Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives aren’t a new concept for employers — just ask any human resources professional. However, in a changing world marked by growing calls for social justice, many plan sponsors are extending these initiatives beyond workplace conduct and employee benefits into retirement planning, merging diversity with their pension plans’ designs and communications […]
Scotiabank’s win at Benefits Canada’s 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards led to increased employee engagement and peer recognition, says Rosemary Hatnay, director and head of total rewards solutions and global human resources services. The bank won in the Pension plan communications category for its streamlined approach to its defined benefit plan statements, making essential information more accessible to plan […]
Scotiabank is supporting its employees’ financial well-being with a week of information sessions in June. Ayman Alvi, director of global benefits at Scotiabank, says the sessions taking place the week of June 20 will focus on all aspects of financial well-being, including the bank’s pension plan and other financial benefits available to employees. “These events have […]
The union representing roughly 900 workers at Metro Inc. warehouses in Etobicoke, Ont. has ratified a new 4.5-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. Sandeep Kakan, director of pension and benefits at Unifor, says the agreement includes an increase in the defined benefit pension plan’s flat-rate benefit, retroactive to 2001, as well as […]
A Toronto-based software company is offering a virtual veterinarian service through its benefits program. Nicola Watson, human resources manager at Tribalscale Inc., says pet-owning employees can use the service, operated by Vetster Inc., to schedule up to four virtual vet visits per year. She notes the offering is in line with TribalScale’s decision to shift […]
Changes to the calculation of commuted pension values in Canada are making it more challenging for defined benefit pension plan members to determine an optimal day to quit their job and receive the maximum payout, says one actuary. Peter Gorham, an actuary at JDM Actuarial Expert Services Inc., says while he used to point plan […]
While Canadian employers have spent millions of dollars to address and support employee mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, the co-author of a new study says employee feedback is key to addressing gaps in the improvement of workplace psychological health and safety. “We’ve got random acts of wellness and we’re spending millions of dollars on […]
This month marks the second anniversary of the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, a 24-month span that has had profound effects on the health of benefits plan members and the status and structure of their plans. For drug plans in particular, several trends have come to light — or have accelerated — during the course […]
A Toronto-based non-profit organization is compensating prospective employees by paying them for their time during interviews. FoodShare Toronto’s new policy, which took effect March 1, pays interviewees a fixed rate of $75, regardless of the position. In addition, if an interview requires the candidate to complete an assignment or prepare a presentation, they’re also compensated […]
Representatives from a few of Canada’s most progressive pension plans weighed in on topics ranging from plan design to the various challenges posed by legislation and governance during a webinar hosted by the Association of Canadian Pension Management last week. Orla Cousineau, executive director of pensions at the University of British Columbia, said the province’s […]