Morneau Shepell Ltd. is teaming up with Interaxon Inc. to test meditation-aid technology for use in workplace well-being programs. Interaxon makes the Muse meditation headband, a research-grade electroencephalography device that aims to help in the meditation process by providing visual and auditory feedback relating to the user’s brain activity. The feedback is an attempt to encourage mental behaviours associated […]
Among the ways employers can encourage better employee mental health is to focus on prevention by raising awareness, reduce structural barriers and provide mental-health education, said Manulife’s Gillian Wells during Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Mental Health Summit on Nov. 29 in Toronto. People often hide how they’re really feeling behind curtains of non-disclosure, which leaves them […]
When my husband got a new job in Pickering, Ont., it became clear that a four-hour return commute from our west-end neighbourhood on public transit wasn’t sustainable for him. We weighed the pros and cons of either moving or buying a car. The car won out, but only if we could both use it as […]
Ceridian HCM Inc.’s director of employee engagement and culture discusses flexible working, parental leave and family bike rides. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. Our team’s area of focus means the tightening labour market will keep us busy in the coming years. Our greatest challenges are identifying programs . . […]
Just 66 per cent of Canadian employees are taking the full amount of vacation time they’re owed, according to a new survey by research firm Maru/Blue. The survey, which polled 1,000 Canadians and 500 Americans, found 50 per cent of Canadians have experienced a rising workplace trend called “vacation shaming,” a situation where co-workers or bosses […]
At Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Workplace Benefits Awards, Scotiabank was recognized in the diversity category for a focus that’s “thoughtful” and “fulsome,” according to judges. “I think it’s becoming well-known — and research shows — that more diverse organizations perform better against their peers and are in the top quartile and in all sorts of different metrics,” said […]
With more than 1,400 mental-health apps available for download, and more entering the marketplace every day, are these tools an effective way for employers to support employee well-being? The journal Nature Digital Medicine, which estimated the number above, also found only 2.6 per cent of apps that are clinically relevant specifically for depression provided evidence […]
Even star employees shine a little less brightly after battling an hour of traffic on the way to work. Long commutes “can be very demoralizing” and can affect productivity, says Sandra Reder, president and founder of Vertical Bridge Corporate Consulting Inc. in Vancouver. Plus, a bad commute is one of the most common reasons employees […]
While employers want workplace cultures that make employees feel good and included, gauging and quantifying that experience can be difficult. Toronto-based company Receptiviti Inc. is aiming to help employers create and maintain “people-first” workplaces that make culture a priority, recognizing it’s a foundational part of organizational health and business performance. To do this, it’s analyzing language across […]
The majority of plan members (77 per cent) and plan sponsors (85 per cent) agreed their workplace culture encourages health and wellness, according to the 2019 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Among plan members with a workplace wellness culture, 61 per cent said the quality of the health benefits plan is excellent of very good, compared […]