A fifth (19 per cent) of U.S. employees say they’ve adjusted their retirement strategy and are taking a more conservative savings approach amid economic uncertainty, according to a new report by Fidelity Investments Inc. It found the total savings rate for the second quarter of 2022 continued the positive momentum achieved in the first quarter, […]
An article on HSBC Bank Canada’s new benefits offerings was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. HSBC adding coverage for fertility treatments, surrogacy, gender affirmation 2. Employee placed on unpaid leave over mask refusal not entitled to reasonable notice: Alberta court 3. LifeWorks acquiring […]
A quarter (25 per cent) of Canadian employees are experiencing increased tension or conflict at work, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest mental-health index. The survey’s respondents reported an overall mental-health score of 65, a slight increase from June’s score of 64.1. By comparison, workers reporting increased conflict or tension had a score of 51.8. Employees age 40 and […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec generated an average return of negative 7.9 per cent for the first half of 2022. The investment organization reached the mid-year point with $392 billion in net assets, down from $420.2 billion at the end of the previous quarter. This $28.2 billion decrease consisted of a net […]
Meridian Credit Union is appointing Patricia Johns as chief people and culture officer. Most recently, she was founder and principal of Hrxlence Consulting Inc. and previously served as chief human resources officer at Manulife Financial Corp. Read more People Watch news. In the new role, Johns will oversee the design, delivery and monitoring of Meridian’s employee […]
The Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System is investing in an Arizona-based solar energy business. In a deal reached with Clairvest Group Inc., the institutional investor secured a minority stake in NovaSource Power Services, which provides solar panel servicing for industrial and residential customers and manages 20 gigawatts of solar assets. Following the transaction, Clairvest will […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is seeking feedback on its proposed guidance on requirements for pension plans to take certain actions to avoid de-registration under the Income Tax Act. The proposed guidelines would provide an overview of the documents and information required by the FSRA and the Canadian Revenue Agency for pension plans […]
U.S. employers are anticipating health benefits costs will rise by an average of 5.6 per cent per employee in 2023, according to early results from a survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 850 U.S. employers, found if respondents made no changes to their benefits plans, the cost for the largest plans would rise […]
HSBC Bank Canada is enhancing its benefits plan by adding new coverage for fertility treatments, surrogacy and gender affirmation. The bank is introducing a surrogacy medical benefit up to a maximum of $30,000 per lifetime for eligible surrogacy medical expenses incurred by a surrogate and fertility treatments up to a maximum of $20,000 per lifetime for […]
Nearly a third (30 per cent) of insurers are making changes to ensure there’s diversity among the medical providers within their networks, according to a new report by Mercer. The report found more than a quarter (27 per cent) of insurers said they’ve changed their eligibility access processes to make coverage more inclusive for LGBTQ2S+ […]