Blake Wolfe

2023 DC Plan Summit: Mitigating longevity risk key to ensuring income for life for DC plan members

Mitigating longevity risk is key to solving the decumulation challenge, said Pat Leo, Purpose Investments Inc.’s vice-president of longevity retirement solutions, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 DC Plan Summit. Referring to a recent survey, he noted defined contribution pension plan members were most concerned about market and sequence risks, while underestimating the impact of longevity risk. […]

  • May 12, 2023 May 5, 2023
  • 08:43

2023 DC Plan Summit: Eight billion reasons why capital investment matters again

With eight billion people consuming the planet’s resources, assets such as clean energy and sustainable agriculture are becoming increasingly important to institutional investors, said John Cook, senior vice-president, portfolio manager and co-lead of the Greenchip team at Mackenzie Investments, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2023 DC Plan Summit. Each year, it takes roughly 13.5 billion tons […]

  • May 12, 2023 June 8, 2023
  • 08:42

FHSA may work best in conjunction with group RRSP, TFSA

The new first home savings account may work better in conjunction with a group registered retirement savings plan or group tax-free savings account rather than as a stand-alone product, says Eric Monteiro, senior vice-president of group retirement services at Sun Life Financial Inc. “The [FHSA] limit is kind of low — it’s a $40,000 lifetime maximum […]

  • May 3, 2023 May 3, 2023
  • 09:00

How Shopify is supporting employee well-being with additional paid time off

Just like professional athletes, employees have to balance high performance with periods of rest. To this end, Shopify Inc. introduced its Intermission program in 2018 to ensure workers aren’t burning out. “We must feed our mind and body with good input to achieve good output,” says Kelly Dawson, the organization’s global lead for wellness and […]

  • April 14, 2023 April 12, 2023
  • 08:58

Why you should hire a chief sustainability officer

When Richard Manley, chief sustainability officer at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, joined the organization as managing director and head of sustainable investing in 2019, global financial markets were slowly dialling up the focus and integration of environmental, social and governance factors into investment strategies. Over the last three years — amid the ongoing […]

  • April 14, 2023 April 12, 2023
  • 08:52

Q&A with Schneider Electric’s Christopher Lewis

Schneider Electric’s senior compensation and benefits leader talks about adapting benefits to flex work, artificial intelligence and time spent gardening. Q: What top challenges do you face in your role? A: Labour market trends over the last two years have had a pronounced impact on expectations around rewards, leading to a greater emphasis on staying […]

  • April 14, 2023 April 12, 2023
  • 08:50

40% of Canadian workers say they aren’t fairly paid: survey

Two-fifths (40 per cent) of Canadian workers say they aren’t fairly paid in their current role, according to a new survey by Robert Half Canada Inc. The survey, which polled more than 1,100 employees, found while a higher salary is the No. 1 reason (62 per cent) employees are searching for a new job, workers […]

  • April 12, 2023 April 11, 2023
  • 09:00

Workplace cancer strategies can support employee health, reduce benefits costs: webinar

By focusing on cancer as part of a wider chronic disease management strategy, employers can support employee health while reducing benefits costs, said Chris Bonnett, founder and principal at H3 Consulting, during a webinar hosted by the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute. While long-term disability plans pay out, on average, $3,500 per month, cancer patients […]

  • April 3, 2023 March 31, 2023
  • 09:00

American Express Canada incentivizing employees working onsite with meal stipend, snacks

American Express Canada is providing a daily meal stipend and refreshments to employees who are working onsite. With most employees in a hybrid or remote working arrangement, these perks help recreate the work-from-home experience in the office and support employee financial well-being by reducing costs, says Annette Kingsley, AmEx Canada’s vice-president of colleague experience. Employees receive […]

  • March 30, 2023 March 29, 2023
  • 09:00

Employers prioritizing workplace culture, DEI in communications strategies: survey

While three-quarters (74 per cent) of global employers say the purpose of their internal communications strategy is to shape workplace culture and create a sense of belonging, only 56 per cent believe their employees understand their organization’s strategy, according to a new survey by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. The survey, which polled more than […]

  • March 22, 2023 March 22, 2023
  • 09:00