While emerging forms of artificial intelligence such as agentic AI may hold promises and challenges for pension plan sponsors, the human touch remains important when advising plan members on financial decisions, said Francis Boulianne, principal in Normandin Beaudry’s group benefits practice, during a recent webinar hosted by the consultancy. “[Chatbots] were never intended to replace […]
When Bell Canada was communicating defined contribution plan changes to members in 2024, it turned to artificial intelligence to help personalize its message to all of its 25,000 plan members. The redesign, which aimed to respond to members’ different financial priorities, enhanced the company’s savings options with a first home savings account, a tax-free savings […]
Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of plan members are open to receiving personalized communications about their health from their benefits plan provider, according to the 2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. This is up from 66 per cent in 2018, when the question was first asked. The question clarified that the respondent’s employer wouldn’t be aware […]
Roughly eight in 10 (78 per cent) employees who can personalize their benefits package to meet their needs say their employer cares about their health and well-being, compared to just 29 per cent of employees who can’t personalize their benefits, according to a new survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 18,000 global […]
For defined contribution plan members, the evolution of education and engagement has passed several milestones, including the introduction of email and mobile apps. “At Manulife, we’ve reached a point where we have two-thirds of logins going through the mobile app and one-third going through the website,” said Marc-Antoine Morin, the record-keeper’s assistant vice-president of group […]
In the early days of Bell Canada’s defined contribution plan, there was a lot of emphasis on information and big campaigns, but at that time, employers were reluctant to get too involved, according to Robert Marchessault, the telecommunications company’s director of pension and benefits, noting it was soon clear its members needed more guidance. Speaking […]
In 2025, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association hopes to see continued support for virtual health care and innovation, says Stephen Frank, the association’s president and chief executive officer. According to the CLHIA, at least 10 million Canadians are covered for virtual care through their employer plan and roughly half a million visit their […]
PepsiCo Canada’s 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards win demonstrates how weaving diversity, equity and inclusion into strategic business practices can foster employee mental health and wellness. The food and beverage company’s inclusive end-to-end business transformation strategy made it this year’s winner in the DEI Program category. “It’s so fantastic that all of our hard work has been […]
Nearly half (47 per cent) of Canadians say they’ve been injured in a way that impedes or has impeded them from being fully functional at work, at home or at play, according to a new survey by Ipsos on behalf of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association. The survey, which polled 1,000 Canadian workers aged 18 and […]
An article on the benefits of tailoring an individual’s work schedule around their circadian rhythm and optimum times of productivity 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. How ‘Chronoworking’ is helping boost employee productivity, recruitment 2. FSRA releases final […]