Canadian benefits plan sponsors are increasingly seeking to balance providing competitive benefits against plan sustainability issues, said expert panellists during the launch event for the 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey last week. Andrea Belvedere (pictured right), assistant vice-president of health benefits and solutions at Sun Life, said plan sponsors are starting to ask more questions […]
Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of Americans say they wish they’d started saving for retirement when they were younger than age 25, according to a new survey by Voya Financial Inc. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 Americans adults, found more than half said they started saving for retirement when they were between ages 18 […]
With millennials and generation Z employees representing roughly 75 per cent of the Canadian workforce, employers need to respond to the changing needs of these demographics, said Andrew Brandsma, director of sales for new business development at claims processing company National HealthClaim, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. Both […]
Everyone loves a deal, but many Canadians either forget or don’t realize they can find discounts through their workplace. “There really are a lot [of perks] that employees just don’t seem to know about,” says Debby Carreau, chief executive officer and founder of Inspired HR, a human resources consultancy with offices across Canada. “Those things […]
The union representing more than 460 employees at Nestlé in Toronto has ratified a three-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains, ending a strike that began on May 5. The agreement includes a $1 increase each year in the defined benefit pension plan for non-skilled trades and $2 each year for skilled trades. […]
The union representing more than 600 employees at GreenShield Canada in Toronto and Windsor, Ont. has ratified a three-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains, ending a strike that began on March 1. The agreement includes a $1.50 increase to the defined benefit pension plan for each year, bringing employees from a $71 […]
With the new Canadian Dental Care Plan rolling out, it’s critical that it doesn’t displace existing employer-sponsored dental coverage, says Stephen Frank, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. He believes a tax credit would be an optimal solution that would go a long way towards encouraging employers not […]
After a five-day strike, the union representing 800 employees at Magna International Inc.’s Integram Seating factory in Windsor, Ont. has ratified a collective agreement that includes multiple benefits gains. The benefits gains include: vision coverage, from $250 every two years to $400; a rise in the basic annual dental maximum, from $1,600 to $1,900; an […]
Since menopause often hits women at the peak of their careers and can have an impact on their workplace productivity, employers must re-evaluate their benefits plans and workplace policies to better support women through the transition. While the common age range for menopause is between 45 and 55, it can also happen before age 40, […]
With wildfires raging across the country over the past weeks, employers can support affected employees by offering easily accessible tools and resources, flexible work schedules and extended wellness benefits, says Alex Boucher, principal consultant and total health management leader at Mercer Canada. Whether they’ve been removed from their homes or are worrying about smoke inhalation, employees are […]