We say unions are a good thing. They have given workers a voice, an ability to achieve fairness in the employment relationship that can be anything but balanced. They have fought and paved the way for a multitude of societal reforms and benefits in the workplace such as maximum hours of work, overtime, health/dental benefits […]
COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on the Ontario workforce. While many employees contracted COVID-19 and recovered within a few weeks, some individuals still suffer from symptoms months later. According to the federal government, individuals who are still experiencing physical or psychological symptoms more than twelve weeks after initially contracting the virus are suffering from […]
As the majority of the workforce transitions back to in-office work, employees’ mental health in the workplace can no longer be ignored. Bram Lecker (“Mr. Lecker”), principal of Lecker & Associates, recently addressed this issue in an article, Disability claims involving employees suffering from mental illnesses are rising: lawyer, in the Canadian Lawyer. Specifically, he […]
Many Canadian employees feel the security and comfort of having disability income protection included as part of their employment benefits package. Unfortunately, new hires are so enamoured with the initial contract, usually described in a glossy benefits booklet that they do not bother to read the fine print. In so many cases, if tragedy strikes […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on Canadians’ mental and physical health. An Ipsos poll conducted earlier this year found that 56 percent of those surveyed reported increased feelings of social isolation, depression, and anxiety due to the pandemic and related lockdowns. We are beginning to learn that those who have contracted the virus […]
No matter how much we love our job, there can come a time when an individual is undergoing a mental disability, such as tremendous stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression, and medical leave is both necessary and recommended by a physician. Prior to and in the wake of COVID-19, the mental health crisis has severely increased […]
As employment lawyers, we regularly take on cases involving clients who have trouble accessing their employee benefits to get through short-term and long-term illnesses and injuries. Such benefits are administered by third-party private insurers. Claim processes are complicated and applications denied often, leaving ill, injured and disabled individuals to seek out legal services for recourse. […]
Chronic pain can debilitate and keep individuals from work. If you need to tap into your private disability benefits to take time off to rehabilitate, proving your case will be an uphill battle. Typically, here is how matters play out.
Seeking long-term disability benefits as a heart and stroke patient can be fraught with minefields. Are you set up to navigate this while also trying to get your health back on track?
The COVID-19 crisis has put a glaring spotlight on the matter of sick leave. Will you manage financially if you have to take extended time off from work to recover? National short-term disability benefits would dovetail perfectly with the long-held Canadian tradition of universal healthcare. And implementing it would require nothing more than simple modifications to existing programs.