While workplace savings programs have traditionally focused on retirement, there has been a shift in recent years to facilitate employees’ changing financial priorities and savings journeys. Benefits Canada’s 2025 Employee Savings Survey (formerly known as the CAP Member Survey) found three-quarters (73 per cent) of Canadian employees ranked paying for day-to-day expenses among their top […]
The implementation of variable payment life annuities in Quebec will support employee financial well-being and retirement readiness, while providing a model for other Canadian jurisdictions, says Louis-Bernard Désilets, an associate at Normandin Beaudry. “Currently, there’s approximately $1.5 trillion in retirement savings accumulated in [registered retirement savings plans] and [defined contribution] plans in Canada, with likely […]
Canpotex Ltd. is supporting employee financial wellness with its new first home savings account. The FHSA, introduced in the federal government’s 2023 budget, allows Canadians to accumulate tax-free savings, within certain limits, towards the purchase of a first property. The Saskatchewan-based potash exporter recently added the savings option for its 157 Canadian employees following discussions […]
For employers that are designing a financial wellness program, it’s important to provide a user-friendly, educational, and flexible offering that reflects the diversity of employees’ life stages, says Diana McLachlan, chief people officer at Wealthsimple. “Financial security is at the core of people’s lives, and when companies recognize that and invest in it meaningfully, it […]
CAA Club Group’s win in Benefits Canada’s 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards is reinforcing the company’s efforts to provide a comprehensive wellness program to its employees, says Joanna Marra, the organization’s director of wellness. “It’s fantastic for us to get the recognition in the space because we know the work we’re doing is being recognized outside […]
For most of the decade since I joined Benefits Canada, it feels like the pension industry has been moving at a snail’s pace. Don’t get me wrong — I have witnessed many substantial (dare I say, exciting) developments in the industry, each one touted as a potential solution to Canadians’ retirement readiness concerns and increasingly […]
The software company’s chief people officer discusses family-building benefits, managing a fully remote workforce and quiet days with her four rescue animals. Q: What new programs or initiatives are you looking to implement? A: Over the past two years, we’ve introduced a suite of benefits offerings and programs designed to enhance our employees’ overall experience, […]
The union representing roughly 500 employees at General Dynamics Land Systems Canada in London, Ont. has ratified a new three-year contract that includes pension and benefits gains. The agreement provides increased employer contributions to the defined benefit pension plan, including an additional $1 for production employees and an additional $1.20 for skilled trades workers in […]
Two-thirds (65 per cent) of Canadian employees say they’re stressed about their finances and a quarter (27 per cent) say this stress impacts their productivity at work, according to a new survey by Wealthsimple for Business. The survey, which polled more than 500 respondents who identified as full-time employees, found nine in 10 (91 per […]
With the start of a new year, there are several developments and trends that will likely impact Canadian pension plan sponsors in 2025. Implementation of regulatory guidelines In September 2024, the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities published a new guideline for risk management for plan administrators and an update to their guideline for capital […]