Archives October 2010

October 2010

Capital accumulation plans

Jardin de Ville, based in Mirabel, Que., is a leader in the design and marketing of high-end garden furniture. The company manufactures, retails and distributes…

Health benefits

Every day, according to Statistics Canada, 14.5 million people go to work at a small or medium-size place of employment. It is no wonder these…

Aging demographics. The economic boom. The financial meltdown. The economic recovery. Spiralling healthcare costs. Government off-loading. All of the buzzwords of the last five years…

We all know the workforce is changing. Today it’s the most culturally and generationally diverse than any other time in history. It’s also the oldest,…

Health/wellness

Healthier Households, Healthier Employees Healthy living is the foundation of this company, so it’s not surprising the company offers its workforce its immune-boosting products for…

Latest reports show that mental illness is linked to more lost workdays than any other chronic condition, costing the Canadian economy $51 billion a year…

Defined benefit pensions

-33%, +35%, -5%. These are the annualized returns of the S&P/TSX Composite Index in 2008, 2009 and (so far) 2010, respectively. With this degree of…

When funding is reduced and budgets need to be tightened, it doesn’t take a PhD graduate—although the University of Alberta (U of A) has plenty—to…

As the public debate about the future of pensions continues to unfold, policy-makers need to keep three factors in mind if the reforms are to…

Governance/legislation

In June, the nation’s finance ministers convened in Charlottetown to set the direction for pension reform. Hopes were high that consensus on a pan-Canadian approach…

Alternative investments

In the current market environment, no asset class has as bright a future as alternative investments. Once regarded as hedging tools, alternatives—including hedge funds, private…

Benefits Canada News

It’s no surprise to employers that mental health is a considerable issue in the workplace. It is a major disability and one that is often…