The annual spend per private drug plan member increased by 6.3 per cent in 2022, according to Express Scripts Canada’s annual drug trends report. Across both traditional and specialty drugs, the increase was primarily driven by a 5.4 per cent rise in plan members making a claim, which reversed the trend seen in 2020 and […]
Nine in 10 (90 per cent) U.S. employees say they’ve personally benefitted from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at work, according to a new survey by Benevity Inc. The survey, which polled 1,000 full-time employees, found 62 per cent said employers should dedicate more effort to DEI given the current period of economic uncertainty. Indeed, two-thirds […]
McCarthy Tétrault LLP is appointing Susan Nickerson as partner and head of its pensions, benefits and executive compensation group. Prior to joining McCarthy Tétrault, she was a partner in Torys LLP’s pension and employee benefits law division for nearly 10 years. She’s also a past chair of the Association of Canadian Pension Management and its […]
The real estate arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System is operating the most productive shopping centre in Canada, according to a new report from the International Council of Shopping Centers. Toronto’s Yorkdale Mall returned annual sales of US$24,000 per square metre of retail space in 2022, more than any other Canadian mall. The […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is on track to have a net-zero portfolio by 2050, according to the organization’s latest sustainable investing report. In 2022, the carbon intensity of the Caisse’s portfolio was 53 per cent lower than its 2017 baseline level, a four per cent improvement over the previous year. As […]
The funded position of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan improved on a solvency and accounting basis in March, according to a new report by Telus Health. During the month, the solvency of the typical Canadian DB plan rose by 0.4 per cent, finishing at 101.7 per cent of its value at the start […]
While gender affirmation and fertility benefits coverage still isn’t included in all group benefits plans, around half of Canada’s group benefits providers include gender affirmation coverage (50 per cent) or fertility benefits coverage (59 per cent) in some of their plan offers, according to an exclusive survey by Benefits Canada. The survey, which polled Canada’s […]
The Saskatchewan Pension Plan is removing its annual contribution and transfer-in limits. Starting on April 13, 2023, as long as plan members have room in their registered retirement savings plans, they can contribute as much as they want to the SPP, within RRSP limits. In addition, if they have other unlocked investments they’d like to […]
Custodial and maintenance workers at Toronto Metropolitan University represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees are striking after university administration failed to address the rising cost of living and issues with increased employee contributions to the defined benefit pension plan during negotiations. In 2021, the university unilaterally imposed an increase in pension contributions on […]
Nearly half (45 per cent) of U.S. workers say their employer isn’t investing in employee connection, according to a new survey by Eagle Hill Consulting. The survey, which polled more than 1,300 workers, found employees believe feeling connected to their work improves their ability to do their job (60 per cent), day-to-day work quality (58 […]