There’s something about the Arizona State Retirement System — a US$49.3-billion defined benefit-like hybrid pension plan for the state’s 600,000 current and former public sector workers — that feels downright Canadian. The resemblance is intentional. Canadian Paul Matson, executive director of the AZSRS, drew inspiration from his home country when establishing its approach, particularly in […]
The agreement on remote and flexible work between public sector workers and the federal government could set the stage for future union negotiations, according to labour experts. “We’re basically entering a brand new phase of what we talk about in collective agreements, which includes workers’ autonomy over their time,” says Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and […]
The Public Service Alliance of Canada and the federal government have reached a tentative agreement for more than 120,000 workers, which includes new protections around remote work and wage increases. The tentative agreement, which ends a two-week strike, includes negotiated language that requires managers to assess remote work requests individually — not by group — and […]
Defined benefit. Defined contribution. Target benefit. Shared risk. Collective. Multi-employer. Pooled. Canada’s pension and retirement landscape is littered with lingo that can often be confusing for the people who participate in these plans and count on them for their retirement income. As pension plans evolve and the terms describing them expand, does the industry have […]
Employees working from home during the worst part of the coronavirus pandemic were younger, more diverse and better educated, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. In many respects, the demographic makeup of people working from home between 2019 and 2021 became more like workers who were commuting, while the share of […]
Three years ago this month, the world was grappling with the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Even then, with very little information available, people were beginning to turn their attention to the anticipated long-term ramifications of the public health crisis. With everyone experiencing this once-in-a-century moment simultaneously, no one had a response for how […]
The University of Victoria -- Executive Director, Pensions & Plan Governance Location: Victoria, BC The opportunity exists for a new Executive Director, Pensions to bring strong pension knowledge and expertise to a diverse and professionally stimulating set of pension plans - a defined benefit plan mainly for unionized staff, a defined contribution plan for part […]
More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of employers in Ontario believe supporting employee mental health and well-being is important for their organization’s success, according to a new survey by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. However, the survey, which polled more than 1,900 organizations across the province, also found just over a third (37 per cent) […]
Exactly a decade ago this month, Canadian employers were introduced to the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace — a global first-of-its-kind framework designed to guide organizations looking to shift their workplace culture towards one that promotes mental health and prevents psychological harm at work. While the standard is still being […]
After nearly three years mired in the coronavirus pandemic, employers are beginning to put the pieces of their respective workplaces back together, using wellness as the cornerstone. They’re shaping their respective new ways of working — whether remote, in-office or hybrid — and expanding their thinking around wellness to achieve a successful return to a […]