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December 2013 Bulletin

News from The Benefit Specialists Corp.

From: The Benefit Specialists Corp. <sean.murray@beneco.ca>
Subject: News from The Benefit Specialists Corp.
Reply: sean.murray@beneco.ca

Dear sean,

 

We hope you enjoy the December 2013 edition of our bulletin.  Please feel free to contact us if you ever have any questions or concerns, we are here to help!


 The Benefit Specialists Corp. Newsletter

 


    

                                                                              
              December
 2013


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Stressful Christmas Shopping is pure pleasure with Custom Concierge!

Source: Custom Concierge, Bernadette Gernazzo

 

Calgary, AB - People who dread Christmas shopping for those on their list can now breathe easier. Custom Concierge is here to rescue you from the anxieties of crowds, too many choices and too little time. Like a special Christmas Elf, Custom Concierge appears to have put relief in a box and tied it with a bow. From now until Christmas you can have the gals from Custom Concierge purchase up to a maximum of 10 items on your Christmas Shopping list in a 2 hour stint, have them all individually gift wrapped as well as addressed or labeled AND delivered directly to your home or office for the special offer of only $150, including GST.

 

As one happy client Terri Martin says, "Thankfully, I utilized the Personal Shopping Services of Custom Concierge for Christmas gifts last year and I can't speak highly enough about how liberating it was to have items purchased and delivered to me without having to deal with the hustle and bustle of the stores and traffic. The Season is so busy in itself, I found myself overwhelmed at getting it all done.... (gifts were) carefully selected and gift wrapped beautifully, had a personal touch and were welcome surprises to the recipients."

 

To book Custom Concierge for this Christmas season be sure to call Sonya at 403-880-9272, email her company at custom@telus.net or visit http://customconciergeservices.com/. May your Season be stress-free, bright & merry!

 

 

 

Employers worry about healthcare costs, mental health
Yaldaz Sadakova - www.benefitscanada.ca

 

Controlling healthcare costs is the top benefits priority of Canadian employers for 2014-along with addressing mental health issues, a survey reveals.

 

This year, as many as 68% of companies worry about healthcare costs for 2014, up from 45% last year, according to Morneau Shepell's annual survey on compensation trends and projections.

 

"This is a real jump off the page," Joy Sloane, partner at Morneau Shepell, said, speaking at a seminar in Toronto where the survey was unveiled. This is the highest number on record, she added.

 

Another benefits priority for Canadian firms next year will be disability management (45% of respondents). This is followed by issues such as the competitiveness of benefits offerings (32%), benefits plan design (27%) and benefits plan administration (21%).

 

Specialty Drugs

When it comes to costs, one field employers need to pay close attention to is the projected rise of specialty drugs-high-cost medications used to treat rare and complex conditions. Although specialty drugs are used by less than 5% of employees, they make up 15% to 25% of the total drug spend, according to research by Towers Watson.

 

In recent years, drug costs have plataeued due to the rise of generics, but pharmaceutical companies are not planning to issue them as much in the future, Sloane explained. "The drug markets are focusing on releasing specialty drugs because that's where they get more return on investment," she said.

 

To address the costs associated with specialty drugs, employers need to "focus on conditions that have modifiable risk factors" such as diabetes, high cholesterol levels and depression, Sloane said in an interview. Once they educate their employees about managing their personal risk factors through healthier lifestyles, companies will free up resources in their benefits plans for conditions whose risk factors are not modifiable, such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis, Sloane explained.

 

Although cost is an issue for Canadian companies, 15% have improved their healthcare programs over the last couple of years, and 10% plan to introduce improvements next year, according to the survey.


Mental Health

Another benefits priority that is receiving a lot of attention from employers is mental health-a leading cause of absenteeism in the workplace.

 

Figures by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) reveal that 20% of Canadians will experience some form of mental illness in their lives, and about 8% of adults will experience major depression.

 

But nearly half of those who feel they have suffered from depression or anxiety have never seen a doctor about their problem, according to the CMHA.

As a result of the growing awareness about the pervasiveness of mental illness, more than 40% of Canadian companies plan to train managers about mental health next year, according to Morneau Shepell's survey. The goal of these training initiatives is to reduce the costs related to mental illness.

 

The Canadian private sector's annual spending on mental health amounts to $180 billion for short-term disability benefits and $135 billion for long-term disability benefits, according to a 2010 report by the Institute of Health Economics, an Alberta-based non-profit. The annual absenteeism and presenteesm costs stemming from mental health illness are estimated to be $6.3 billion.

 

Apart from mental health training, some Canadian firms (one-third) plan to introduce mental health policies next year, according to the compensation survey. This is in response to the new voluntary National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, a recommendation developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, a non-profit created by the federal government.

 

"It's voluntary at this stage, but we do understand that it may not be in the future," said Marilynne Madigan, managing partner at Morneau Shepell, speaking at the trends survey seminar. "Providing [mental health support] as a non-cash benefit is very relevant to today's issues: attraction, retention and cost management."

 

Conducted this summer, Morneau Shepell's survey polled more than 300 Canadian organizations employing nearly three million people. The companies are mostly from the manufacturing, services and finance sectors.

 

 

An employer's obligations during flu season

Daniel Pugen -  www.benefitscanada.com


 

The weather is getting colder, the holidays are approaching, and flu season is soon to be upon us. That means sick employees are forced to miss work. Besides ensuring that productivity does not suffer, employers also need to be cognizant of their legal obligations toward their employees during flu season.

 

Here are a few important points to keep in mind for employers:

 

Obligation to maintain a safe workplace

 

- Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act(OHSA), an employer has a general duty "to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker" (s. 25(2)(h)). This duty applies not only to ensuring workplace machinery is safe but also to taking precautions for communicable diseases such as the flu. Employers should adopt reasonable policies/practices to prevent the spread of an illness such as the flu (e.g., facilitating flu shots, providing handwashing dispensers, approving time off and shift modifications where necessary).

 

Do not tolerate the sick (and present) worker

 

- Employers do not have to tolerate an employee who attends work with the flu. As part of the obligation to maintain a safe workplace, and as a "reasonable precaution" (see above), employers should consider sending the employee home and requiring a medical certificate before he or she may return to work. While employers are often rightly concerned about managing absenteeism and returning employees to work, there are times when employers need to encourage the opposite!

 

Employees may refuse to work

 

- Most employees have the right under the OHSA to refuse unsafe work. The unsafe work could relate to communicable diseases present in the workplace. In the event of a work refusal, the procedures set out in s. 43 of the OHSA must be followed. These steps include the employee reporting the work refusal to management, an investigation by management (while the employee is kept in a safe location and paid) and, if no resolution, referring the work refusal to the Ministry of Labour (MOL) for inspection and resolution. Employers cannot retaliate against an employee for engaging in a work refusal in good faith (even where the alleged unsafe workplace is based on the employee's subjective assessment).

 

Job-protected leaves

 

- Under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), employees in workplaces with more than 50 employees are entitled to 10 personal emergency leave days (without pay). Having the flu can be grounds for taking this leave. Medical evidence can be required by the employer. In addition, it is important to remember that the Human Rights Code applies to "disabilities" and requires employers to accommodate employees up to the point of undue hardship. Providing a leave of absence (generally without pay) to someone with the flu may be a required form of accommodation.

 

The MOL is very cognizant of an employer's obligations and an employee's rights during flu season. The MOL recently updated a policy statement titled Flu and Your Workplace. The policy statement stresses that, in relation to the flu, employees have the right to work in a "safe and healthy environment" and have the "right to know" about potential hazards in the workplace, the "right to participate" in identifying and resolving workplace health and safety concerns, and "the right to refuse" unsafe work. The statement advises workers to talk to their supervisor or Joint Health and Safety Committee if a co-worker has the flu or if the worker is concerned that the workplace is unsafe due to a "communicable disease." The statement also notes that an employee may be entitled to sick leave (under an employer plan) or personal emergency leave under the ESA.

 

Keeping the above points in mind will assist in ensuring employers comply with their legal obligations this flu season (including staying onside with the MOL). Perhaps, more importantly, the above points will assist in keeping employees healthy and productive.

 

 

 

The information contained in this bulletin is for general information purposes only. The articles published in this bulletin have been collected by The Benefit Specialists Corp. (TBSC) and we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained.  Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.  In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits out of, or in connection with, the use of the information contained in this bulletin.  Through this bulletin you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TBSC.  We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Sean Murray
The Benefit Specialists Corp.
sean.murray@beneco.ca
(403) 547-5236

This email was sent to sean.murray@telus.net by sean.murray@beneco.ca |  
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