U.S. employers are anticipating a median health benefits cost trend of nine per cent in 2026, which could be offset to 7.6 per cent with changes to plan design, according to a new survey by Business Group on Health. The survey, which polled more than 120 employers representing 11.6 million plan members, found, on a […]
Half (51 per cent) of U.S. employers with 500 or more employees say they’re likely or very likely to make plan design changes in 2026 that would shift more costs to employees, such as raising deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums, according to a new survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 500 large-sized companies, […]
An article on the impact of rising benefits costs was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. 73% of employers say rising benefits costs a top issue in 2025: survey 2. 50% of Canadian gen-Zers prefer roles […]
Roughly three-quarters (73 per cent) of Canadian employers say the rising cost of benefits is the No. 1 issue influencing their benefits strategy this year, up significantly from 40 per cent in 2023, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled more than 145 employers across the public and private sectors, found […]
Canadians rely on programs through their workplaces to help ease the financial burden of fertility challenges, according to Michelle Chidley, co-founder and chair at Fertility Alberta Advocacy and Outreach Association and principal at Aisling Communications Inc. In a session supported by EMD Serono Inc. during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Vancouver Benefits Summit, she said a sixth […]
In the next three years, more than half (57 per cent) of global employers plan to reallocate or rebalance their benefits spend, adding or enhancing some benefits (23 per cent) while reducing or removing others (two per cent), according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled more than 5,500 global employers, found […]
An article on how pension plan sponsors can manage risk amid economic and geopolitical instability was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Expert panel: Risk management tips during economic, geopolitical uncertainty 2. Institutional investors reconsidering ESG […]
As the role of pharmacists in the Canadian health-care landscape continues to evolve, there are opportunities for plan sponsors to integrate these professionals into their health benefits offerings, says Martin Belanger, senior vice-president of payer and provider solutions at Telus Health. While a fifth (22 per cent) of Canadians don’t have access to a family […]
The majority (82 per cent) of Canadian employers say cost is their primary consideration when defining and reviewing benefits, compared to 66 per cent of global organizations, according to a new survey by MBWL International and Normandin Beaudry. The survey, which polled more than 350 employers across 100 countries, found more than half (54 per […]
Three-quarters (75 per cent) of Canadian employers and two-thirds (66 per cent) of U.S. employers say they plan to link compensation directly to performance outcomes, according to a new report by Hub International Ltd. The survey, which polled more than 900 business leaders across Canada and the U.S., found many employers are shifting total rewards […]