As someone who has become increasingly overweight in the last few years, every time I read or write about obesity being referred to as a ‘lifestyle condition’ it makes me physically cringe. Yes, some poor diet choices have contributed to my current physical condition, but it’s much more complex than that. And I know others […]
A recent development in the U.K. pension market to give British workers a ‘pot for life’ could reduce the quality of retirement plans that are already in place and create administrative challenges, says Adam Bexson, senior corporate pension consultant at Verlingue Ltd. Currently, plan members are automatically enrolled into a retirement plan chosen by their employer, […]
With the end of the year approaching, some employers and health practitioners may feel the need to tell employees to use up their benefits, but Rob Van De Cappelle, national benefits consultant at Cowan Insurance Group, cautions against this approach. “I tell employers and employees the benefits plan is there to keep you healthy and […]
Inclusivity has long been a priority at Capital One Canada and its employee leave programs are no exception. As a result of this focus, the financial company is seeing more men taking parental leave — by September 2023, men accounted for 64 per cent of employees who used the benefit. The organization offers 26 weeks […]
RendA+, an innovative bond instrument in Brazil, is serving as a relatively safe asset for defined contribution pension plans and lowering retirement risk, especially for those without a workplace pension plan. At a 2019 retirement security conference held in Brazil, Arun Muralidhar, chairman and chief investment officer at AlphaEngine Global Investment Solutions, proposed the introduction […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s proposed family rule could allow for pension benefits to be divided more fairly in the event of a marriage breakdown, says Louis Duranleau, a senior principal of pensions at Normandin Beaudry. “When there’s an agreement between the spouses to share the retiree’s pension before it’s effectively divided in […]
Meridian Credit Union Ltd. is continuing to support employee financial wellness by raising its guaranteed hourly wage to $23.74. In 2022, the financial company became the largest employer to be certified by the Ontario Living Wage Network and is adjusting its compensation to reflect new guidelines that were updated last month. Current economic conditions and […]
As Ontario prepares to introduce pay transparency legislation, it’s important for employers to consider how much information they want to share in job postings, says Darcy Clark, a principal at Normandin Beaudry. “They could do just enough to meet the legislative requirements or . . . full disclosure where everybody knows everything. There’s also a […]
Desjardins Insurance is marking Financial Literacy Month with a series of budgeting workshops for employees and an interactive game to help improve financial literacy. The workshops cover topics such as using a budget to manage cash flow, how to plan for future goals and how to save on grocery bills amid rising inflation and food prices. […]
Nova Scotia-based private employers can now transfer their pension plans into the Public Service Superannuation Plan. The Private Sector Pension Plan Transfer Act, which received royal assent on Nov. 9, provides all employers based in the province with the option of offering or continuing to offer a defined benefit pension plan with a prescribed funding […]