As an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure that you keep your employees safe, and make necessary adjustments to keep them comfortable. According to information from Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), the following are 8 tips that can help keep your employees protected at all times; Plan for sick days – Ensure that you have a backup plan in place to cover daily responsibilities when an employee is taking a sick day. It is important to ensure your employees don’t feel obligated to come into work, and they’re encouraged to stay home. Check your HVAC system – Good indoor air quality is crucial for a healthy...

The summer has come and gone, and there is much to look back on. Now that it’s the beginning of Fall, we are settling into our routine of school and work. Whether you are a parent or a student in college, you know how those first few weeks are, which can be described in one word: chaos. However, have no fear, as we are here to assist by supplying you with information regarding your overage dependents and what that means for their coverage on your benefit plan. What is classified as an overage dependent? In Canada, an overage dependent (OAD), is a dependent that has reached a certain...

As summer comes to a close, employees are taking vacations to try to enjoy the last of the warm weather. But if they are leaving the country, they should be prepared and make sure that they are covered by travel insurance for any unforeseen accidents. There are many reasons to book travel insurance before planning a vacation. What if an emergency happens and flights needs to be cancelled? What if luggage is lost? What if there is a medical mishap and a visit to a hospital is required? What happens if you are pickpocketed? Luckily, most basic travel insurance policies cover these unexpected events and will help reimburse...

Maintaining good oral hygiene is important for our overall health, which is why most employers make sure to include dental plans in their employee benefits packages. Even if you follow a diligent oral hygiene routine, it is always good to take advantage of your dental benefits to be certain there are no surprises. Your dental hygienist is a professional doctor that is looking out for your health and you should visit them just as often as you would your family doctor. It is highly recommended that adults visit their dentist regularly at least once a year, however some people may go sooner if their benefits plan allow them...

If an employee is injured at work, there are responsibilities on both the employee and the employer when a claim is made through the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). It is important to note that all workers have a right to make a WCB claim if they are hurt at work and that it is against the law for an employer or supervisor to ask an employee not to report an injury. The first step is to inform your employer of your injury. Try to give as much detail as possible if you are able to immediately. In the event your treatment requires more than basic first aid, you...

March is Nutrition Month in Canada, which is a great reminder to employers to take a look at promoting healthy eating in the workplace. Food has a direct impact on performance and productivity, and healthy foods will provide energy and happiness to employees – which in turns makes them more engaged, creative, and effective during the day.  There are many different ways to engage and empower your workforce to explore healthy eating in their daily routines: Start by offering opportunities for employees to educate themselves on healthy eating practices. Catered lunch-and-learn sessions, inviting a nutritionist onsite for a workshop, or even posting nutrition information and resources in a...

Canadians may have life insurance, pensions, group retirement services, and other savings to help protect our loved ones in the event that something happens to us. But do you know who is listed as your current beneficiary on these policies? Many of us set the beneficiary designations when we initially enroll or sign up for retirement savings plans (RSP), group retirement services, and other programs, and then we tend to forget about them. We all encounter many changes throughout our lives and we need to be aware that these changes should be reflected in who we want as beneficiaries in the event something dire should happen. It is...

As we ease into the holidays and things begin to slow down a bit, you may recognize that you’re not quite feeling yourself. Maybe you have a persistence headache, sore muscles, or just slowed reflexes. Or it could be that you are more irritable than usual, or les productive. Is it just the time of year, or could it be that fatigue has you feeling not so festive? Fatigue is a feeling of constant tiredness or weakness and can be physical, mental or a combination of both. This could be resulting from insufficient sleep, prolonged mental or physical work, or extended periods of stress or anxiety. Fatigue can...

Acquiring a business can be an exciting endeavour!  When you go through the acquisition process, it is important to ensure your new, Canadian employees are transitioned smoothly. Four things to keep in mind are: Offer Letters- Employment Contracts: Ensure that they are compliant with Canadian federal and provincial labour legislation and are reflective of your organization’s culture. Setting a clear expectation at the outset of your relationship with your new employees will go a long way in helping them feel good about the changes that are taking place. Payroll: If it’s possible, choose to keep the same pay cycle or one that is very close to the current set...

Benefits fraud is often viewed as a victimless crime, one that affects large insurance companies rather than individuals.  However, this is not the case when you consider that an increase in benefit plan claims will result in an increase in your benefit rates.  Also, if the claims usage is causing premium rates to increase, an employer may look at limiting or reducing the paramedical coverage (i.e., chiropractor, massage therapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy etc.) to help with cost containment. Benefits fraud can be as simple as a plan member submitting a claim for a massage they did not receive or increasing the dollar amount of the massage.  It can also...