Changes to the Public Service Health Care Plan, which took effect on July 1, include $75,000 for certain gender affirming procedures not covered by provincial or territorial health-care programs. Other new benefits include: $300 per year each for a registered dietician, occupational therapist and lactation consultant; $200 per year for batteries for hearing aids; $600 per […]
Since municipalities and provinces fund public services and infrastructure with clear environmental and social benefits, as well as having substantial power to shape policies in their jurisdictions, municipal and provincial bonds are useful tools for institutional investors pursuing a thematic environmental, social and governance approach, according to a new report by the United Nations’ principles […]
Sun Life Financial Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Dialogue Health Technologies Inc. for roughly $365 million. The insurer initially invested in the virtual-care platform in 2020 and subsequently expanded the relationship as a large shareholder and partner. Dialogue will maintain its head office in Montreal and will continue to operate as a […]
The U.S. Department of Labor is launching an employee ownership initiative to encourage more employers and employees to take advantage of these opportunities. The new initiative will fall under part of the SECURE 2.0 Act — which was passed by Congress in 2022 — and aims to empower workers through ownership arrangements and educate them […]
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of U.K. employers think it’s important to retain employees over age 50, with almost a third (32 per cent) saying it’s very important, according to a new survey by Aviva. It also found 10 per cent of employers have introduced support over the last year for retaining employees aged 50 or […]
Only 41 per cent of Black employees in the U.S. believe their company has an open and inclusive environment that encourages dialogue about mental health, compared to 50 per cent of white employees, according to a new survey by the Hartford and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The survey, which polled more than 2,300 U.S. employees, found […]
U.S. state and municipal pension funds are on track to miss investment targets and are unlikely to see meaningful improvements in their unfunded liabilities or funded ratios in 2023, according to a new report by the Equable Institute. The report, which analyzed trends in benefits, cash flows, contributions, funding and investments at 225 of the […]
Canadian employees across all generations value the flexibility and autonomy that remote working provides in their careers, according to a report by Robert Half Canada Inc. The report, which compiled data from three separate surveys with a total of more than 2,000 respondents, found a quarter (25 per cent) said they’d take a pay cut […]
The infrastructure arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System is investing in a fibre-optic communication network provider. OMERS Infrastructure has agreed to make a significant capital commitment in Beanfield Technologies Inc., which operates 4,000 kilometres of fibre-optic broadband infrastructure network in Canada. The investment will be used to support the network’s expansion. According to […]
The funded position of a typical defined benefit pension plan increased on both a solvency and accounting basis during the month of June, according to the latest pension index from Telus Health. In June, the solvency of the average DB plan rose to 103.2 per cent, up from 101.4 per cent during the month of […]