Search: COVID-19
6 Tips for Building Resilience Into Workplaces on National Employee Benefits Day
Apr 6th, 2021
National Employee Benefits Day is celebrated each year in April. The day recognizes trustees, administrators, benefits practitioners and professional advisors for their dedication to providing quality benefits and the important role they play in their colleagues’ well-being. This year, the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plan’s theme for National Employee Benefits Day focuses on resilience […]
2021 Group Benefits Tax Tips for Employers and Advisors
Mar 2nd, 2021
We realize that tax time isn’t everyone’s favourite time of year, so we’re making it easier this time around! When it comes time to file, there’s a lot for employers (and therefore their Advisors) to know when it comes to their group benefits plan. Introducing: 2021 Tax Quick Facts Guide to Canadian Benefits Updated annually, […]
Addressing the Troubling Trend of Rising Disability Claims in Canada
Jan 26th, 2021
Over the last few years, a troubling industry trend has become clear: more Canadians are going on disability. Alongside this comes necessary updates to Insurer’s calculations and rates to keep pace with the rising claims, leading to rising costs. It’s time to talk about it. Disability Claims are on the Rise in Canada The number […]
8 Ways to Help Employees Reduce Stress and Boost Productivity
Jan 12th, 2021
Canadians everywhere are more stressed, anxious, and depressed than ever before. Even before COVID-19 and its potential mental health impacts, Canadians were struggling with their mental health during what has been referred to as a mental health crisis. In these trying times, Canadian employers have an opportunity, and quite frankly a duty, to support employees’ […]
[Free Download] Reimagining Health & Wellness for a Remote Workforce
Dec 8th, 2020
This blog post has been updated with the 2024 Health and Wellness Roadmap resource and we have removed the link to our 2023 Calendar. The Canadian workplace looks a lot different now than it did in 2020. Social distancing and empty break rooms, screening protocols, sanitizing stations, and masks are all new additions to many […]
12 Group Insurance Trends and Predictions for 2021
Nov 17th, 2020
For the last three years in a row, Benefits by Design (BBD) Inc. has published a list of predictions and trends to watch out for in the upcoming year. You can check out previous predictions for 2018, 2019, and 2020 and how close we called them (hint: pretty close). For 2021, here are 12 group […]
5 Ways to Support Small Businesses During a Pandemic (And After)
Oct 20th, 2020
The majority of Canadian businesses are considered small- to medium-sized. In fact, 55% of Canadian companies have fewer than four employees, with 90% of exporting companies having fewer than 100 employees. In comparison, 78.5% of Small Businesses in the U.S. have fewer than 10 employees, and 73% have fewer than 10 in Canada. It’s no secret that […]
How to Keep Company Culture Thriving with a Virtual Team
Jul 21st, 2020
When everyone at Benefits by Design (BBD) Inc. transitioned to working remotely, during the COVID-19 pandemic, our social committee had a new challenge: how could they maintain the same social interaction and engagement remotely? After four months, we’re pleased to share some of the virtual team building activities we’ve done to keep employees engaged and […]
How Long is Too Long? Canadian Healthcare Wait Times
Jul 7th, 2020
With the COVID-19 pandemic, provincial health ministers prioritized hospital space for coronavirus patients and canceled thousands of elective surgeries. These cancellations will result in an increase to already lengthy wait times for Canadians looking to see specialists. It is easy to think of Canada’s healthcare system as a single organism. Still, the truth is that […]
Is Your Workplace Ready for a Return to Work?
Jun 16th, 2020
Only 8% of Canadian employers say that they’re fully prepared to reopen their workplaces when provincial governments lift COVID-19 restrictions. If your workplace isn’t among them, it may be time to begin thinking about your eventual return to work plan.