iA Financial Group is introducing an online enrolment tool for its group benefits members. The tool, which can be accessed through a smartphone, tablet or computer, allows plan members to choose coverage, designate beneficiaries and manage the information of dependants. “The online enrolment tool is an intelligent, high-performance solution that provides a simplified overall experience to employers […]
While the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association generally supports the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ proposed guideline on defined contribution pension plans, certain areas require further clarification. “We recognize that some service providers may require substantial lead time to enhance administrative systems to incorporate functionality, such as capturing and reporting indirect fees, that may not currently exist,” […]
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is having déjà vu. After closing its defined benefit plan to new members in 2013 and introducing a defined contribution component, the organization is now reversing course completely, closing its DC plan at the end of 2017 and re-opening its DB plan to all employees on Jan. 1, 2018. […]
Canadian participation rates in workplace wellness programs are extremely low, with just 11 per cent of employees participating on a regular basis and 23 per cent participating only occasionally, according to the 2015 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. But one workplace wellness program is reversing this trend. Global health organization Merck Canada Inc. launched its program […]
As workforces become more scattered, how can employers ensure they reach all of their workers through their wellness efforts? “Today’s environment is very different from what it was in the past, with an increasing number of employees working from home, being on the road, travelling and having no real regular place of business,” said Sarah […]
While total rewards were once based on pay and benefits in an attempt to cultivate long-term employee loyalty, the concept has evolved, according to Mercer Canada’s Gordon Frost. “We are focusing more on, in addition to pay and benefits, things like achievement, camaraderie, do we have equity in our pay?” said Frost, partner and career business leader, during a Mercer event […]
Golf Town Ltd. is giving its workforce a little nudge to help get its communications across. Last year, the retailer connected with Nudge Rewards Inc., introducing the technology company’s mobile platform to facilitate the way it communications with employees. “They were talking about how to engage and communicate with employees, and we have multiple locations across Canada and we […]
When left unchecked, absenteeism is like a termite that stealthily eats into employee engagement, team morale and organizational output, often costing companies millions of dollars in lost productivity, wages and management time. The trick is to proactively address the issue before it becomes stickier than it needs to be. Quite often, a straightforward conversation between […]
With summer underway, Software company Kinaxis Inc. used a barbecue event last week as a way to introduce its growing human resources team to employees and explain the services they offer. As the Ottawa-based company has grown, its human resources and facilities team has expanded as well, to 14 people today from four members about three years ago. […]
Canadian employees and plan sponsors are on the same page when it comes to the quality of their health benefits plans, according to the 2018 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. This year’s survey found that 58 per cent of plan members describe their benefits plan as excellent or very good, up from 48 per cent a […]