As someone who commutes on average two-to-three hours every week day, I was grateful when past employers have allowed me to work from home, start and end work earlier or later, or use overtime as lieu time. Their accommodation motivated me to work harder because I felt appreciated as an employee. Like with any relationship, it was […]
ABB Canada saw 93 per cent of its 3,200 eligible employees actively enroll in a new benefits plan following the acquisition of manufacturer Thomas & Betts in 2014. It made sense to have “one common approach to benefits” after different groups of employees joined, says Fannie Jacques, vice-president of human resources at the power and automation company. […]
Are its political and economic woes a barrier for investing?
As the country grapples with political and economic troubles, is it a bad time to invest in Brazil? For some investors, the country does offer opportunities. “Brazil, during this period of difficulty, presents a lot of value to us,” says Louis Lau, director of investments at investment advisory firm Brandes Investment Partners. “We see the earnings for many […]
CSA Group has doubled employee participation in its defined contribution pension plan – from 40 per cent to 85 per cent – following a number of changes and a targeted communications campaign. In 2014, the not-for-profit organization changed the contribution structure for its DC plan and its group registered retirements savings plan, because it “wanted to encourage employees to […]
Pension funds should hire highly qualified candidates to manage investments even if it means paying them handsome six-figure salaries, pension expert Keith Ambachtsheer said at an event on Wednesday. “One of the big things that’s an issue today around the world is this compensation stuff,” said Ambachtsheer, director emeritus of the Rotman International Centre for Pension […]
Employers are being encouraged to engage employees in the 65th annual Mental Health Week, from May 2-8, an opportunity to raise awareness about mental health and the stigma that often accompanies it. The Mental Health Commission of Canada, in particular, will be promoting a mentally healthy workplace through creative and fun team-building events. “It’s an […]
A growing number of pension plan administrators are dealing with with the onerous task of tracking down missing plan members who have retired, according to speakers at an event hosted by the Association of Canadian Pension Management on Wednesday. The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has 34,000 inactive members for whom it has no address or an incorrect […]
Dalhousie University, Perkins+Will Canada Architects, Veridian Corporation and Xerox Canada are among Canada’s greenest employers, according to a report published today by Canada’s Top 100 Employers to coincide with Earth Day. Canada’s Greenest Employers is an annual list of employers across the country that are creating a culture of environmental awareness by fostering earth-friendly initiatives and leadership. The selection […]
Among the trends in the group benefits industry coming out of Benefits Canada‘s 2016 group benefits providers report is strong growth of the administrative services only option. Insurance companies reported solid growth in non-insured deposits in the administrative category last year. With 6.9-per-cent growth across the industry in the administrative services only category last year, that was ahead of group […]