Resources for better benefit decisions.

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Navigating Relapse in Addiction Recovery

Recovery from addiction is often described as a journey — a winding path with unexpected turns and moments of both challenge and growth. It’s a process that takes time, patience, and courage. Some days are easy; o...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

Managing the Human Side of Change in a Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the workplace, offering new ways to streamline tasks, support decision-making, and personalize services. These shifts are changing how work is structured and delive...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Understanding How Domestic Abuse Affects Our Mental Well-being

It often starts quietly. A friend stops texting. A co-worker seems quieter and more withdrawn. There’s less laughter and more avoidance – less eye contact, changing topics or shrinking away when certain discussion...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

Leading Through Crises: Seven Key Areas for Supporting Employees

Crisis management is one of the most significant challenges that a leader can encounter at work. When leaders lack expertise, their organizations become more vulnerable to risks. Any actions taken during a crisis can...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Embracing Hope and Healing During a Fertility Journey: Managing Anxiety and Stress with Compassion

The desire to have children is deeply personal, shaped by culture, family expectations, personal values and life experiences. While some people choose not to have children, others face unexpected fertility challenges...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

Navigating Life’s Unexpected Turns

Life doesn’t always go as planned. A sudden job loss, a health crisis, or the passing of a loved one can shake your world in an instant. How do you cope when things feel out of control? This month's Life Lines from...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Understanding Different Types of Eating Disorders

Recognizing the complexities of eating disorders is a crucial step toward fostering understanding and support. These conditions go beyond food and weight—they are deeply rooted in emotional, psychological, and socia...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Embracing Different Minds: How Neurodiversity Strengthens Workplaces

The reality is that workplace policies don't always align supportively with the strengths of someone who is neurodivergent despite the significant benefits for teams and organizations. When workplaces embrace neurodiv...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

The Weight of Winter and Negative Thoughts

Well-being is the cornerstone of a fulfilled and productive life, but achieving it requires more than surface-level changes. In today’s fast-paced world, building resilience and managing stress are essential skills...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Nurturing Well-Being for Peak Performance: Enhancing Workplace Productivity

Productivity is the heartbeat of any thriving business, but driving meaningful results requires more than just asking employees to work harder. As the workplace evolves, organizations must embrace strategies that supp...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Social Media Diet and Fitness: Separating the Hype from Healthy Habits

Ready to uncover the truth about diet and fitness content on social media? In this article, we explore both the benefits and the hidden risks of following online health trends. From inspirational success stories to un...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Finding Work-Life Balance in a Post-Pandemic World

In this article, we'll explore the current work-life balance landscape. Some employers focus on returning employees to physical worksites for at least part of the work week, while others have embraced flexibility and...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Five Ways Volunteering Can Transform Your Life and Benefit Your Mental Health

Do you ever feel that something’s missing in your life like there is a gap that you can fill? Perhaps you’ve been feeling a bit lonely and craving connection. Maybe you are seeking a more defined sense of purpose...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

How Empathy Can Support Someone In Recovery

Supporting someone who is recovering from addiction can be really tough. Knowing what to say or do to help them feel supported and loved is not always easy. At times, you might feel scared, confused, or even frustrate...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Leading the Way: Supporting Mental Wellness in Your Workplace

Our work environments are continuously changing, driven by improved knowledge of what creates healthy workplaces that support organizational needs and help employees thrive. This is especially true when it comes to ho...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Creating Safe Spaces: Understanding and Supporting LGBTQ2S+ Families

Families play a crucial role in helping us develop a sense of belonging, acceptance, and emotional well-being. Despite differences of opinion around personal beliefs, maintaining an open mind and unconditional love he...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Healing the Invisible Wounds: Exploring Moral Injury in Healthcare

What we often don’t realize is how healthcare workers regularly face situations that put them at risk of experiencing moral injury because the tools of their profession – that is, the systems, resources and proces...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

Healing the Invisible Wounds: Exploring Moral Injury in Healthcare

Dealing with panic disorder goes beyond momentary fear, as recurring panic attacks lead to persistent worry and life-altering avoidance. Understanding and managing this condition requires recognizing its physical and...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Interconnections Between Stress, Diabetes, Nutrition, and Mental Health

Stress has a significant impact on health, particularly for individuals with metabolic diseases like diabetes, affecting blood sugar stabilization. With many diabetics unaware of their condition, the article explores...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Modern Workplace Hazards

Today's employers must account for psychosocial factors in occupational health, recognizing their impact on employee well-being. These factors, which are psychological hazards in the workplace, are crucial to address...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

The Psychology of Debt

Carrying debt can profoundly impact our emotional health, often heightening stress, disrupting sleep, and souring our mood. Such financial pressures can shake our self-worth, leading to feelings of insecurity and powe...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

Holiday Boundaries

This year, as we embrace the practice of kindness and the pursuit of happiness, we encourage you to consider the vital role of establishing and upholding healthy boundaries as an act of self-care that might be well-de...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

Compassion Fatigue

You might instinctively know that listening carefully, demonstrating interest, showing that you care, and offering reassurance are naturally part of what you must do when interacting with people daily, but what happen...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Back to School can Bring big Changes and big Worries: What to Watch for to Help Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Often as summer days are winding down, it’s common for children, teens, and young adults to feel anxious and develop apprehensiveness about the upcoming school year. As parents and caregivers, it’s essential to re...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

The Intersection of Sexual Identity and Mental Health

If someone were to ask you who you are, how would you answer that question? We would likely share the things that we instinctually feel form our identity and are essential for us to express. However, we would also lik...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

Coping with Childhood Trauma from Past Abuse and Neglect

In this article, we’ll be exploring the topic of past childhood trauma. While we always intend to be helpful when presenting information, we only encourage you to proceed if you recognize how this could affect you...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

Immigrant Employees Settling in North America

There are many reasons why someone may emigrate from their home country. Most often, they are attracted to the idea of enjoying a better life with the prospect of obtaining improved living conditions, accessing high-q...

Sun Life · Benefits & Plan Education

Provincial dental fee increases for 2023

It’s that time of year, when most provincial and territorial dental associations release their annual fee guides. We use the data in these guides to determine the maximum reimbursement amounts for dental services. T...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

When you Fear the Unknown: Coping with Uncertainty

We do our best to talk ourselves into believing many different things when facing something unknown. Sometimes, we say that "everything happens for a reason," "this too shall pass," or "it is what it is" to calm our m...

Immix Group · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

The Mental Health Index by LifeWorks™

The mental health of working Canadians improved modestly in December yet remains at a level that is only modestly higher than the most distressing period of the pandemic.

Homewood Health · Benefits & Plan Education

Thriving in Hybrid Work Environments

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Preventing Burnout – The Importance of Vacation Time

An interesting phenomenon has been happening in workplaces for a while but seems to have intensified in recent years. More and more people are declaring that they are burnt out. At the same time, people are becoming m...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

Building Resilience

Our lives are full of ups and downs that bring joy and challenges. The variation and somewhat unpredictable nature of life’s moments can make us feel like we are on a rollercoaster of experiences and emotions at dif...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Encouraging Work-Life Balance

Does this sound familiar? To get ahead, employees must show their dedication to getting the job done at all costs to demonstrate their support for the organization and their teammates. For a long time, statements like...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Understanding Mental Health and Mental Illness

How’s your mental health? The way you answer that question can vary. One day, you might describe it as “great.” But depending on what you’re experiencing, you might feel like you are struggling another time. Y...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Stigma and Addiction

Our society is quite comfortable stigmatizing, condemning and assigning harsh moral judgement to people experiencing addiction. The stigma of addiction is often so debilitating, that people often hide their situations...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Vitality- Leading with Empathy and Supporting Employee Success

A top priority for most organizations and institutions is to look beyond traditional strategies for management development and recruitment to empower leaders so they are capable of making the company and the people wi...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Homewood Health Life Lines- Children’s Mental Health: Technology and Cyberbullying

Today, digital technologies are everywhere. Technology has created some beautiful things, like communications assistive technology for children who don't use speech as their primary communication method.

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Kickstart Your Wellness!

Wellness, it seems, is the next big thing that everyone must conquer. The past two years of pandemic upheaval have given people a chance to assess and reflect on their overall health and well-being, prompting a wellne...

Immix Group · Group Savings & Financial Wellbeing

Contribution Reminder for your Group RRSP!

Now is the time to make a final contribution to your group RRSP for a 2021 tax-deduction before the March 1st, 2022 deadline. Don’t forget- there are major advantages to saving within your Group Registered Retiremen...

iA Financial Group · Group Savings & Financial Wellbeing

Overview of government benefit programs and parameters for 2022

Here are the 2022 parameters for some government programs in Canada that impact the administration or coverage provided by private benefits plans.

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Preparing your Business for Post-Pandemic

Although we may not be in the position for businesses to reopen, workplaces must begin to consider what this post-pandemic work-life means for them and their employees. There is palpable anxiety about returning to old...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Teaching Inclusivity and Inclusive Language

Think of a time when someone conveyed a message to you that you didn’t belong. The rejection may have been deliberate or incidental. The experience might have happened a long time ago or been only moments old. Suppo...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

MENTAL HEALTH CHECKUP: PREPARING FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

A new year is nearly upon us. Traditionally, this is a time when many of us reflect on the previous year and make “resolutions,” or plans for the coming year. The stresses associated with the pandemic, including j...

Homewood Health · Benefits & Plan Education

Supporting Employees With Disabilities

Over one billion people around the globe live with some form of disability. 1 Even so, not all businesses are equipped to support persons with disabilities which, in many instances, impedes their ability to thrive wit...

Benefits Canada · Benefits & Plan Education

2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey

The Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey maps out key findings — including alignments and gaps between plan members and plan sponsors — in the key subject areas of person- al health, health benefits plans and the wor...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Supporting Those With Addiction

One of the often-overlooked challenges with addiction is that the addicted individual is not the only person impacted by the disease. Family and friends may encounter difficulty with the individual's pattern of behavi...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Surviving another September

September always ushers a whirlwind of change into our lives that make it notoriously one of the most stressful months of the year. As long summer light fades earlier and temperature shifts signal to foliage that the...

Homewood Health · Benefits & Plan Education

Workplace Equity

Workplace equity is the fair treatment for employees in every facet of life regardless of their gender expression, race, disability, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or age.

Homewood Health · Employer Education

IDENTIFYING PREJUDICE AND RACIAL INJUSTICE

We’re all humans with different viewpoints and experiences that have influenced identities, our interactions, and our beliefs. It’s a natural part of life that we enjoy gathering and socializing with other like-mi...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

OVERCOMING FINANCIAL FATIGUE AND CONCERN

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Holiday Stress and Anxiety Prevention

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, this year's celebrations and customs will be different and difficult for many. Typically, we head into the season, looking forward to social gatherings with friends, family, neighbo...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Diversity and Inclusion: A Beginners Guide to the Holidays.

Whether it has been the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, prejudicial injustice, environmental events such as fires and floods, or dramatic politics, 2020 has been a year of unique challenges and one for the record bo...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Surviving September

We’re sharing some ideas about how to recognize those stressors at this time of year, not just in ourselves but also in the people we care about; how we can move through the month feeling well supported; and how the...

Homewood Health · Employer Education

The Importance of Sleep

Quality sleep – the kind that makes you look refreshed and feeling energized – is exactly what the doctor ordered. In fact, sleep is as important to your health as diet, nutrition and exercise.

Empire Life · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Mental Health Navigator

Are you struggling or feeling overwhelmed? Are you concerned because you feel your condition isn’t improving or your treatment isn’t working? The Best Doctors Mental Health Navigator can help you feel more like yo...

Homewood Health · Benefits & Plan Education

GUIDE TO COVID-19: GOVERNMENT RELIEF PROGRAMS IN CANADA

The subsidy is equal to 10% of the remuneration you pay from March 18 to June 19, 2020, up to $1,475 for each eligible employee to a maximum of $25,000 total per employer. • Eligible employers include individuals, p...

Pacific Blue Cross · Benefits & Plan Education

COVID-19: How to speak to children

As the COVID-19 situation continues to rapidly evolve with increasing measures from federal and provincial governments to curb the spread and risk of infection within our personal communities, many of us are faced wit...

RBC Insurance · Group Savings & Financial Wellbeing

On behalf of Homewood Health, PBC has release the latest Life Lines Issue, on the topic of Financial Stress.

Nearly 1/3 of Canadians spend about one hour each day worrying about their finances. 1 Financial worries often top the list of people’s concerns, even more than thinking about their health. 2 It may not be surprisin...

RBC Insurance · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

New Mental Health Support programs released by RBC Insurance:

Managing a mental health issue in your life can be overwhelming, whether it is your own or that of a loved one. We understand and are here to support you. With a comprehensive range of options available connect with u...

Desjardins · Benefits & Plan Education

Desjardins Financial has created a FAQ page dedicated to COVID-19:

FAQ - Group insurance - Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Sun Life · Benefits & Plan Education

Sun Life - information on dealing with COVID and the financial markets

It’s emotional to see the markets drop amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But depending on your personal situation, you may want to stay invested. Here’s why.

Empire Life · Benefits & Plan Education

Empire Life COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. In Canada, Federal and Provincial governments have taken significant steps to control and contain the spread of the virus and businesses are face...

Pacific Blue Cross · Benefits & Plan Education

Pacific Blue Cross COVID-19 Resource Centre

We want to keep you and your family safe, heathy and informed. We’ve put together some information on COVID-19 (the new coronavirus), how to protect against it, and what you should do if you become ill while you’r...

Manulife · Group Savings & Financial Wellbeing

Tips for dealing with market volatility

When markets go down, our instincts tell us we should do something. We are inclined to panic and sell our investments or stop contributing altogether. But is that the best approach? Here are some Do’s and Don’ts t...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Surviving Grief

In every type of job, eventually, we will experience significant loss either personal, professional or both, and therefore, grief. The grief may result from death in an individual's family, or it may be the death of a...

Homewood Health · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

The Many Faces of Anxiety

Anxiety, regardless of a person’s psychological or biological makeup, is highly common. Although it can be triggered by a specific event, such as a trauma or stressful situation, anxiety can also present as a consis...

Pacific Blue Cross · Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing

Focus on Mental Health: Let's keep the conversation going

When it comes to improving mental health, conversation is key. Creating awareness of mental health issues through a continual dialogue helps to fight social stigma and promote the importance of access to quality care.

Pacific Blue Cross · Employer Education

New report reveals health care needs of 1 in 3 BC women are not being met

In Her Words: Women’s experience with the healthcare system in BC, commissioned by the BC Women’s Health Foundation and sponsored by Pacific Blue Cross, sheds light on the invisible barriers faced by women of all...