Ten former National Football League players have filed a class action lawsuit against the organization, claiming their disability claims were denied. In the filing, the plaintiffs said they’re “seeking redress for the wrongful denial of benefits, the denial of statutorily mandated full and fair review of benefits denials, violations of plan terms or governing regulations and […]
Amid the shift to remote and hybrid working arrangements, employers should ensure their after-hours social events are “easy, intentional and sincere,” says Kim Siddall, vice-president of enterprise consulting in the west at People Corporation. “The [coronavirus] pandemic gave employees permission to start opting out of aspects of [workplace] culture they didn’t really like. They’ve also […]
Employers and employees must tread a fine line between trust, monitoring and micromanaging in the new age of remote working, say experts. Their comments come days after British Columbia’s Civil Resolution Tribunal ordered an accountant to pay her former employer more than $2,600 after tracking software showed she engaged in time theft while working at […]
The Financial Services Tribunal of Ontario has awarded an employer with a $320,000 pension surplus, despite the plan’s trust agreements’ silence as to surplus entitlement. “The requirements for an employer to receive 100 per cent of surplus are strict, but the tribunal took a practical [approach] as opposed to a narrow interpretive approach to the […]
As the University Pension Plan increases its focus on climate change, its responsible investment policy considers environmental, social and governance factors as essential to sound long-term investing. “We’ve seen a lot of evidence from a variety of service providers — from investment banks to investment managers — that have demonstrated [the climate] is getting warmer […]
An article on Thomson Reuters’ new vacation policy was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Thomson Reuters supporting employee well-being with new vacation policy 2. Expert panel: What does it mean for pension plan members to live separate and apart? 3. 42% of Canadian […]
Canada’s employment insurance system requires modernization to withstand future economic challenges and to ensure Canadians’ financial security, according to a new report by the Institute for Research on Public Policy. The proportion of unemployed Canadians eligible for EI has decreased from 80 per cent in the 1980s to 40 per cent today, it said, noting […]
While pension plan administrators know about their plan members’ employment history and salaries, they may not expect to learn much about their personal lives, including how often they text their spouse or whether they have family dinners every night. However, in most jurisdictions, the spouse of a defined benefit plan member is entitled to a joint […]
The Toronto Transit Commission is ending its mandatory coronavirus vaccination requirement for workers and offering to reinstate employees who were terminated as a result of the policy without back pay. The transit agency said the mandate — introduced in September 2021 — will be lifted Nov. 27, though it’s continuing to encourage employees to stay […]
A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute says pension plan fiduciaries shouldn’t ignore climate change and other environmental, social, and governance factors that are relevant to financial purposes. However, when plan fiduciaries use ESG factors to prioritize social or environmental concerns, such as those expressed by plan members, they put themselves on shaky legal […]