Traditional Benefits plans were designed to work well for 90% of employees. This statement was true 20 years ago, but today, employees have diverse needs that differ greatly depending on their age, income, location and lifestyle. As a result, a completely traditional plan no longer meets the needs of most employees. Health Care Spending Accounts can help to provide employee choice and customization when paired with a properly designed traditional plan. The proper design can increase employee appreciation of benefits, control costs and help to retain key talent.
Emotional Intelligence
The role of managers has always been important to organizations. As more attention is given to Psychological Health and Safety, the responsibilities of managers are evolving, and the need for them to identify and assist employees in distress has changed from an attribute of good managers, to a necessary skill. Emotional Intelligence training can help managers empathize with employees and identify the proper resources that may be helpful to them. Further to this, emotional intelligence training for employees themselves help strengthen group empathy and understanding for the entire company.
HRA - Health Risk Assessments
Everyone knows that eating well, exercising, sleeping 8 hours a night and drinking plenty of water are important components of living a healthy lifestyle. Most people try to do these things, but the reality for most people is that their lifestyle doesn’t always align. Health Risk Assessments help employees understand how the choices that they have made impact their current and future health. Well designed assessments also consider heredity and environmental factors when presenting employees with their most significant risks and the impact of their choices. Everyone knows that there is more they can do to help live a healthy life. These tools provide them with a wake-up call and appropriate actions and resources that can help them improve their lifestyle and health choices.
Incentive Programs
The way that Wellness Incentives are managed is changing. Tracking and administering programs have been a time consuming or expensive endeavor, but Group Insurance providers are finding ways to provide and track programs that incent positive employee behaviours and health outcomes. The type and scope of these offerings is becoming a major differentiator for insurers, many of which are offering these programs at no additional cost.
The Fitness App Incentive
Fitness Apps are no longer a new fad. Whether it’s for personal training, diet, or sleep cycle analysis, these digital tools have the potential to motivate and inspire wellness. Employers are finding new and inventive ways to encourage the use of these apps and providing employees with strategies to connect with each other while providing employees with incentives for positive behavior. It is up to employers to determine how these apps can best be used to encourage positive employee behaviours and provide incentives. Though they may not appeal to everyone, its hard to deny that fitness apps are powerful allies in our pursuit of wellness.
Medicinal Marijuana in 2019
Medical cannabis is a chosen avenue for medical treatment by over 300,000 Canadians. In January 2019, medical cannabis will become an optional benefit offered by many insurers.
As it is with many treatments, the costs of medical cannabis can vary quite a bit. To keep plans sustainable, we recommend implementing a maximum benefit amount if you choose to add this coverage. Amounts could include:
$1000
$2500
$5000
Comprehensive access controls such as pre-determined medical conditions, annual maximums, coverage criteria and eligibility guidelines will ensure appropriate use. These controls help to support members who need medical cannabis, while also acting responsibly.
Medical cannabis can be helpful for some serious medical conditions, and coverage will only apply to certain conditions and symptoms met by specific criteria:
Spasticity or neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting or neuropathic pain associated with cancer
Anorexia or neuropathic pain associated with HIV/AIDS
Symptoms associated with palliative care
Standard for Mental Health in the Workplace
Is your workplace safe? Does your Health and Safety Committee do everything they can to help to mitigate risks of occupational injury and minimize employee injury and absenteeism? Are they considering the Mental Health of your employees in addition to Physical Hazards? If not, then they aren’t minimizing injury and absenteeism. Mental Health issues are now the leading cause of disability in Canada. The Standard for Psychological Health & Safety in the Workplace provides a framework for preventing Mental Health injury at work. Adherence to these standards will help to protect your employee from all workplace hazards.
Mental Health First Aid
It’s the law. Every employer should have staff that are trained to know what to do when someone has an accident or serious acute medical condition on the job. Companies fund employees to take CPR and First aid to help their coworkers and save lives. But what about those whose injuries aren’t as visible, but are just as perilous? Just like CPR and First Aid, Mental Health First Aid can save lives. Employees can be trained to identify signs of distress and respond appropriately with empathy and resources to help avert crisis.
Mindfulness & Your Mental State
I always find it amazing how the simplest things have become complicated in modern society. Ever present demands from work, home life and notifications from social media and news connect and distract us like never before. Some days, even the best of us struggle to be present and involved in what is going on around us. It is these days where mindfulness training can help us focus, perform and excel. Something as simple as consciously controlling breathing can make a world of difference to someone’s mental state.
Biometric Screening Saves Lives
Most people judge their health by how they feel. Even those that are clearly unhealthy will often say they feel fine or have a “It Can’t Happen To Me” attitude. Biometric Screenings can help to provide that wake up call that some people need. These screenings provide quantifiable results and interpretation from a health professional. For some, the results are not a surprise to the employee but for others who feel they are in good health, these screenings can literally be a life saver.
