Latest news in Benefits Canada News

2023 Mental Health Summit: A closer look at intensive outpatient treatment programs for mental health

Many Canadians are dealing with mental-health challenges that require support beyond what’s available through an employee assistance program — that’s where intensive mental-health treatments could help,…

2023 Mental Health Summit: Early diagnosis and treatment integral in supporting complex mental-health conditions

While employees dealing with mental-health challenges like depression need quality and personalized care as quickly as possible, people seeking care through the public health system face…

2023 Mental Health Summit: How First West Credit Union is supporting employee health, well-being

Data analysis, education and early intervention are the key components of First West Credit Union’s Live Well employee health program, according to Liz Bailey-Connor, the…

  • By: Staff
  • November 29, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 07:53

Liberals say pharmacare bill unlikely to pass this year, despite promise to NDP

Government House leader Karina Gould warned Tuesday the Liberals are unlikely to get a pharmacare bill passed by the end of the year, despite their…

OPB appointing Darwin Bozek as president, chief pension officer

The Ontario Pension Board is appointing Darwin Bozek as president and chief pension officer, effective Feb. 1, 2024. He joins the OPB from the Alberta…

  • By: Staff
  • November 28, 2023 November 28, 2023
  • 09:00

61% of U.S. employers reporting increased employee volunteer activities in 2023: survey

Ahead of Giving Tuesday, nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) of U.S. employers say they’ve seen an increase in employee volunteer activities this year, according to a…

  • By: Staff
  • November 27, 2023 November 27, 2023
  • 15:00
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How employers can support employee well-being amid global conflict

For Canadians and people around the world, the current news stream can be particularly bleak. While a brief ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas punctuated…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • November 27, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 09:00

Alberta premier quiet on reason for abandoning promised in-person CPP exit consults

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith won’t say what happened to her government’s promise to hold face-to-face meetings with citizens in December on quitting the Canada Pension…

CPPLC appointing Karen McKeown as co-chair

The Canadian Public Pension Leadership Council is appointing Karen McKeown, director of board operations at the B.C. Pension Corp., as co-chair. McKeown will share responsibilities…

  • By: Staff
  • November 24, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 15:00

Desjardins using budget workshops, interactive game to support employee financial wellness

Desjardins Insurance is marking Financial Literacy Month with a series of budgeting workshops for employees and an interactive game to help improve financial literacy. The…

  • By: Sadie Janes
  • November 24, 2023 November 23, 2023
  • 09:00
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Ontario DB pension plans’ average solvency ratio increased to 117% in Q3 2023: FSRA

The average projected solvency ratio for Ontario defined benefit pension plans increased slightly to 117 per cent in the third quarter of 2023, with more than…

  • By: Staff
  • November 24, 2023 November 23, 2023
  • 09:00

Top 5 HR, benefits, pension and investment stories of the week

An article on the federal government’s 2023 fall economic statement was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news…

  • By: Staff
  • November 24, 2023 November 23, 2023
  • 09:00
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Federal tax for mental-health care a barrier for many Canadians: psychotherapist

The head of a group that represents psychotherapists and counsellors says Ottawa’s plan to lift federal taxes on those services is a good start to…

ACPM calling on feds to streamline pension overpayment recovery

Removal of ‘30% rule’ could boost investment, reduce private equity fees for Canadian pension funds

If the federal government scraps its rule restricting Canadian pension funds from holding more than 30 per cent of the voting shares of investee corporations, pension…

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Real return bonds support pension risk management, provide liability data: ACPM

The Association of Canadian Pension Management is urging the federal government to reverse its position on the cessation of real return bonds and open a…

  • By: Staff
  • November 23, 2023 November 22, 2023
  • 09:00
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N.S. legislation allowing private employers to transfer pensions into PSSP

Nova Scotia-based private employers can now transfer their pension plans into the Public Service Superannuation Plan. The Private Sector Pension Plan Transfer Act, which received…

  • By: Sadie Janes
  • November 23, 2023 November 23, 2023
  • 09:00

Coverage of the 2023 Future of Work Summit

In a virtual format on Oct. 26, Benefits Canada‘s inaugural Future of Work Summit brought together key industry leaders to discuss pressing human resources issues. The…

2023 Future of Work Summit: Employee attraction and retention, engagement and workplace culture top list of employers’ HR priorities

Even as signs emerge that the labour market is starting to shift in employers’ favour, employee attraction, retention and engagement remain top priorities. During Benefits…

2023 Future of Work Summit: What do millennial plan members want from their employers?

When Desjardins Insurance launched a study to redefine employee health and well-being, an unexpected finding came through loud and clear: Canadian employers and insurers should…

Using AI to gauge employee well-being, satisfaction

2023 Future of Work Summit: What do employers need to know about the use of AI in the workplace?

Artificial intelligence has the potential to make a variety of human resources tasks faster and more efficient, but while the technology is sophisticated, employers should…

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Competitive pension risk transfer costs increase from 101.1% to 101.9% in October: report

The estimated cost to transfer retiree pension risk to an insurer in a competitive bidding process increased from 101.1 per cent of a plan’s accounting…

  • By: Staff
  • November 22, 2023 November 22, 2023
  • 15:00
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Feds consider end of ‘30% rule’ for pensions, propose EI adoption benefit: fall economic statement

In its 2023 fall economic statement, the federal government said it will consider removing the rule that restricts Canadian pension funds from holding more than…

  • By: Staff
  • November 22, 2023 November 22, 2023
  • 09:00

Caisse invests $200M in Swedish battery maker, OMERS closes US$1BN term notes offering

The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing $200 million in a Swedish company developing and manufacturing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The…

  • By: Staff
  • November 21, 2023 November 20, 2023
  • 11:00

Top money managers’ Canadian pension AUM up 7.7% year over year: report

The Canadian pension assets under management of the country’s top 40 investment managers increased by 7.7 percentage points over the previous year, from nearly $989…

  • By: Staff
  • November 21, 2023 November 20, 2023
  • 11:00

Former federal finance minister defends ‘sustainably successful’ CPP amid Alberta pension exit plan

Former federal finance minister Bill Morneau is standing up for the Canadian Pension Plan, calling it a uniquely successful investment organization that won’t be easily…