Chances are, your employees are counting the days until their next vacation. Who doesn't anticipate a break for rest, family time, or a change of scenery?

But, in reality, many end up forgoing their vacation benefits. Although most Canadians get two weeks of paid vacation per year, only one in three* actually takes it. Another 28% report taking less than half of their allotted vacation time.

Last week, we hosted an “Ask the Experts” panel here in Vancouver. We wanted to give our clients the opportunity to ask specific questions directly to industry experts. We had a great discussion, and attendees learned tons of valuable information.

Now, for those of you who couldn’t make it, we’ve compiled the questions and answers into this blog post. So if you want to learn more about cannabis in the workplace, issues around termination, an employer’s duty to accommodate, and more, then read on!

Do you have employees stationed north of the border? Are you ready to implement a Canadian benefits plan?

In our blog, Canadian Benefits 101: Advice for Foreign-Based Employers, we discussed how Canada’s healthcare landscape is unique in many ways. So when looking at employee benefits in Canada, creating the right plan for your needs can be challenging.

Luckily, it doesn’t have to be. In this blog, we’ll break down the process, so you can better understand the next steps. Let’s get started.

"I'm feeling down."

"I feel bummed out"

"I'm depressed."

It can be pretty common to hear these kinds of statements. But clinical depression is not simple unhappiness. It's a complex mood disorder—and it's important to know the difference.

Continue reading to learn how to help employees who struggle with depression and mental health in the workplace.

When people think of Canada, they think of a lot of things, and “free healthcare” is usually one of them.

If you have employees living and working in Canada, you may be wondering, “What does free healthcare really mean? And what does it actually cover?”

Most importantly, what do you, as an employer, need to know about providing employee benefits to workers stationed in Canada?

In this blog, we’ll go over things you need to know about the healthcare benefits landscape in Canada, so you can protect your business while taking care of your people.

According to the latest Help Wanted Survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), there were 399,000 vacant jobs in Canada in the fourth quarter of 2017. British Columbia has the highest job vacancy rate at 3.9%, up from 3.6% three months earlier. 

If your organization is feeling the strain, you might consider bringing in: 

• inpatriates (an employee of a multinational company who is from a foreign country, but is transferred to your corporation's headquarters) or,
• temporary foreign workers.

But in doing this, it’s crucial to be aware of what’s involved when offering these workers employee benefits.

Asana, Skype, Hootsuite, Slack: workplaces are becoming increasingly digital, with new apps emerging on an almost daily basis. But these technologies can do more than improve project management and office communication. The right health insurance apps can also help your employees connect more strongly to your organization, to their benefits plan, and to each other.

Do you hire and work with contractors?

Not every employer realizes that in addition to “independent contractors” and “employees”, there now exists a third worker category called “dependent contractors.” If you don’t recognize or understand this third category, you may be putting your business at risk legally and financially.

How much do you know about your employees’ financial wellness? Are they readily making ends meet? Or are they secretly distraught with financial woes?

Money is a sensitive topic, and people often feel awkward revealing their concerns. Whether you realize it or not, financial woes are likely affecting your employees and may be contributing to mental health issues.

Chronic disease is an unfortunate growing reality in Canada. Why? First, the population is aging. Second, many people are adopting unhealthy lifestyles.

Today 25 percent of adult Canadians have clinical obesity, which is a major cause of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.