While the rates of drug and disability claims are returning to their pre-pandemic levels, employers are still contending with the impact of the coronavirus crisis on their benefits plans. Following the declaration of the pandemic in March 2020, there was a subsequent surge in drug claims attributed to medication stockpiling, said Frédéric Leblanc, strategic advisor […]
Lafarge Eastern Canada’s new employee wellness program is highlighting the importance of mental and physical health amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “It was always my intention to promote wellness through my communications, but when the pandemic happened, it was really the time to focus on this,” says Jessica Assaf, manager of corporate communications for Lafarge […]
For most Canadians, it’s been well over a year since most of the country went into its first lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. I don’t think we truly understood what was going to happen back in March 2020, or the impact it would have on our personal and professional lives. But during the 15th […]
Morneau Shepell Ltd. is rebranding under the name LifeWorks Inc. The company announced its intention to rebrand in March, which was subsequently approved by its shareholders following a vote at the company’s annual meeting on May 14. Read: Morneau Shepell rebranding as LifeWorks “By connecting the two words — life and work — the purpose of our organization is made […]
Employees in Canada working from home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic are paying a “COVID tax,” as a result of working additional hours during these tumultuous times, according to a survey from ADP Inc. and the Angus Reid Institute. The survey, which polled more than 1,500 full- and part-time working Canadians in April, […]
When Algonquin College decided to streamline its absence management process in 2019, it was important to partner with a provider that would go beyond merely adjudicating files and deliver a touchpoint for employees. The school quickly found that partner in Morneau Shepell Ltd., which was already providing ad-hoc absence management services to Algonquin, says Jessica […]
Google and IBM Corp. are planning to shift the majority of their respective workforces to a hybrid work model, as the companies begin to plan for the post-pandemic future. In a report by The Associated Press, Google said it’s expecting about 20 per cent of its workforce to continue remote work after its offices reopen this […]
Canadian employers are making ongoing changes to their pension and benefits offerings as the coronavirus pandemic drags on, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey found almost one in five (18 per cent) employers offering prescription drug coverage have extended the time allowed under prior authorization periods, […]
While the coronavirus pandemic has caused elevated workloads and exhaustion among employees, it’s also resulted in improved loyalty to employers and a stronger sense of purpose in the workforce, according to a new survey by KPMG in Canada. It found 49 per cent of Canadian full-time employees had a workload that was “much or somewhat more” […]
Employee mental health is the top well-being issue in Canada, according to 72 per cent of employers, surveyed for Aon’s 2021 global well-being survey. Work-life balance followed closely behind at 69 per cent, followed by burnout (52 per cent), virtual work environment and working environment/culture (both at 39 per cent), as the top well-being issues […]