An article announcing the finalists in the 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Who are the finalists of the 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards? 2. Ford, Lowes among employers pulling back from DEI policies 3. 68% […]
The market volume of annuity purchases by Canadian defined benefit pension plan sponsors reached an estimated $2.5 billion in the second quarter of 2024, compared to $1.1 billion in the previous quarter, according to a new report by Telus Health. While plan sponsors that are poised for upcoming transactions have an advantageous position, insurers are […]
Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of U.S. employees use artificial intelligence tools to double-check their work, instead of tasks such as initial project research and data analysis (46 per cent), according to a new survey by software company Slingshot. The survey, which polled more than 250 U.S. employees and employers, found employees’ basic use of AI […]
While the median investment management fee paid by institutional investors for private equity deals during the investment period is between 1.75 per cent and two per cent, it drops only slightly to between 1.72 per cent to 1.96 per cent following the investment period, according to a new report from Callan. The report analyzed more than 400 private […]
Benefits Canada is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards. Across nearly 100 entries in 12 categories, leading Canadian employers demonstrated their accomplishments in supporting their employees’ physical, mental and financial well-being. The winners will be announced on Friday, Oct. 18 at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto during the 2024 Healthy Outcomes Conference, an in-person event intended for employers […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. says there has been declining support for shareholder proposals linked to environmental and social factors, while support has increased for governance proposals centred around shareholder rights, according to the investment organization’s latest stewardship report. It cited increased scrutiny of ESG issues as a factor in the decline and noted the AIMCO […]
The end of the federal government’s real return bond program will deprive institutional investors and pension plan members of a valuable investment tool that can help protect against inflation, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. It found a majority of Canada’s largest institutional investors are interested in investing in real return bonds and […]
A third (34 per cent) of U.S. employees aged 50 and older are phasing into retirement, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled 10,000 U.S. employees working at medium- and large-sized private sector companies, found among workers who are currently phasing into retirement, six in 10 (61 per cent) have reduced […]
U.S. employers’ health benefits costs are expected to increase to nearly eight per cent for 2025, the highest amount in more than a decade, according to a new survey by Business Group on Health. The survey, which polled 125 large employers, found they’re planning to continue to absorb much of the increases at least for […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is reporting a net return of 5.4 per cent for the first half of 2024. During the six-month period ending June 30, 2024, the AIMCo’s total assets under management were $168.9 billion. The investment organization’s balanced fund — a composite of client accounts that invest in money market and fixed income, […]