The federal government’s December 2010 announcement of the pooled retirement pension plan (PRPP) arrangement has been the most significant piece of pension reform introduced in Canada since discussion on the topic increased following the 2008 economic crisis, according to a panel speaking at the Benefits & Pension Summit today in Toronto. Canadians will have to […]
The grasshopper spent the warm months singing away while the ant worked to store up food for winter. When winter arrived, the grasshopper was dying of hunger, and, upon asking the ant for food, was only rebuked for its idleness. This fable is used to teach the importance of saving, but it misses the point. […]
Incidences of chronic disease in Canada are on the rise, as are mental health issues, and both are impacting the workplace in the form of increasing drug costs, absenteeism and lost productivity. But the good news is that employers are starting to realize the importance of making investments to improve workplace mental health, according to […]
A federal budget that attempted to balance the government’s determination to eliminate the deficit by 2015 and the need to attract opposition support offered little new for the country’s ongoing pension reform debate. In delivering the budget, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty made mention of the government’s commitment to advancing the planned pooled retirement pension plan […]
With the prevalence of healthcare spending accounts (HCSAs) on the rise, employees who are able to take advantage of coordinating health and dental benefits with a spouse are asking for clarification as to where they should submit their claims for payment, explains a recent News & Views from Morneau Shepell. The Canadian Life and Health […]
When it comes to the workplace and motherhood, we’ve come a long way, baby. A woman’s job is now protected when she’s on maternity leave, guaranteeing her the same position (or a comparable one) when she returns. And a combination of maternity and parental benefits are payable to the mother for a maximum of 50 […]
There’s no question that designing, communicating and administering a DC pension plan is complex. So why was Keep it Simple the theme of this year’s DC Plan Summit? Because among other discouraging statistics, 36% of people surveyed in a recent Ipsos poll spend less than five minutes understanding the information in their statements, explained Anna […]
After the roller coaster ride of the past three years, pension plans are starting to ask questions about their methods for selecting and evaluating investment managers and how to allocate their management budgets, says Rob Boston, partner and leader of the asset consulting practice with Morneau Shepell. Boston, speaking at a seminar discussing the firm’s […]
Tech Insights PDF Presentations On Jan. 26, Benefits Canada hosted the first edition of Tech Insights, a new event designed to showcase the latest technology in benefits, administration and plan member offerings. For those who attended the event, you can view all the password protected PDFs from both days below. Session 2 Session 3 Session […]
Green Shield Canada is partnering with digital pharmacy PocketPills on a virtual pharmacy app for its group benefits plans. Plan members will be able to chat with a pharmacist, refill existing prescriptions through the app and have their medications delivered to their homes for free. The drugs come pre-sorted into packages by dosage and time, […]