Kelsey Rolfe

Adding liquid alternatives to target-date funds to improve DC plan member outcomes

Alternative assets have long been the domain of institutional investors seeking to increase their risk-adjusted returns, but defined contribution plan sponsors now have the opportunity to access these assets in the form of liquid alternatives in their target-date fund offerings. Over the last five years, the expected returns of traditional balanced portfolios in target-date funds […]

  • February 4, 2022 February 1, 2022
  • 07:53

2021 Mental Health Summit: The importance of self-management in employee mental health

Supporting employees’ mental health while teleworking will take on new importance as employers increasingly adjust their return-to-office plans to include some level of remote or hybrid work, said Simon Coloumbe, associate professor in the department of industrial relations at Université Laval. Speaking at Benefits Canada’s 2021 Mental Health Summit, Coloumbe said employers can do this […]

  • December 9, 2021 December 6, 2021
  • 15:59

2021 Mental Health Summit: How employers can address the workplace drivers of employee stress

With rates of employee stress and burnout reaching new heights during the pandemic as the lines between work and home have blurred, employers need to find ways to support employee mental health. “As employers, we can’t anticipate or plan for personal drivers of stress,” said Joby McKenzie, managing director for Canada for Teladoc Health, during […]

  • December 9, 2021 December 6, 2021
  • 15:58

2021 Mental Health Summit: How to support female employees’ mental health

Women were more likely to have suffered psychologically during the coronavirus pandemic as they faced increased caregiving responsibilities and many were hit financially by the ‘she-cession,’ making it particularly important for employers to support their mental health. “There’s no doubt the pandemic has hit us all hard,” said Harriet Ekperigin, vice-president of mental health at […]

  • December 9, 2021 December 6, 2021
  • 15:53

2021 Mental Health Summit: What’s in store for mental-health benefits post-pandemic?

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly increased the number of mental-health supports that employees have access to as well as their willingness to seek help when they need it, said Georgia Pomaki, leader of mental-health specialists, wellness, disability and life at Manulife Financial Corp., during Benefits Canada’s 2021 Mental Health Summit. Canadian insurers paid out $420 […]

  • December 9, 2021 December 8, 2021
  • 15:47

2021 Mental Health Summit: A look at one employee’s struggle with mental health during the pandemic

When Nasreen, a 32-year-old marketing manager at a Toronto firm, started to suffer from anxiety and depression related to her isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, her manager and colleagues took notice. Nasreen, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, was experiencing increased presenteeism and absenteeism as she suffered from an increasing number of […]

  • December 9, 2021 December 10, 2021
  • 15:44

2021 Mental Health Summit: Promoting mental health among all five generations in the workplace

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure — and nowhere is that more true than when it comes to workplace mental-health supports, said Colleen Adams, manager of health and digital product solutions at Medavie Blue Cross, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2021 Mental Health Summit. Even before the pandemic, the cost […]

  • December 9, 2021 December 6, 2021
  • 13:57

2021 Mental Health Summit: How Fluor Canada is supporting employee well-being through the pandemic

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, Fluor Canada was ready with ample mental-health supports for its employees, all thanks to a mental-health strategy the company had put in place years ago and has continued to build on. It began in 2018 when Fluor Canada’s newly appointed senior management team wanted to renew the […]

  • December 9, 2021 December 6, 2021
  • 13:51

2021 Mental Health Summit: Using mental-health supports to attract, retain talent in tight labour market

Benefits plans with a wide range of mental-health supports are taking on new importance as employers look to attract and retain key talent in a tight labour market, said Julie Gaudry, head of group insurance at RBC Insurance Inc., during Benefits Canada’s 2021 Mental Health Summit.  One third of Canadian businesses are currently grappling with […]

  • December 9, 2021 December 6, 2021
  • 13:50

How will the potential work-from-anywhere boom post-pandemic impact benefits plans?

Since the global coronavirus pandemic prompted a move to remote working, white-collar employees are looking at jurisdictions from Nova Scotia to Bermuda, enticed by a work location that truly fits their lifestyle. And many employers are allowing the option, even post-pandemic, with companies planning out what return to work looks like and how remote work […]

  • June 30, 2021 June 30, 2021
  • 08:57