An article on an Ontario court ruling that determined an employer wasn’t obligated to preserve past service benefits was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Ontario court rules employer not obligated to preserve past service benefits 2. 49% of […]
Ontario’s small claims court has ruled that an employer’s letter, which described the benefits coverage that would exist following a divestment as ‘comparable’ to prior levels of coverage, didn’t create a contractual obligation to preserve past service benefits. “The decision makes a clear distinction between an informational announcement or other general information that is not […]
The average projected solvency ratio for Ontario defined benefit pension plans was 122 per cent as of March 31, 2024, up three per cent from Dec. 31, 2023, according to a new report by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. It found 90 per cent of DB plans were projected to be fully funded […]
The Medicus Pension Plan, a defined benefit multi-employer pension plan designed exclusively for incorporated physicians in Canada, reported a funded status of 158 per cent on a going-concern basis and a 115 per cent funded status on a solvency basis as of Jan. 1, 2024. The plan, which launched in May 2023, is designed to […]
In its newest guidance, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is barring pension plan administrators from registering retroactive adverse amendments that could have a negative impact on plan members or beneficiaries, such as changes in contribution rates, subject to limited exceptions. “What we found coming out of the [coronavirus] pandemic, . . . there was […]
Roughly seven in 10 (73 per cent) Ontario Pension Board plan members believe environmental, social and governance factors should play a critical role in the plan’s investment considerations, according to a new survey included in the investment organization’s inaugural ESG report. The survey, which polled roughly 10,000 plan members, found nearly two-fifths (39 per cent) of […]
An Ontario Superior Court ruling that allowed IBM Canada Ltd. to retrospectively rectify drafting errors that created unintended additional pension benefits for employees on disability leave augurs well for plan sponsors seeking similar relief going forward. “The case clarifies that there is a specific test for rectification of pension plans and other unilateral instruments, which […]
In its 2024-25 annual plan, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is focusing on assessing and mitigating systemic and high-priority risks in the province’s defined benefit pension plan sector. The regulatory body will review and enhance its supervisory framework to strengthen supervision of large public sector pension plans, ensuring its plan amendments and surplus […]
An article on Eastman Kodak Co.’s plans to outsource management of its pension assets was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the week: 1. Kodak outsourcing US$1.6TN of pension assets to maximize overfunded status 2. OMERS returns 4.6% for 2023, driven by equities, fixed income […]
The average projected solvency ratio for Ontario defined benefit pension plans was 119 per cent as of Dec. 31, 2023, up two per cent from Sept. 30, 2023, according to a new report by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. It found the median projected solvency ratio exceeded 100 per cent for 12 consecutive […]