It goes without saying that most employers would like to have a healthy workforce—both for the sake of employees as well as for the benefit of their bottom line. Hewitt’s 2007 Disability Absence Index survey valued time lost annually due to disability absence at more than $3.5 million for a population of 1,000 employees. That […]
Ontario’s recently re-elected Liberal government has made good on one of its campaign promises by declaring a new statutory holiday in February, “Family Day.” Its stated purpose in proclaiming the new day off was to give employees more time with their families and to provide greater work/life balance. The question arises, however, as to whether […]
So-called lifestyle drugs are surrounded by debate—from what the definition should be, to whether they should be prescribed, to who should pay for them. With the cost of extended healthcare continuing to rise much faster than general inflation, and with drug costs comprising the majority of extended healthcare costs, more employers are concerned to spend […]
Many organizations have information readily available to help them gauge the effectiveness of their employee benefit programs—data that’s accessible without having to go on a fact-finding mission. However, while some are using bits and pieces of this information, few are examining it in its entirety to get a cohesive and comprehensive picture of whether their […]
The June issue of Benefits Canada includes a list of 30 organizations cited as having Canada’s best pension and benefit plans, based on employee feedback. The question arises as to how these employers are able to provide benefits that so completely meet the needs of their workforces. There isn’t a single list of benefits that […]
The Canadian workforce is becoming increasingly diverse as organizations look to previously untapped sources to meet the labour shortage challenge. As a result, many workers are demanding an employment deal that offers flexibility, allowing them to select the workplace options that best suit them. In these circumstances, the question for employers is accordingly perhaps less […]