Archives Benefits Canada Archive

Latest news in Benefits Canada Archive

Editorial: Sleep is the best medicine in an increasingly foreboding world

It’s been nearly two years since I slept through the night — my 15-month-old daughter is still waking up to nurse and I wasn’t sleeping…

Head to head: Do mental-health first aiders do more harm than good?

While research so far indicates being a mental-health first aid trainee is neither clearly beneficial or harmful, it’s also important to consider potential risks and…

How 5 employers are designing mental-health benefits that cater to a diverse workforce

Most Canadian benefits plan sponsors (89 per cent) and members (73 per cent) agree their workplace environment supports mental wellness, according to the 2024 Benefits…

Psychological safety, DEI rising considerations in workplace mental-health support

While the conversation around mental-health benefits is typically focused on coverage levels, it’s important for employers to unpack the entire mental-health bucket and consider the…

Institutional investors keeping events in perspective in 2025

In the social media age, it’s easier than ever to lose perspective on events and even institutional investors are susceptible to overreaction amid the avalanche…

Review leads to structural changes at NAV Canada

Natasha Trainor has overseen the pension strategy at NAV Canada for nearly half a decade and she’s made her imprint by adding a novel review…

Back to basics on sleep

Even though humans spend a third of their lives asleep, it’s often taken for granted, but people are waking up to how sleep — or…

How social media is helping employers streamline, personalize pension communications

Social media is breathing new life into employers’ pension communications, helping to make the benefit resonate with different audiences and offering organizations a far wider…

Q&A with the Vancouver Airport Authority’s Darian Low

The YVR’s manager of workplace well-being discusses new mental-health initiatives, supporting a growing workforce and landscape photography. Q: What new programs or initiatives are you…

Editorial: Challenges and opportunities amid an increasingly imbalanced generational divide

The keynote session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Defined Contribution Investment Forum warned that the failure to plan for the ‘boomer bulge’ is affecting private and…

Head to head: Should Canadian pension funds be incentivized to invest domestically?

While both experts point to the obligation of the pension promise, one argues that many pension funds are already overweight in Canadian allocations, while the…

How Hydro Ottawa’s pre-retiree engagement strategy is supporting financial wellness, retirement readiness

When Hydro Ottawa was preparing for its first wave of retiring baby boomers in 2011, it began working on a strategy to mitigate the subsequent…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • December 13, 2024 December 12, 2024
  • 08:57

2024 CAP Suppliers Report: How can employers, pension industry support retirement needs of gig workers?

As gig workers make up a greater share of the Canadian workforce, a lack of retirement savings options may leave this growing demographic facing financial…

  • By: Leah Golob
  • December 13, 2024 December 12, 2024
  • 08:56

Making sustainable investments count at five New York City pension funds

Brad Lander is advocating for public pension funds to enforce their responsible investment mandates even if that pits them against their partners. As New York…

How to streamline benefits plans during a merger or acquisition

When a company is undergoing a merger or acquisition, it’s important to maintain consistency regarding benefits plans and streamline the process as much as possible.…

  • By: Sadie Janes
  • December 13, 2024 December 12, 2024
  • 08:54

Q&A with Marriott Hotels of Canada’s Candice Li

The hospitality company’s pension and benefits manager discusses gen Z in the workforce, student debt repayment programs and family vacations. Q: What new programs or…

Editorial: Prioritizing plan sponsor perspectives

The weather is shifting, with the wet November wind blowing away the crisp October sunshine. While this time of year is characterized by the change…

Head to head: Are employers’ financial literacy initiatives translating into reality?

One expert suggests employers bridge their knowledge gap by finding ways to turn education into action, while another says companies’ commitments to ongoing financial literacy…

How Meridian’s financial wellness offerings benefit employees, organization as a whole

As a financial institution that provides banking and wealth management services to customers, Meridian Credit Union ensures it also offers employees a comprehensive suite of…

  • By: Sadie Janes
  • November 15, 2024 November 13, 2024
  • 08:58

2024 Top 40 Money Managers Report: To divest or engage?

With 15 different client organizations, including nine public sector pension plans, the Alberta Investment Management Corp. has opted to engage, rather than divest, from certain…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • November 15, 2024 November 22, 2024
  • 08:57

How benefits plan sponsors, insurers are managing newer — and effective — GLP-1 medications

With lyrics adapted to the tune of ‘Magic’ by Scottish pop group Pilot, the melody of ‘Oh, Oh, Oh, Ozempic’ is splashed across U.S. televisions…

How Mexico’s reformed pension system is improving workers’ retirement security

Earlier this year, Mexico’s senate approved the creation of a new pension fund to help provide more retirement security for low-income citizens. The reform aims…

  • By: Sadie Janes
  • November 15, 2024 November 13, 2024
  • 08:54

The Calgary Foundation using alternatives to push beyond its comfort zone

In the years following the 2008/09 financial crisis, Dan Langlois realized the allocation strategy for the Calgary Foundation’s endowment portfolio needed a significant adjustment if…

Q&A with Hoffmann-La Roche’s Rana Kassab

The pharmaceutical company’s director of benefits and recognition discusses the needs of a multigenerational workforce, the role of diversity, equity and inclusion in benefits plans…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • November 15, 2024 November 13, 2024
  • 08:53

Editorial: Calling on government, employers to update inequitable benefits for working parents

As I write this, I’ve been back at my desk for three weeks following my second maternity leave. This time around, I took nearly eight…