While she has 20 years of experience in the industry, Sheila Phillips is aware of how difficult it is to know everything in the benefits field. With that in mind, Phillips, a senior account manager at the Great-West Life Assurance Co., kicked off the benefits and pensions fundamentals program held by the Toronto chapter of […]
More than ever, mental health is at the centre of our national conversation. From mayors to chief executive officers to well-known Canadians, mental health has never had so many different champions. And rightly so. Mental health exists where we do, extending from our homes, throughout our communities and into the workplace. It’s at the workplace where the […]
May is the perfect time of year to address employees’ financial health, as they’ve just gone through the stress of filing their tax returns. As well, May 7-13 is Mental Health Week in Canada, so employees will be seeing an abundance of resources to support their challenges, encourage new behaviours and improve their situations. Good financial health […]
Companies are falling short when it comes to having comprehensive policies on substance use, according to a new report by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. The report, which is based on a review of about 800 companies, interviews with experts and responses to an online survey, aimed to analyze and provide a […]
More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of North American employees and retirees with pension plans said the availability of those benefits was a major factor in deciding whether to accept a job, according to a new survey by Accenture. Its survey, which polled nearly 3,000 Canadian and U.S. workers, also found that pensions remained a loyalty factor after […]
Most Canadian employers have yet to take action to prepare for the incoming changes to the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan, according to a survey by Aon. The survey found just 17 per cent of the 325 organizations polled have started to make plans to accommodate the changes. More than a third (37 […]
The KFC Foundation is introducing a personal finance program for employees at the restaurant chain’s participating franchises in the United States. The non-profit organization funded by KFC franchisees is rolling out the financial wellness app to empower employees to take charge of their money. “The KFC Foundation programs provide resources to KFC’s frontline workers, based […]
Finding ways to leverage the engagement of plan members in order to optimize their experiences, decision-making and outcomes was a recurring theme at Benefits Canada’s Defined Contribution Plan Summit this February. One way to boost outcomes is by considering the growing science of financial attention, according to Jane Henshaw, head of digital research at the […]
While improving a defined contribution pension plan may appear to be simple, ensuring employees fully understand the changes is a crucial part of the exercise, said Ian Baines, head of pensions at Britain’s Nationwide Building Society. Baines told the story of his company’s pension changes at Benefits Canada‘s 2018 Defined Contribution Plan Summit in February. […]
Transitioning to a defined contribution plan from a defined benefit arrangement is hard enough during the best of times. But when the organization is a company like Coca-Cola Ltd., size can be an added complication. “Encouraging employees to take action is not easy,” said Martha Callum, senior director for total rewards at Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada, […]