Canadian employers say competition for talent (84 per cent), rising mental-health issues (63 per cent) and a focus on inclusion and diversity (48 per cent) are the top factors influencing their benefits strategy, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled more than 5,200 employers representing 22.9 million employees around the world, found Canadian employers […]
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for pension funds looking to use an environmental, social and governance lens in their investment approach, according to a new publication from the pension research council at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Olivia Mitchell, a professor and executive director of the pension research council at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton […]
An article on the Ontario Court of Appeal upholding its decision in the Brewers Retail Inc. pension case was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Court of Appeal upholds decision in Brewers Retail pension case 2. Are insurers updating their benefits policies to include […]
Despite recent uptick in U.S. commercial office real estate landlords defaulting on their loans, the chances of the same trend moving north of the border is low, says Jim Clayton, professor and Timothy R. Price chair in real estate and infrastructure with the Schulich School of Business at York University. Since the onset of the […]
Proxy voting is playing a bigger role in institutional investors’ environmental, social and governance strategies, according to Christie Stephenson, executive director of the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, speaking during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Global Investment Conference. Long viewed as a value […]
The Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System’s private equity arm is backing the series B investment round for a U.S. medical company specializing in surgical and cancer care. Carrum Health, a health-care platform for self-funded employers, secured US$45 million from investors during the funding round, with OMERS Growth Equity serving as the lead investor. The digital platform, which […]
The Ontario Pension Board is announcing its plans for managing the coming departures of two of its top executives — Mark Fuller, president and chief executive officer, and Peter Shena, executive vice-president and chief pension officer. Shena (pictured right) will be stepping down from his role at the end of 2023, while Fuller (pictured left) […]
More than half (54 per cent) of employees without a workplace retirement savings plan — including 77 per cent of millennials — say they’d participate in an employer-sponsored plan if it offered emergency savings features, according to a new survey by Natixis Investment Managers. The survey, which polled more than 700 U.S. employees, also found nearly three-quarters […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is on track to have a net-zero portfolio by 2050, according to the organization’s latest sustainable investing report. In 2022, the carbon intensity of the Caisse’s portfolio was 53 per cent lower than its 2017 baseline level, a four per cent improvement over the previous year. As […]
As world markets contend with supply chain issues stemming from climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, environmental, social and governance considerations are slowly taking a more prominent role in pension funds’ risk assessments. In particular, Canadian pension funds are taking a progressive approach to ESG investing. Many have become signatories of […]