The comprehensive review of Canada’s retirement savings framework that has taken place since 2008 has highlighted a need to refine the options available to Canadians to help them save more effectively for retirement. On the heels of a major market decline, the need for retirement saving took on renewed importance, and the review exposed gaps […]
The Standard Life Assurance Company of Canada’s new Plan for life statement for group savings and retirement plan members has been ranked second in Canada, as per global financial services strategy and operations research firm DALBAR. Standard Life’s member statement received an excellent rating in the DALBAR Trends and Best Practices in Defined Contribution Pension […]
NAV Canada has had a pension plan communications strategy in place since 2000. But a growing realization from the pension team that members were not as engaged in the plan as they could be was the catalyst for recent enhancements. “The pension benefits at NAV Canada are complex and were not well understood by employees. […]
In 2008, Americans voted in record numbers, with millions submitting early ballots and others standing in lines that snaked around the block—sometimes in pouring rain. Fast-forward to 2010. Voter turnout for the recent mid-term primaries was the lowest of any mid-term primary season in U.S. history, with the exception of 2006. Young voters were the […]
Wellness and fitness have always been an integral component of the culture at sanofi pasteur, a company with roots in Canada dating back nearly 100 years. At one time, the organization’s employee wellness programs meant company bowling leagues and baseball teams. Now they mean offering employees everything from a fully equipped on-site gym and instructor-led […]
When you think about employee communications, what comes to mind? Websites, presentations, pamphlets, emails? If so, you’re not alone. For most organizations—and most plan sponsors—communication refers to the tools we use to deliver information after everything else is done. When it comes to changing a benefits plan, for instance, the process typically looks something like […]
What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” Paul Newman in the film Cool Hand Luke didn’t enjoy hearing this, and plan sponsors don’t enjoy hearing it either—particularly when they’re trying to communicate benefits and pension plans to employees. But some plan sponsors are failing to reach members as, more than ever, employees are bombarded […]
Since I stepped into the editor’s role at Benefits Canada in April, I have been immersed in many compelling discussions, ranging from pension reform to containing benefits costs. Although the topics have varied widely, I have noted a common thread: communication, and the pursuit thereof. Take the recent Education Initiative Report by the Association of […]
Another big hurdle will be ongoing communication with its board and trustees.
More than ever, today’s plan sponsors need to maximize the return on their communications investment. The question is: how? In our hyper-connected world, most of us struggle with information overload. Throw in a constant barrage of messaging about our global economic crisis, and it’s no wonder that plan members start tuning out. So how can […]