The British Columbia Investment Management Corp. is appointing Ramy Rayes as acting executive vice-president of investment strategy and risk. Rayes, who joined the BCI in 2016, has taken over the role at the pension corporation from Stephan Dunatov on a temporary basis. Dunatov will join the Abu Dhabi Investment Council as chief strategist. Read: AIMCo appointing […]
The funded position for an average Canadian defined benefit pension plan improved slightly on both a solvency and accounting basis in June, according to a new report by LifeWorks Inc. (formerly Morneau Shepell Ltd.) The average solvency ratio was 109.3 per cent in June, compared to 108.2 per cent in May. On an accounting basis, the average […]
If there was a Hall of Fame for catastrophic years, 2020 would be a certainty for admission, with Canada among many nations around the globe struggling through a sickening cycle of coronavirus pandemic waves, interrupted only by economic and societal lockdowns. But take a look at the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan’s […]
As many employees struggle with mental-health issues during these tumultuous times, internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy is one tool that may help them bounce back. Employers can play a pivotal role in supporting staff amid the coronavirus pandemic by investing in these offerings. The pandemic is having a significant impact on working Canadians’ mental health, with […]
The funded position for an average Canadian defined benefit pension plan improved slightly during May, with a solvency of 108.2 per cent, according to a new report by LifeWorks Inc. (formerly Morneau Shepell Ltd.) On an accounting basis, it found expenses for the average pension plan had dropped precipitously since the beginning of 2021, at […]
While Canadians’ mental health continues to suffer, LifeWorks Inc.’s monthly index has seen some improvements, including in its anxiety and psychological health sub-categories. The index reported a negative 10.7 overall mental-health score for April, slightly higher than negative 11.2 for March. In addition, the majority of sub-scores showed improvements over the previous month. The anxiety […]
Two experts weigh in on the merits and drawbacks of taking the traditional annuities route versus opting for the newer do-it-yourself option. Marco Dickner, retirement risk management leader for Willis Towers Watson in Canada Although annuity purchases have become an important pension risk management option over the last decade, a countertrend is emerging for plan […]
When Algonquin College decided to streamline its absence management process in 2019, it was important to partner with a provider that would go beyond merely adjudicating files and deliver a touchpoint for employees. The school quickly found that partner in Morneau Shepell Ltd., which was already providing ad-hoc absence management services to Algonquin, says Jessica […]
Amid the second (and hopefully last) year of the coronavirus pandemic, employers are starting to plan for the post-pandemic future. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic, forcing many employers around the globe to rapidly shift mainly white-collar employees to working from home. By April 2020, in Canada, […]
The recent announcement that General Motors of Canada Co. purchased $1.8 billion of annuities for its salaried pension plan is creating a lot of excitement. GM Canada joins a growing list of plan sponsors who’ve purchased sizeable annuities in the last few years: Stelco Inc. ($885 million), Alcoa Corp. ($750 million), Rio Tinto Group ($560 […]