From pharmacare to analytics, plan sponsors heard about the big issues on the horizon for their benefits plans at Benefits Canada‘s Calgary Benefits Summit. Presenters at the May 29 event took the audience through a range of topics, including the implications of marijuana legalization and new developments in health-care delivery. And two years after the […]
The Great-West Life Assurance Co. is providing a bike pavilion to employees who commute on two wheels to its head office in Winnipeg. With storage for up to 162 bicycles, the covered pavilion spans 1,800 square feet. It features a two-tier rack system to store the bikes, a pneumatic lift to help employees get their bicycle to […]
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 […]
The majority (81 per cent) of plan sponsors said they have a philosophy or long-term view that defines why they offer benefits plans and that guides their decision-making, according to the 2018 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Employers with a wellness culture are more likely (88 per cent) to have a philosophy around their benefits plan, compared […]
A quarter (26 per cent) of Canadian workers said the biggest downside of remote working is feeling isolated or missing out on the team environment, according to a new survey by staffing firm Robert Half Canada Inc. Other drawbacks included people abusing the benefit and not sticking to working hours (20 per cent); interpersonal relationships suffering because […]
Alongside its financial impact, extreme weather takes a toll on absenteeism, mental health and disability claims, according to a new study by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo. The research, funded by Manulife Financial Corp. and Intact Financial Corp., looked at homeowners in Burlington, Ont., after a storm in August 2014 left […]
Walmart Inc. is introducing an education benefit for its employees in the United States and Puerto Rico, allowing workers to pursue degrees in business and supply chain management. “We’ve been very deliberate about our investment in our associates over the past few years,” wrote Erica Jones, senior manager of corporate communications, in an email to […]
More than 85 per cent of Canadian organizations offer flexible working options to employees, according to a new survey by the Conference Board of Canada. The survey, which questioned more than 320 employers, found that among those that provide such arrangements, flexible hours (93 per cent) is the most commonly offered option, followed by part-time remote work (55 […]
The Co-operators Group Ltd. and Morneau Shepell Ltd. have partnered on a new employee and family assistance program that will be available to the Co-operators’ group benefits clients. Called Here4You, the program offers a host of services, including financial literacy support and help with caring for aging parents, according to a press release from the […]
A subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc. has acquired a holding in an Irish company specializing in employee benefits consulting and private wealth management. On Friday, Great-West Lifeco announced the deal involving its subsidiary, Irish Life Group Ltd., and Invesco Ltd. (Ireland). With more than 125 employees, Invesco manages the pension plans of more than 275 […]