wildfires – Benefits Canada.com

Editorial: Turning challenge into opportunity

bwolfe — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 13:00:09 +0000

As I write this column, I’m reflecting on the spectrum of weather I’ve witnessed this past winter. From my office window in southwestern Ontario, I looked out onto snowy rooftops for maybe a week over the last several months. That’s contrasted with a recent trip to Nova Scotia, where a series of winter storms brought […]

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How climate change is impacting benefits, employee health

Sadie Janes — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 12:54:02 +0000

During Canada’s unprecedented 2023 wildfire season, 6,500 individual fires burned more than 18.4 million hectares of land — and wildland firefighters bore the brunt of it all. “The working conditions are extremely dangerous and they’re getting more dangerous as fires become larger and more intense, and, in many cases, are going through communities,” says Bert […]

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Union calling for better benefits, pension accrual for wildland firefighters

Sadie Janes — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 13:00:39 +0000

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 […]

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How employers can support employees impacted by wildfires

Sadie Janes — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:00:23 +0000

With wildfires raging across the country over the past weeks, employers can support affected employees by offering easily accessible tools and resources, flexible work schedules and extended wellness benefits, says Alex Boucher, principal consultant and total health management leader at Mercer Canada. Whether they’ve been removed from their homes or are worrying about smoke inhalation, employees are […]

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What role can insurance-linked securities play in pension portfolios?

mschmit — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 03:24:17 +0000

In a market rocked by a considerable increase in cross-asset volatility, the need to search for alternative means of diversification that embrace different sources of risk and return is crucial. One solution for pension plan sponsors to consider is investing in insurance-linked securities. Often a misunderstood and underutilized asset class, insurance-linked securities are investments whose […]

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CSA Report: Issuers Don’t Understand Risks of Extreme Weather

mschmit — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 05:12:27 +0000

How knowledge gaps around climate change can leave investors in the dark.

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