OVERVIEW AGENDA SPEAKERS SPONSOR INFORMATION LOCATION POST EVENT COVERAGE Speaker Pavithra Ravinatarajan, pharmacist Pavithra Ravinatarajan is a practicing pharmacist in the region of Kitchener, Ont. and Waterloo, Ont. She works in both traditional retail and compounding pharmacy, in benefits strategy at Manulife and also teaches business at the University of Waterloo’s school of pharmacy. Ravinatarajan […]
Employers can play a meaningful role in improving vaccine uptake, said Ajit Johal, a community pharmacist, clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and founder of vaccine education non-profit organization immunize.io, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. A recent partnership between the Richmond School District in British […]
The Ontario Pension Board is displaying its support for its LGBTQ2S+ employees and, indeed, the wider community, as some of its workers proudly wave the organization’s banner while marching in Toronto’s Pride Parade this weekend. Participating in the parade is just one of the ways in which the organization is fostering an inclusive culture in […]
For Pride Month, 1Password is bringing employees together to highlight intersectionality through a host of initiatives, including a keynote presentation by Canada’s Drag Race‘s season one contestant, Kyne. “This year, we really wanted to focus on intersectionality and bringing the different visible minorities together in new and interesting ways,” says Ionas von Zezschwitz, the identity security company’s […]
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Unique natural events caused by the effects of climate change need to be considered in a financial organization’s risk analysis, according to a new report by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. The report examined work and recommendations of the task force on climate-related financial disclosures on climate risk frameworks for the Canadian financial sector. It […]
When considering whether to cover Wegovy, an obesity medication, it’s important for plan sponsors to weigh increased short-term costs with long-term savings, while considering alternative treatments that are also available, says Philippe Laplante, a principal at Eckler Ltd. Plan sponsors that decide to cover Wegovy, which launched in Canada last month, could see a significant cost […]
The use of obesity medications among Canadian employer-sponsored benefits plan members has grown substantially, with claims increasing 42 per cent in 2023 and roughly 92 per cent since 2020, according to a new report by Manulife Financial Corp. The report, based on aggregate claims data, found more women are using obesity drugs than men (79 […]
OVERVIEW AGENDA SPEAKERS LOCATION Speaker Pascal Bernier, portfolio manager of strategic asset allocation, Desjardins Global Asset Management As a portfolio manager, Pascal Bernier is responsible for implementing and monitoring strategic asset allocations for plan sponsor clients and investment mandates using various asset classes. Bernier has worked as an actuary and investment specialist for the past […]
Manulife Financial Corp.’s latest financial stress survey found two-thirds (64 per cent) of employees aged 55 and younger and 50 per cent of workers aged 55 and older are seeking more financial advice from their employer, said Marc-Antoine Morin, the organization’s assistant vice-president of product development for group retirement solutions, during a session at Benefits […]