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76% of benefits plan members say workplace culture encourages health, wellness: BCHS

Three-quarters (76 per cent) of benefits plan members agreed the overall culture or environment of their workplace encourages health and wellness, unchanged from 2021 and comparable with previous years, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. The survey found a wellness culture appeared to consistently influence results in other areas, including job satisfaction (91 […]

  • September 27, 2022 September 26, 2022
  • 09:00

Canadian base salaries increasing 4% in 2023: survey

Canadian base salaries are set to increase by four per cent in 2023, a percentage that’s comparable to 2022, according to a new survey by LifeWorks Inc. The survey, which polled more than 500 Canadian employers, found while roughly six per cent of organizations froze their base salaries in 2022, fewer than two per cent plan […]

  • September 26, 2022 September 26, 2022
  • 15:00

88% of benefits plan sponsors satisfied with virtual health-care offerings: BCHS

A majority (88 per cent) of benefits plan sponsors are very (34 per cent) or somewhat (54 per cent) satisfied with their organization’s virtual health-care offerings, up from nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) in 2021, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. More than a quarter of plan sponsors (29 per cent) and plan […]

  • September 26, 2022 September 26, 2022
  • 09:00

Report finds U.S. DC plan members remain committed to saving, investing despite financial uncertainty

Defined contribution pension plan members in the U.S. are committed to saving and investing, as only two per cent stopped contributing to their plan in the first half of 2022, according to a report by the Investment Company Institute. The report, based on record-keeper data covering more than 40 million DC plan members, noted one per cent […]

  • September 23, 2022 September 25, 2022
  • 15:00

Total drug costs, claimants up in 2021: report

Total drug costs grew to $2 billion in 2021, rising steadily from $1.4 billion in 2017, according to Green Shield Canada’s annual drug trends report. The report, which is based on claims reported by Green Shield Canada, found the number of claimants also increased from 1.9 million to 2.1 million over the same period. While […]

  • September 23, 2022 September 22, 2022
  • 09:00

Top 5 HR, benefits, pension and investment stories of the week

A survey on employee attitudes towards remote working was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Survey finds 78% of Canadian employees prefer working from home 2. 84% of stressed Canadian employees saving less than 5% of their pay: survey 3. ‘Quiet quitting’ a rallying […]

  • September 23, 2022 September 22, 2022
  • 09:00

Almost half of benefits plan members reporting good overall health in the past year: survey

Nearly half (47 per cent) of Canadian benefits plan members say their health was generally excellent or very good in the past year, up from 43 per cent in 2021, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. While just 10 per cent of plan members reported being in poor health, down from 13 per cent […]

  • September 23, 2022 September 22, 2022
  • 09:00

HOOPP selling Alberta industrial portfolio, BCI investing in home services franchise group

The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan’s subsidiary HOOPP Realty Inc. is selling a portfolio of industrial properties to a real estate investment trust. Under the terms of the deal, Skyline Industrial REIT1 will take ownership of four business parks located in the suburbs of Calgary and Edmonton for $309.25 million. The portfolio, which is more […]

  • September 22, 2022 September 22, 2022
  • 12:30

Mental-health supports, training on the rise as a fifth of benefits plan members report poor mental health: survey

A fifth (22 per cent) of Canadian benefits plan members report their mental health over the past year was generally poor, more than twice the percentage (11 per cent) who said their overall health was poor, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. The survey, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, found […]

  • September 22, 2022 September 21, 2022
  • 09:00

PIAC providing feedback on potential updates to Alberta’s private sector pension legislation

The Pension Investment Association of Canada is providing feedback on the Alberta government’s consultation draft of potential legislative and policy updates for private sector pension laws. While the PIAC doesn’t have specific views on how to calculate the provision for adverse deviation, it’s encouraged Alberta is considering a harmonized approach, wrote Sean Hewitt, chair of […]

  • September 22, 2022 September 21, 2022
  • 09:00