Latest news in Benefits Canada Archive

Ethical veganism a philosophical belief, finds British tribunal in pension investment case

Ethical veganism a philosophical belief, finds British tribunal in pension investment case

On Friday, a judge in Norwich, U.K. ruled that ethical veganism qualifies as a philosophical belief under Britain’s Equality Act, in a pension-related case filed by ethical…

France enters crucial week of talks with unions on pensions

France enters crucial week of talks with unions on pensions

French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to launch a crucial week of negotiations with labour unions amid nationwide protests and transport strikes against the government’s…

Caisse invests in Canadian home care tech company

Caisse invests in Canadian home care tech company

The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, together with iNovia Capital, is investing US$37 million in home care technology provider AlayaCare. AlayaCare provides a cloud-based…

  • By: Staff
  • January 6, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 09:30

Climate change, aging population major economic factors in forecast for 2020s

A new economic report says the next decade in Canada will increasingly be shaped by the twin forces of climate change and demographic disruption from…

U.S.-Iran tensions roil world markets as gold hits seven-year high

Global stock markets took another hit Monday while oil and gold prices surged in response to the escalating tensions in the Middle East following the…

Canadian DB pensions boost solvency levels in Q4 2019: reports

Canadian DB pensions boost solvency levels in Q4 2019: reports

Canada’s defined benefit pension plans increased their solvency levels in 2019 and have equity markets to thank, according to Mercer. The Mercer pension health index,…

  • By: Staff
  • January 3, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 10:00

Quebec drug pooling corp.’s cost increases mean premium hikes for plan sponsors

Quebec employers can expect to face significant increases to their drug pooling premiums in 2020. The Quebec Drug Insurance Pooling Corp., which sets the annual pooling parameters…

Women and men to reach pay equality in 257 years: report

Women and men to reach pay equality in 257 years: report

Men and women will have pay equality in 257 years, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum. The estimate is 55 more…

  • By: Staff
  • January 3, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 09:35
Will institutional investors favour private equity in 2020?

Will institutional investors favour private equity in 2020?

Looking back on last year’s investment activity, institutional investors continued to pile into private equity. Globally, commitments to private equity funds jumped 27 per cent,…

  • By: Staff
  • January 3, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 09:30
Conference coverage: 2019 Toronto Mental Health Summit

Conference coverage: 2019 Toronto Mental Health Summit

On Nov. 29, the 2019 Toronto Mental Health Summit featured sessions on how employers can approach mental health in the workplace, including removing the stigma and…

Social connection can build or erode mental health, resilience

Social connection can build or erode mental health, resilience

Between 2017 and 2019, the number of individuals reporting mental-health issues has risen by seven per cent, according to Dr. Sam Mikail, psychologist and senior…

Treatment access, innovation integral to supporting employee mental health

Treatment access, innovation integral to supporting employee mental health

Mental-health symptomology — such as difficulty concentrating, feelings of isolation and lack of motivation — is incredibly impactful in the workplace and makes it difficult…

10 key factors for ensuring the success of a digital therapy program

10 key factors for ensuring the success of a digital therapy program

In recent years, advancements in technology have led to the development and cost-effective delivery of sophisticated digital mental-health programs, with burgeoning resources for common mental-health…

Considering the connection between chronic illnesses and mental health

Considering the connection between chronic illnesses and mental health

Over the last 40 years, the mortality morbidities of cancer, HIV and cardiovascular disease have dropped dramatically, but the mortality of suicide has gone up,…

A look at how internet-based CBT programs are evolving

A look at how internet-based CBT programs are evolving

Internet-based programs are the future of mental-health therapy, according to Peter Gove, the former innovation leader in health management at Green Shield Canada, speaking during a session…

Harnessing analytics, data to support employee mental health

Harnessing analytics, data to support employee mental health

Mental health is the third largest health spend in terms of benefits plan management, according to Derek Weir, manager of health benefit solutions at Medavie Blue…

Giving workers mental-health care options extremely important

Giving workers mental-health care options extremely important

When Mark Henick, principal and chief executive officer at Strategic Mental Health Solutions, was younger, he felt he had no choice but to take his…

Awareness, education key parts of a mental-health action plan

Awareness, education key parts of a mental-health action plan

Among the ways employers can encourage better employee mental health is to focus on prevention by raising awareness, reduce structural barriers and provide mental-health education,…

The comorbidity link between migraine and mental health

The comorbidity link between migraine and mental health

A migraine sufferer herself, Dr. Rose Giammarco, founder and director of Hamilton Headache Clinic, told the audience at Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Mental Health Summit that…

The role of nutrition in improving mental health

The role of nutrition in improving mental health

Since good nutrition contributes to better mental health, what people eat has a direct relationship to their mood and how they function, said Charmaine Alexander,…

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Shareholder environmental activism showing results without compromising returns: study

Shareholder environmental activism has been growing in popularity with institutional investors, but is it working? The New York City pension system implemented a boardroom accountability…

  • By: Staff
  • January 3, 2020 December 13, 2020
  • 08:18
Quebec bill proposes increase to adoptive parental leave

Quebec bill proposes increase to adoptive parental leave

Quebec’s government is introducing a bill that would increase leave entitlements for adoptive parents from the current 37 weeks to 42. The bill would also increase entitlements…

  • By: Staff
  • January 2, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 09:30
AIMCo purchasing equity interest in B.C. pipeline

AIMCo purchasing equity interest in B.C. pipeline

The company behind the $6.2-billion Coastal GasLink pipeline in British Columbia has made a deal to sell a 65 per cent equity interest in the…

EI premiums to fall in 2020 for workers and employers

EI premiums to fall in 2020 for workers and employers

Canadian workers and employers will enjoy a slight decrease in employment insurance premiums in the new year, resulting in about $1.1 billion in total reductions…

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After ebullient 2019, Wall Street warns of slower road ahead

After a year of nirvana, investors may need to get ready for something a little more normal. Markets are coming off a fabulous 2019, where…

  • January 2, 2020 December 13, 2020
  • 09:08