Of the 114 multinational companies that participated in the last Mercer global benefits governance survey, 84 per cent of respondents said they believed their existing global benefits governance structures were insufficient to meet current and future needs. In light of this finding, how do other Canadian-based multinational companies manage their global benefits plans and, more […]
The top rewards-related issue during a merger and acquisition transaction is medical benefits, a key area of focus in 92% of projects analyzed by Mercer for its first People Risks in M&A Transactions report. The report, which included the analysis of nearly 450 transaction assignments and some 300 M&A professionals, found that about 80% of the transactions […]
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has appointed Jean Michel as executive vice-president, advisory services to depositors and strategic analysis. Michel will start his new job on March 7, 2016. In his new role, Michel will manage the relationship with the Caisse’s clients and take part in overseeing investment strategies. Until recently, Michel was […]
Employee benefits plan design has changed very little over the last several decades. Sure, there have been subtle tweaks over the years, but the basic plan design fundamentals have stayed the same. Recently we’ve seen some innovation in the areas of plan management, increased plan flexibility and a greatly enhanced employee experience, but in many respects the […]
While employers strive to provide the right balance in their total rewards strategies, there’s sometimes a disconnect between what they offer their employees and what staff say they need and want. Employees are asking for more choice and the ability to customize their benefits from both a health and financial perspective. Adding a selection of […]
Employers need to prepare for a new normal in their pension plans as the economy continues to lag and people are living longer, Mercer’s Jean-Philippe Provost told attendees at the firm’s annual Retirement Outlook and Fearless Forecast event today in Toronto. Provost pointed to new de-risking opportunities, such as the $530-million combined annuity buy-in transaction […]
Sun Life has completed a combined annuity buy-in transaction valued at $530 million with two Canadian pension plan sponsors to transfer investment, longevity and inflation risk to Sun Life. The annuity buy-in for the two plans, which opted not to be named, were combined, with the pricing conditional on both purchases occurring at the same time. This generated significant cost […]
Overseeing a team serves up its share of challenges, from personality clashes to deadline crises. But as companies increasingly outsource work to independent contractors, there’s a new challenge emerging: managing workers they never see. That’s where hiring a chief freelance officer comes in. That person can oversee all aspects of working with independent contractors—anything from […]
The solvency position of Canadian pension plans were down slightly in 2015, according to the latest Mercer Pension Health Index. The median solvency ratio of the pension plans of Mercer’s clients stood at 85% on December 31, 2015, down from 88% at the beginning of the year, with around nine out of 10 plans still […]
With interest rates bottoming out, Canadian DB plans should look beyond traditional de-risking methods— such as liability-driven investing (LDI)—and consider equities. There are several ways to incorporate equities into a plan’s de-risking framework. Plan sponsors that want more predictability from equities in the early stages of de-risking, for example, might consider strategies that are actively […]