In three short years, the relationship between Canadian employers and employees has changed dramatically as a result of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on health, finances and overall sense of security. While there’s a lot of talk about the world settling into a new normal in 2023, it’s not clear what that will look like. The […]
“Let me start by pointing out the obvious: the last few years have been exhausting,” said Mina Krishnan, multi-asset portfolio manager at Schroders, during a session on regime shifts at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Global Investment Conference. “We’ve had the [coronavirus] pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and Brexit.” As a result […]
Institutional investors are entering a golden period ripe with opportunities in current global and emerging markets, said Karl Dasher, president of Polen Capital, during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Global Investment Conference. From early 2020 to the end of 2021, the market was flooded with liquidity from the unprecedented combination of fiscal stimulus, U.S. Federal Reserve […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is bracing for headwinds in the event of a recession, but says a wide range of investments makes it well-positioned for uncertain economic conditions. The CPPIB reported Wednesday it earned a net return of 1.3 per cent in its latest fiscal year as inflation and rising interest rates weighed on both […]
More than a quarter (27 per cent) of U.S. workers say they have high or overwhelming levels of financial stress, up from 20 per cent in 2021, according to a new report by Financial Finesse. The report, which analyzed data from more than 34,000 workers who interacted with the consultancy’s financial wellness tools, found more […]
Fewer than a quarter of Canadian employees describe their wellness as ‘very good,’ a score of nine or 10 out of 10, according to a new survey by Desjardins Insurance. The survey, which polled more than 2,000 workers, found overall wellness scores were lower for LGBTQ2S+ employees, as well as workers who are unhappy with […]
At the best of times, selecting an optimal asset mix for a defined benefit pension plan is challenging. The times of today are downright turbulent. Last year, inflation reached 8.1 per cent in Canada as a result of a prolonged period of government stimulus spending to manage the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. In response […]
With many stressors weighing on employees amid the current economic climate, it’s important for employers to recognize the ‘rage applying’ trend is rooted in workplace mental-health issues, says Paula Allen, global leader of research and client insights at Telus Health. Employees’ hypersensitivity to stress can present itself through interpersonal communications, including expressions of anger and […]
Nearly all (90 per cent) global employers say they plan to maintain investments in employee well-being and a third (31 per cent) say they’re planning to increase these investments amid the current economic environment, according to a new survey by Fidelity Investments and Business Group on Health. The survey, which polled more than 180 employers, […]
In 2022, the typical defined benefit pension plan achieved an investment return of roughly negative 12 per cent. However, due to dramatic increases in bond yields and a subsequent decrease in pension liabilities, many pension plans ended 2022 with the same — or better — solvency funded level that they had at the beginning of […]