As technology advances and plan members’ needs become more diverse, the relationship between benefits plan sponsors and providers is adapting to fit these changes. Sarah Beech, chief executive officer of benefits and consulting at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., believes the trend of employees wanting more from their employers is the starting point for this […]
The venture capital arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan anticipates that a slowing global economy, interest rate hikes and limited funding opportunities will drive private equity valuations down by as much as 10 per cent in 2023, according to a new report. “So far, 2023 looks set to be another challenging year: the global […]
Environmental, social and governance investment strategies can improve a portfolio’s ability to generate alpha, according to Patrick Vizzone, managing director of global private equity at Franklin Templeton, speaking during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Investment Innovation Conference. “Impact investing is sometimes regarded as being a drag on financial returns, but we believe […]
While the majority (80 per cent) of U.S. retirement plan sponsors rate their record keeper as excellent or very good, they’re also seeking more support for plan members’ financial wellness, according to a new survey by Greenwich Associates. The survey, which polled 145 U.S. retirement plan sponsors and 15 U.S. consultants, found among plan sponsors, […]
When it comes to communicating with employees, it can be challenging for employers to create subject matter that’s engaging enough to ensure staff properly absorb all of the information. In 2021, the City of Toronto decided to try a new strategy by adding an animated video to its benefits communications campaign. “People are busy. We […]
As employers increasingly customize their human resources, benefits and pension communications campaigns, how are these methods connecting with employees? Long gone are the days of chunky tomes of group benefits and pension information. Once the norm, those pages and pages of minutiae have gradually been replaced by more personalized and targeted communications. “Direct communication is […]
An increase in burnout (32 per cent) and work hours (28 per cent), as well as difficulty unplugging (27 per cent) and challenges communicating with colleagues (24 per cent) are among the top reasons Canadian office workers would consider leaving their jobs, according to a new survey by software company ServiceNow. The survey, which polled […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is continuing its investment partnership with MacKinnon, Bennett & Company Inc. in the form of a new joint $150-million investment in late-venture and early growth-stage companies focused on the decarbonization and transition to renewable-energy-powered transportation. The Caisse initially invested in the company in 2016 and again in […]
Canadian businesses are grappling with how they’ll handle the vaccination of staff, and for some that means allowing workers to get the shot on company time. At least 35 tech companies in the country, including SkipTheDishes, Borrowell and FreshBooks, signed a pledge Friday from the Council of Canadian Innovators vowing to let their staff slip […]
The Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Pension Plan is betting that artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a role in pension administration going forward. “I won’t pretend that we’re Netflix or Tesla in this, but we are [taking] small steps today so we can take advantage of these advances of technology into the […]