Ontario’s move to expand its youth pharmacare program to seniors in 2019 could be a significant win for plan sponsors offering retiree benefits. “A company would see significant balance-sheet reduction and lower accounting expense, as well as lower cash costs,” says Nabil Merali, senior vice-president and Ontario market leader for health and benefits at Aon Hewitt. […]
According to LinkedIn Corp.’s 2017 global recruiting trends report, 48 per cent of employers feel employee referrals are the best source of quality hires. Despite that enthusiasm, employers allocated just nine per cent of their recruitment budgets to employee referral programs. Some employers are investing in their programs, however. In its case, Toronto-based Score Media […]
The majority of global institutional investors are expecting 2018 to bring more volatility in both the stock (78 per cent) and bond markets (70 per cent), according to a new survey by Natixis Investment Managers. “They do anticipate volatility coming back to the market, and they’re really trying to make sure they’re positioned for when it […]
Any job applicant knows that in an interview, it’s important to sit up straight, lean in and make eye contact. But body language isn’t crucial only for potential employees — it also counts for current staff members. Body language is very important in the workplace, according to Kristin Coulombe, director of human resources at Jones […]
Laugh and the world laughs with you, right? OK, maybe not the world, but what about the workplace? Research has shown humour helps relieve the negative effects of stress, such as tension and anxiety, that can and do surface in the workplace. Other studies show humour can help spur creativity. But work is serious business, […]
Following recent hurricanes in the United States, employers are confronting absences caused by extreme weather conditions by considering a climate-related policy that allows employees to take paid leave for days off due to a natural disaster. New York-based software company Fog Creek Software has formalized a plan. It’s allowing employees to take up to five days paid leave due to extreme […]
Canadian companies are projecting a 2.5 per cent increase to salary budgets in 2018, according to a new report from Accompass Inc. However, the level of generosity depends on the size of the company. “Bigger is not better in this situation,” said Anne Peiris, vice-president of compensation at Accompass during a presentation of the survey results at the Toronto Board […]
With left-handed people comprising about 10 per cent of the population, there are likely to be a few of them in each workplace. Yet the majority (97 per cent) of employers don’t ask new recruits about handedness, according to a recent survey by Britain-based online recruiter CV-Library Ltd. The survey of 2,400 employees found 82 per […]
With employers already facing enough cost pressures around their benefits plans, adding additional coverage for paramedical services may be a daunting prospect. But with employees often looking for coverage for a broader range of services, is athletic therapy worth considering? The Canadian Athletic Therapists Association, in fact, helpfully provides employees with a sample letter on […]
What are the top challenges plan sponsors face?