Plan sponsors underestimate the prevalence of chronic disease in the workplace, according to the 2016 Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey. While 59 per cent of employees have at least one chronic condition — high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression are the most common — plan sponsors think just 32 per cent do. “So there certainly […]
There’s a “noteworthy” gap between how plan sponsors view benefit plans and employees’ perspectives on them, according to a member of the advisory board for the Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey. While 35 per cent of employees aged 55 to 64 see their benefits as extra compensation, only 21 per cent of sponsors feel similarly, the […]
With interest rates so low, can plan sponsors still pull the LDI trigger?
Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) has appointed C. James (Jim) Prieur to its board of directors, effective July 1, 2016. With more than 30 years of finance, investment management, risk management and international business experience., Prieur was chief executive officer of CNO Financial Group, Inc. from 2006 until his retirement in 2011. Prior to joining CNO Financial […]
During the DC Plan Summit, participants broke off into small groups to discuss the major challenges facing plan sponsors. Here are some highlights of the sessions and key takeaways for participants: Moderator: Sharon Seifried, national vice-president, group retirement solutions corporate accounts, Manulife Topic: Why can’t people see into the future? A closer look at near-sightedness […]
With Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne vowing to implement major reforms to political fundraising in Ontario, what has the pension and benefits industry been up to when it comes to donations to political parties? According to the Elections Ontario database of political donations, the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) and the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan […]
When Andrew Martin joined the HR department at Joey Restaurant Group eight years ago, the company hadn’t touched its paper-based, administrative services-only drug plan in many years. Martin was quick to make changes, bringing in a flexible plan, drug cards, generic substitution and copayments based on dispensing fees. Still, he stopped short of reducing the […]
Nearly half (45%) of Canadian employees said they have a low level of financial wellness, according to new research by Manulife. Its Financial Wellness study, which surveyed more than 2,000 Canadian employees, found that 42% of respondents said they felt distracted at work because they are worried about money. Around 70% of respondents agreed they worry about their […]
Your employees know they need to exercise more, but there’s always next week, or the week after. To entice your staff to stop procrastinating, employers or insurers might soon reward employees for wearing a fitness device to track their steps, heart rate and more. For instance, in one program announced Wednesday, some workers can buy a $350 Apple Watch for just […]
Canada’s economic conditions gradually improved in the second half of 2015 as the country climbed out of a technical recession. But as the economic tailwinds linger, what’s the prognosis for the real estate market in 2016 and what options do institutional investors need to consider this year? “We feel that income will be the focus […]