Latest news in Benefits Canada Archive

SEB, EQ Care partnering on virtual employee assistance program

SEB Administrative Services Inc. and EQ Care are launching LifeJourney a virtual employee assistance program offering. The subsidiary of Smart Employee Benefits Inc. and the…

  • By: Staff
  • February 25, 2021 February 24, 2021
  • 09:00

Unilever Canada making Maple’s virtual-care program for employees permanent

Following a pilot program, Unilever Canada Inc. is making its partnership with Maple to provide ongoing, on-demand virtual care to the employees of the consumer-goods…

  • By: Staff
  • February 24, 2021 February 26, 2021
  • 09:00

Editorial: Don’t waste this mental-health crisis

A crisis is a terrible thing to waste. The epigram was first coined back in 2004, but it remains as relevant as it was 17…

Head to head: Are employees being prescribed too much medication for mental-health issues?

With claims trends on the rise in workplace benefits plans, two medical professionals compare different treatment paths for mental-health care. Dr. Karen Cohen, chief executive…

  • February 16, 2021 April 26, 2021
  • 08:59

How 5 employers are helping staff battle mental-health challenges

In the 2020 Workplace Benefits Awards, the finalists in the mental-health category have a key feature in common — their passion for promoting and supporting…

How to manage the employee mental-health tsunami

In early 2020, many employees had no idea a great wave was on its way. While reports of a novel coronavirus spread around the globe,…

Pension plans navigating bumpy road to recovery

Promising vaccine and coronavirus treatment news, coupled with the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden, has given markets a glimmer of certainty and optimism this…

Pension regulators step up amid turmoil

For almost a year now, federal and provincial pension regulators have been busily trying to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Regulators have never…

Lessons from the Desjardins Group pension plan on pivoting after economic turmoil

The Desjardins Group pension plan faced a reckoning following the 2008/09 financial crisis: its assets were down 40 per cent and it was watching other…

Using data to develop holistic workplace mental-health training

When CGI Group Inc. launched its mental-health and wellness program six years ago, its primary focus was on education and reducing stigma. Since then, the…

Bulk pension annuity purchases reign supreme in the U.K.

Defined benefit pension plans naturally carry a number of risks, from fluctuating interest rates and investments to the lifespan of their plan members. To mitigate…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • February 16, 2021 April 26, 2021
  • 08:52

Back to basics on cryptocurrency

The term cryptocurrency may evoke a number of different images, from lightning-fast computers fuelling get-rich-quick schemes to shady rooms where hackers plot multi-million dollar digital…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • February 16, 2021 April 26, 2021
  • 08:51

Q&A with Ryerson University’s Natalie Roach

The university’s mental-health co-ordinator, discusses employee well-being, the ‘new normal’ and figure skating. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. People…

Feds supporting B.C. workplace violence, harassment prevention training program

The federal government, the B.C. Maritime Employers Association and its partners, the Warehouse Union Canada, and the Ending Violence Association of B.C., are launching a comprehensive…

  • By: Staff
  • February 11, 2021 April 23, 2021
  • 09:00
Navacord acquiring Ontario-based benefits firm

Navacord acquiring Ontario-based benefits firm

Navacord Corp. is further expanding its group benefits business by acquiring Penmore Benefits Inc. A division of The Penmore Group, Concord, Ont.-based Penmore Benefits Inc., provides…

  • By: Staff
  • February 8, 2021 March 26, 2021
  • 09:00
Caisse investing further in green transportation, Ontario Teachers’ in cybersecurity

Caisse investing further in green transportation, Ontario Teachers’ in cybersecurity

The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is continuing its investment partnership with MacKinnon, Bennett & Company Inc. in the form of a new…

  • By: Staff
  • February 2, 2021 February 2, 2021
  • 15:00

Canada’s DB pension plans post 9.2% return in 2020

Despite market uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic and a turbulent U.S. presidential election cycle, Canadian defined benefit pension plans ended the year with near…

  • By: Staff
  • February 2, 2021 August 3, 2021
  • 09:06
As substance abuse rises amid pandemic, employers can help

As substance abuse rises amid pandemic, employers can help

While workplaces around the world deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many employees are also struggling with the secondary crisis of increased alcohol and drug…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • February 2, 2021 February 2, 2021
  • 09:00
Atlantic Canada’s Luedey Consultants, Toronto-based Sterling Capital merging

Atlantic Canada’s Luedey Consultants, Toronto-based Sterling Capital merging

Halifax-based Luedey Consultants Inc., a boutique benefits consulting firm, is merging with Sterling Capital Brokers Ltd., an independent benefit consulting firm specializing in servicing high-growth,…

  • By: Staff
  • February 2, 2021 February 2, 2021
  • 09:00
Canada’s DB pension plans post 9.2% return in 2020

Canada’s DB pension plans post 9.2% return in 2020

Despite market uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic and a turbulent U.S. presidential election cycle, Canadian defined benefit pension plans ended the year with near…

  • By: Staff
  • February 1, 2021 July 29, 2021
  • 15:00
Alberta Teachers’ Association planning legal challenge to pension order

Alberta Teachers’ Association planning legal challenge to pension order

The Alberta Teachers’ Association says it’s taking legal action against a ministerial order enacted on several pension plans in the province in late December. In…

  • By: Staff
  • February 1, 2021 February 16, 2021
  • 10:04
PSP investing in real estate, Caisse in accessibility aids

PSP investing in real estate, Caisse in accessibility aids

The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is entering a $700-million joint venture investing in single-family rentals in the U.S. The new venture with Pretium Partners…

  • By: Staff
  • February 1, 2021 February 16, 2021
  • 09:00
Biden and China: Building back better?

Biden and China: Building back better?

Putting U.S.–China relations back on a constructive path will be one of the top foreign policy challenges facing the Biden administration in 2021. I expect…

Finding yield and diversification opportunities in small-balance credit

Finding yield and diversification opportunities in small-balance credit

Small-balance credit—a subset of alternative credit gaining traction in the United States as fintech makes modest consumer and business loans more investable—could be a yield…

Why capital deployment is key in commercial litigation finance investing

Why capital deployment is key in commercial litigation finance investing

In many private equity asset classes, managers typically deploy most of their capital in a particular investment on day one. While they may increase or…