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 […]
Roughly half of online gig workers across the globe don’t have a retirement plan, a percentage that increases among Venezuelan (73 per cent) and Nigerian (75 per cent) workers, according to a new report by the World Bank Group. The report, based on surveys across 17 countries, found online gig work is growing globally, particularly in the developing world, creating an important […]
The union representing 3,700 frontline grocery workers at 27 Metro Inc. stores across the Greater Toronto Area has ratified a collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. The agreement was reached following a month-long strike by workers at the 27 stores. It includes an enhanced future service pension credit for full-time workers, increasing by $2 to […]
A fifth (21 per cent) of Canadian workers say they’re considering leaving their job, according to Telus Health’s latest mental-health index. The average mental-health score for July was 65.2, an improvement from the previous three months when it remained at 64.6. However, the survey found the average mental-health score (56.3) of those contemplating a new […]
Improved benefits and pensions are needed for wildland firefighters amid the unprecedented amount of wildfires in Canada this year, says Bert Blundon, president of the National Union of Public and General Employees. “Firefighters have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, mental-health concerns and cancer. That last one is the main source of contention for wildland […]
The majority (95 per cent) of U.S. 401(k) plan sponsors say they intend to change their plan design by the end of the year, according to a new survey by Fidelity Institutional. The survey, which polled more than 1,300 employers, found a quarter said they plan to increase their matching contribution (26 per cent) and […]
Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of U.S. employees with strong longevity literacy are saving for retirement on a regular basis, compared to 58 per cent with weak longevity literacy, according to a new survey by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center at the George Washington University […]
Diversifying target-date funds by incorporating illiquid assets — such as private equity, real estate and infrastructure — could result in a 0.15 per cent annual increase in return over a decade, according to a recent report by Georgetown University’s Center for Retirement Initiatives in partnership with CEM Benchmarking Inc. The report was authored by Angela Antonelli, a […]
More than two-fifths (43 per cent) of U.S. defined contribution pension plan sponsors say their plan offers automatic escalation, up from 21 per cent in 2013, according to a new survey by J.P. Morgan Asset Management. The survey, which polled more than 700 employers, found nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) said they take a proactive […]
Employers can alleviate labour challenges by supporting older employees who want to continue working through training and opportunities, says Lisa Taylor, an associate fellow at Toronto Metropolitan University’s National Institute on Ageing and founder and president of Challenge Factory and the Centre for Career Innovation. A new report by Statistics Canada found among pre-retirees, more […]