Half (51 per cent) of plan sponsors said they have a mental-health training program in place for managers and/or employees, up from 37 per cent in 2018, according to the 2019 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. The prevalence of mental-health training is even higher among plan sponsors with 500 or more staff (73 per cent), as well as unionized […]
The outsourced chief investment officer market is growing with low barriers to entry contributing to the number of players of all sizes in the space, according to research by U.S.-based institutional investment consulting firm Callan. In evaluating the work of an OCIO, plan sponsors and other institutional investors should go well beyond simply looking at investment results, noted the research. “While […]
League Inc. is launching a new digital benefits platform in an effort to give plan members one place to access their health, lifestyle and benefits programs. The platform, called HBX, is aiming to reduce the number of systems employers need to use to manage their various employee programs. Integrating with more than 100 insurance carriers, health-care providers […]
The B.C. Financial Services Authority’s board of directors is appointing Blair Morrison as its new chief executive officer, effective July 22, 2019. The province’s financial institutions commission will become the BCFSA, a self-funded Crown agency focused on the regulation of pension plans, credit unions, insurance and trust companies and mortgage brokers. In addition to the role […]
The majority of plan members (77 per cent) and plan sponsors (85 per cent) agreed their workplace culture encourages health and wellness, according to the 2019 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Among plan members with a workplace wellness culture, 61 per cent said the quality of the health benefits plan is excellent of very good, compared […]
While carbon concerns have been dominating conversations among institutional investors looking to mitigate environmental risk, the issue of water usage should be higher on their list, according to a paper by Russell Investments Group. “Overall, we have concluded that the current water-related investment tools available are insufficient and inhibit investors from converting insights into meaningful […]
About four in 10 (41 per cent) U.S. employers said they’re making a major effort to reduce absenteeism in 2018, according to a new survey by the Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America. The survey found the number of employers looking to reduce employee absenteeism has significantly increased in the past few years, up from […]
Just 24 per cent of plan sponsors said they regularly receive claims analyses to help identify disease states in their workplaces, according to the 2019 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. This number rose to 31 per cent for employers with 500 or more employees and dropped to 13 per cent among small employers. It also found […]
The Canadian Institute of Actuaries is recommending that any future national pharmacare system includes an actuary to oversee its revenue, expenses and funding status. “Canada’s actuaries — with public interest in mind — advise that any national pharmacare program should be based on sound risk management, financing and insurance principles,” noted the CIA in a press release. The […]
The Desjardins Group Pension Plan is set to acquire a portion of EDF Renewables Canada Inc.’s stake in the Cypress Wind Project, pending the completion of its construction and other terms and conditions. Located southeast of Medicine Hat, Alta., the project will total 48 turbines with a combined capacity of 201.6 megawatts. Construction is expected […]