Jo-Ann Hannah is director, pensions and benefits, with Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union. She provides an organized labour perspective on ensuring adequate retirement income for employees.
May 5 marks the start of Mental Health Week in Canada, which is designed to encourage people to learn, talk, reflect and engage with others on all issues relating to mental health. These discussions are increasingly taking place in the workplace, where the focus is on acknowledging, supporting and accommodating employees who experience mental health challenges.
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a global initiative targeted at raising awareness of this debilitating condition. The fact that most people—and employers—aren’t familiar with the disease, its symptoms and treatment options indicates that a campaign to raise its profile is needed, especially as the incidence of Lyme disease in Canada is expected to grow.
Late summer to early fall is when a number of HR consulting firms and associations release the results of their annual salary increase surveys, with projected increases for the coming year. Human resources professionals responding to these surveys indicated that they expected average raises of between 2.6% and 3.1% for 2014, taking into account all industries, positions and locations.
Only a few years ago, it was standard practice for Canadian employers to spread the love around when it came to working with HR consultants. They would have different providers for pension and health benefits consulting, as well as for employee communication, administration, compensation and other services. More recently, organizations have demonstrated an increased willingness to partner with a single consultancy for multiple services.
When a company name is associated with healthcare, is there more pressure to practise what it preaches when it comes to supporting its own employees’ good health? Basil Rowe, Shoppers Drug Mart’s vice-president, total rewards and shared services, describes the motivation as more of a keen desire to have internal best-in-class programs that reflect Shoppers’ external customer care business model. “We want to demonstrate to our employees that their well-being is important to us,” he says.
Sonia Mak, a partner with Borden Ladner Gervais, LLP, identifies key considerations for administrators of pension and benefits plans that help to evaluate potential outsourcing partners. The weight each point carries will vary with the nature of the mandate and the expectations of the administrator.
The recent announcement that global HR consulting firm Mercer had decided to transfer much of its Canadian pension and group benefits outsourcing business to Morneau Shepell, a competitor in this country, came as a surprise to many. Aside from the specific issue of why Mercer opted to take this step, the news has prompted a greater focus on the HR outsourcing landscape and why some firms have opted to provide these services while others have not.
Evolving demands require consultants to be smarter, more collaborative and increasingly results-focused. We asked Sarah J. Beech, president of Pal Benefits, to provide some pointers for junior consultants.
Many Canadian employers that weathered the economic downturn have surfaced with a more cautious attitude. They are often more cost-conscious and risk-averse.