Idaho lawmakers are calling for a ban on investments in environmental, social and governance compliant companies by its state pension funds. Proposed by Republican State Senator Steve Vick, the bill would bar the state’s public sector pension plans from investing in companies that have made any ESG commitments. In its second reading, the bill received […]
An agreement reached between the federal Liberals and New Democrats this week will prioritize work on a dental-care program, national pharmacare and paid leave. The deal will see the NDP support the Liberals on matters of confidence until 2025. The dental-care program and national pharmacare, which the NDP have long championed, had to get Liberal buy-in for the […]
Canadian employers should consider the pros and cons of employee share ownership plans on both sides of the border. Loren Rodgers, executive director of the National Center for Employee Ownership (pictured left) Canada should maintain the current paths by which companies are creating employee ownership, but it should also create a new vehicle that draws […]
Developing a made-in-Canada approach to employee ownership trusts will address multiple public policy challenges, according to a new report by non-profit Social Capital Partners. Employee-owned companies — where a broad base of employees own a significant stake in their employer — are associated with better company performance, stronger local economies, long-term investment and higher wealth […]
Alberta’s move to enter the captive insurance market could have significant benefits for employers in the province. On Dec. 2, 2021, the province’s proposed Bill 76, the Captive Insurance Companies Act, received royal assent, taking it one step closer to becoming law. If passed, the legislation will make Alberta the second province, after British Columbia, to […]
Ontario is eyeing a new system to provide “portable benefits” for workers in the gig economy, retail and hospitality sectors who don’t currently have health, dental or vision coverage. Under the plan, workers would be able to keep their benefits even if they change jobs, said the province in a press release. If the plan […]
In 2020, members of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association spent $650 million on drugs for rare diseases for more than 13,000 patients. Rare diseases affect one in 12 Canadians and between 6,000 and 8,000 rare diseases are known globally. In addition, roughly 80 per cent of these diseases occur in children and only […]
How the City of Toronto is continuing to support employee mental health in these uncertain times took the top spot over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. How the City of Toronto is supporting employee mental health in 2022 and beyond 2. Why CPP premiums are getting […]
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has put a six-month pause on new regulations designed to lower the cost of patented medicines in Canada. Health Canada first announced in 2019 that the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board would change how it sets a price cap on medicines in Canada in an effort to lower excessively expensive […]
The second year since the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic was a significant one for the human resources, benefits, pension and investment industries, particularly when it came to stories about vaccines. With more than three million page views on BenefitsCanada.com in 2021, here are the year’s most popular stories. What can employers do if […]