Watch this video Mike Sullivan, president of Cubic Health, talks about his unique experience working with State Farm Insurance, as the organization set out to better manage its benefits plan. Sullivan says that State Farm’s cross-border structure—Canadian benefits are managed by the company’s U.S. corporate head office in conjunction with its Canadian HR team—and proactive […]
Watch this video Simplifying your plan for members comes down to educating and engaging them, says Alain Malaket, senior director of pensions and benefits for George Weston Ltd./Loblaw Companies Limited. “Once they understand the value of the proposition, then it’s that much simpler for them to make a decision,” he says. “In order to get […]
Watch this video Chad Lewis, founder of Intercultural Focus—Boston, discusses how increasing cultural diversity in Canada and in the workplace has changed the way plan sponsors need to communicate with their members. He says the changing cultural landscape means sponsors may need to reach out in new ways, need to make their communications as clear […]
It’s fair to assume that not all employees want or need the services of an employee assistance program (EAP). We understand that those employees fortunate enough to have a robust personal network to provide knowledge or guidance on either crisis or non-crisis situations may not use a company EAP. However, please don’t cancel your EAP! […]
In 2007, the Canadian division of Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) underwent a significant change, revamping its business culture and employee benefits. It was an enormous task, and the corporation faced a number of challenges along the way. Change of direction According to Lynda Newcomb, vice-president, HR, BMS Canada wanted to create an entrepreneurial culture in which […]
The trend toward DC plans creates a host of new challenges: for plan sponsors, whose members look to them for investment information; for governments under increasing pressure to ensure that Canadians have sufficient income in retirement; and for Canadians themselves, who need to take the initiative to ensure that they’re able to save a suitable […]
Despite the complexity of designing, communicating and administering a DC plan, employers do their best to get plan members engaged and on track with retirement savings. However, for each employer that does this, this poses some unique challenges. With this in mind, Benefits Canada sat down with four plan sponsors and asked each one to […]
Who doesn’t know about the power of communications? They can diffuse or create a crisis, reinforce or revolutionize, educate, misinform, motivate, stall and persuade or dissuade. An organization would be wise to harness the power of positive, effective communications to increase the value of its benefits and compensation investment! But before launching into your benefits […]
The importance of the communication of an employee benefits plan cannot be undervalued. It creates employee awareness of the available benefits, plan restrictions and general provisions of the plan; supports an employer that is trying to establish plan value; assists employers in meeting its plan administrator responsibilities. Whether you have the resources to develop and […]
For some employers, getting employees to formulate a financial plan for retirement is much like leading a horse to water. You can’t make employees plan any more than you can make that old horse drink. But if you can understand why employees aren’t considering retirement or acting on the messages you’ve been disseminating, you can […]