Latest news in Benefits Canada Archive

Head to head: Should employers implement location-based pay for remote workers?

A consultant says location is one of many factors determining pay, while a human resources specialist argues it shouldn’t be a consideration. Cissy Pau, principal…

A deep dive into health-care navigation guides

With employees often struggling to find benefits offerings related to mental-health support or chronic conditions, demand for health-care system navigation services has increased significantly in…

2024 Top 40 Money Managers Report: How pension plan sponsors are using the latest technology to maintain cybersecurity

In the fight against cybercriminals, institutional investors and other financial organizations are managing cybersecurity just as seriously as any other type of business risk, with…

Independent Electricity System Operator using diversification to beat volatility

The Independent Electricity System Operator’s pension plan is in the midst of a comeback from a period of heightened post-coronavirus pandemic volatility, with diversification as…

Q&A with the Royal Bank of Canada’s Jamie Abbott

The RBC’s senior director of North American benefits and global well-being discusses building flexibility into the modern benefits plan, harnessing AI capabilities in the banking…

Editorial: Turning challenge into opportunity

As I write this column, I’m reflecting on the spectrum of weather I’ve witnessed this past winter. From my office window in southwestern Ontario, I…

Head to Head: Is it time to change the terminology around ESG?

An academic says environmental, social and governance terminology should evolve alongside understanding of the concept, while a consultant favours a focus on substance over form.…

How the WSIB is supporting employee well-being with enhanced, unlimited mental-health coverage

While the coronavirus pandemic may be in the rearview mirror for most employers, the Ontario-based Workplace Safety and Insurance Board knows all too well that…

2024 Group Benefits Providers Report: Leveraging AI to streamline benefits

While there are multiple opportunities for the use of artificial intelligence in the employee benefits space — including making the claims process more efficient and…

How will growing anti-ESG sentiment in the U.S. impact Canadian institutional investors?

A growing wave of opposition to environmental, social and governance factors has turned life in the sustainable finance industry into something of a roller coaster…

How CAAT is supporting its ESG aspirations through responsible investments, team-building

As an institutional investor, Asif Haque knows the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Pension Plan has a responsibility to meet the rising challenge of…

How climate change is impacting benefits, employee health

During Canada’s unprecedented 2023 wildfire season, 6,500 individual fires burned more than 18.4 million hectares of land — and wildland firefighters bore the brunt of…

Back to basics on investment glide paths

Simply put, a glide path is a calculation designed to support an employee’s desired retirement timeline through investments in a target-date fund. When an employee…

Q&A with BMO Financial Group’s Vanessa Lewerentz

The organization’s chief inclusion officer discusses building an inclusive learning roadmap, the adoption of AI in the HR space and finding ways to nourish her…

Editorial: The more things change

Well hello there! We may have met during one of Benefits Canada’s and the Canadian Investment Review’s many events throughout the year, but if we…

How 5 employers are broadening the scope of mental-health support

Nearly four years after a global health crisis sparked an enduring spotlight on Canadians’ mental health, employees are increasingly making use of their workplace benefits…

Comparing workplace mental-health supports around the world

Although mental health is approached differently in workplaces around the globe, most multinational employers want to ensure a continuity of care and maintain a similar…

How active management strategies are helping institutional investors amid volatile global marketplace

As global markets navigate turbulent economic waters, active management is proving once again to be a lifeline for institutional investors to ensure their portfolios ride…

What are the issues for savings when mental health becomes a burden in retirement?

Since decreased cognition can impact retirees’ ability to make sound decisions, the Canadian Union of Public Employees urges its members to discuss financial matters with…

Halifax Port ILA/HEA assessing past, future of DB pension plans

While Blair Richards understands why the industry is moving away from defined benefit pension plans, he worries about what may be lost in the process.…

How remote working is impacting employee mental health

As the mental-health concerns of employees in remote working arrangements continue to evolve, Thomson Reuters Corp. is taking a flexible approach to supporting these workers.…

Q&A with KPMG in Canada’s Denis Trottier

The organization’s chief mental-health officer discusses sharing lived experiences, a new employee and family assistance program and maintaining his own mountain biking trail. Q: What…

Editorial: Saying goodbye to another challenging year

Since this month’s editorial is my farewell (for just five months) as I prepare for the birth of my second child at the end of…

Head to head: Is it time for DC plan sponsors to quit the balanced fund?

One defined contribution plan sponsor sings the praises of the traditional balanced fund, while another outlines a different option that better matches risk levels according…