Historically, employee benefit plans have been provided on a one-size-fits all basis, designed to meet the perceived needs of the assumed typical employee and family. The diversity of employee needs and the advent of technology have contributed to a growing trend towards more flexible benefit arrangements. According to Green Shield Canada, flexible benefit plans continue to grow in popularity and offer employees the opportunity to select those benefits they need, while helping the employer manage benefit plan costs.
Archives for February 2012
Corporate Wellness Programs – An Overview
The World Health Organization of the United Nations proposes that Depression will be the leading cause of disease burden by 2020. Mental health claims are the fastest growing category of disability costs in Canada overtaking cardiovascular disease. Why Implement A Corporate Wellness Program? The impact of stress on physical and psychological well-being and its negative […]
Corporate Wellness Programs – Vacation Benefits
Holidays are essential to healthy workers, yet three in ten put holiday on standby. The annual Expedia.ca/Ipsos Reid survey reports that 1/3 of employed Canadians are not taking all of their yearly-allotted vacation days. If your company has similar rates to the national average, your company could be in trouble.
Comprehensive Wellness Programming and Employee Assistance Programs
Employee assistance professionals can help take wellness programs to the next level by identifying employee needs, getting top-level buy-in, and assisting employees and supervisors in seeing a link between the program and their health and work. Industries rely on healthy workers to keep themselves competitive, and a comprehensive health and wellness program has emerged as a necessity in business strategy planning. But pulling together all of the components that comprise a successful wellness program can be a challenge.
Building A Well Workplace – Four Reasons Why Health Promotion Makes Good Business Sense
More and more Canadian business have some form of health promotion program, the most popular being staff appreciation events, first aid and CPR courses, subsidies for external programs, flexible work programs and benefits, time-off in lieu of overtime pay, EAP, flu shots, time management training, and work station assessment.