Blake Wolfe

With the return of the holiday shopping season, employees may be tempted to spend more than they planned, despite the rising cost in living. According to a recent survey by Deloitte Canada, Canadians plan to spend, on average, $1,478 for the holidays this year, up 10 per cent — or $131 — from 2023 but …

UAP Inc. is supporting employees’ financial wellness and retirement readiness with a new retirement toolkit. The toolkit, which launched this week, explains the company’s retirement savings plans and additional post-employment income sources such as Canada and Quebec Pension Plan benefits, as well as information on adjusting to life in retirement. It also includes resources for …

The rising cost of living in the post-pandemic era has impacted all aspects of employees’ financial wellness, including retirement savings. In 2023, Hofmann-La Roche Ltd. examined the savings needs of its multigenerational workforce and determined more flexibility was required to encourage employees to set aside retirement savings, said Rana Kassab (pictured right), the company’s director …

Young Canadian employees are facing a series of headwinds stemming from rising housing costs and decades of inaction by the federal government to support retirement savings, said Paul Kershaw, founder of not-for-profit organization Generation Squeeze and a policy professor at the University of British Columbia, during the keynote session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Defined Contribution …

A new retirement savings vehicle could benefit members of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology’s pension plan by streamlining investment choice and maximizing their personal retirement savings, says Jason Vary, president of Actuarial Solutions Inc. This month, the CAAT pension plan launched an optional savings account that allows plan members to transfer in their …

The Regional Municipality of Peel is enhancing its communication strategy with its employee service centre, says Deborah Arsenault, the regional government’s chief human resources officer. The platform, which launched at the end of August, is hosted on Peel Region’s employee intranet and provides workers with information on their benefits plan, payroll and workplace policies. According …

While the recent pullback from diversity, equity and inclusion policies by several large employers may be concerning to some employees, it also provides companies with an opportunity to re-examine their definition of DEI. “I think some [employers] perceive that [DEI] is about lowering the bar or checking a box and not hiring the most qualified …

From 2016 to 2024, fewer plan members are confident they’ve saved enough for retirement. Indeed, Benefits Canada’s 2024 CAP Member survey found plan members’ optimism that their retirement is on track declined to 56 per cent from 63 per cent in 2022, while three-quarters (73 per cent) said they’re worried they won’t have enough saved …

While hybrid and remote working arrangements can help some employees be more productive, it’s important that employers don’t take a “one-size-fits-all” approach when implementing these policies, says Kristin Bower, a partner and diversity, equity and inclusion consultant at Leda HR. “[Implementing a successful remote working policy] takes intentionality and human connection. . . .  It’s …

More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of Canadian employers say employees’ emotional well-being continues to be their main wellness focus as they navigate challenges posed by workplace mental-health concerns and hybrid working arrangements, according to a new survey by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. The survey, which polled more than 400 employers, found roughly a …