s New Economics Foundation showed its economic impact is about £2.5 billion annually. Using evidence on the links between loneliness and depression, coronary heart disease and stroke, the study estimated its cost to employers includes […]
As many organizations turn their focus to mental-health awareness in October, Staples Canada is reminding its employees they have help available if they need it. The company’s October campaign will include promoting the employee assistance program, sharing the mental-health website from Morneau Shepell Inc. and fostering a stigma-free work environment, according to Kate Tilsley, Staples Canada’s senior director of […]
Manulife Financial Corp.’s short-term disability claims related to mental health have decreased since it boosted its benefits to employees last year. In January 2017, Manulife increased its mental-health benefit, from $1,000 to $10,000 per person per year, including coverage for family members. “Really the goal of that was to remove any financial barriers, real or […]
In the coming five years, Canadians can expect to see the next stage of awareness around mental health, according one health expert. “Where we need to build on awareness is what the illness actually looks like. There’s still quite a lack of knowledge out there and I believe that’s improving greatly every day,” said Chris Anderson, president of Medaca Health […]
Three-quarters of Canadian employees have taken time off work for a medical appointment, according to a survey by virtual health-care company Wello. The survey, which polled 1,500 Canadian workers, found 39 per cent of respondents have taken a total of two to six or more days off for medical appointments, while 46 per cent have taken the same amount […]
Canadian participation rates in workplace wellness programs are extremely low, with just 11 per cent of employees participating on a regular basis and 23 per cent participating only occasionally, according to the 2015 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. But one workplace wellness program is reversing this trend. Global health organization Merck Canada Inc. launched its program […]
While total rewards were once based on pay and benefits in an attempt to cultivate long-term employee loyalty, the concept has evolved, according to Mercer Canada’s Gordon Frost. “We are focusing more on, in addition to pay and benefits, things like achievement, camaraderie, do we have equity in our pay?” said Frost, partner and career business leader, during a Mercer event […]
When my fiancée and I decided to get a puppy in July, one of the first decisions we faced was whether or not to get pet insurance. In the past, I had a dog with a number of medical issues, so insurance appealed to me. However, after looking at the cost breakdown and the fact that a lot […]
When HSBC Bank Canada donated $500,000 to four children’s hospitals across the country last month, it was up to employees to decide on the recipients of those donations. Employees chose children’s health as the cause they most wanted to support, says Kim Toews, executive vice-president and head of human resources at HSBC Bank Canada. Read: Canadians want […]
Getting his daily exercise in at his workplace’s fitness centre did more than help Citigroup Inc. employee Jag Singh shrink his waist by a full pant size. It also helped bring a sense of clarity and freshness to his workday. “That’s really what’s changed for me,” said Singh, who works as a senior application programmer […]