Alberta will begin offering coronavirus vaccines to thousands of meat-packing employees across the province starting this week, but a union leader says some workers are reluctant to receive a shot from the government or an employer they don’t trust. The provincial government says starting Tuesday, vaccines will be offered to more than 15,000 workers at 136 […]
The Alberta Investment Management Corp. is reporting a total fund return of 2.5 per cent net of all fees for 2020, approximately 5.4 per cent below that of its benchmark. The total represents approximately $3 billion in net investment income, with assets under management reaching $118.6 billion, according to a press release, which noted the […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario, which provides investment management services to broader public sector institutions in the province, is reporting a 5.4 per cent weighted average return for its clients’ funds (net of all fees) in 2020. Returns ranged from 0.2 per cent to 7.1 per cent based on asset mix, risk tolerance and […]
Inflation break-evens at multi-year highs and higher nominal yields are putting some upward pressure on real yields in Canada, according to a new report by FTSE Russell. The firm found first-quarter 2021 performance returns showed a sell-off in government bonds, led by longer U.K., U.S. and Canadian government bonds, as the reflation trade gained momentum. […]
The exceptional rise of U.S. equity markets over the past year has been difficult for many institutional investors to watch because their long-term focus meant they couldn’t fully participate in it. But the rally truly was exceptional and there are indications it may not last. As the S&P 500 Index approached the one-year anniversary of […]
Staples Canada Inc. is the latest Canadian employer to provide employees with paid leave to receive a coronavirus vaccination. The company will provide up to three hours of paid leave as well as access to educational resources and information sessions with a medical professional about vaccines, according to a press release. Read: Canada Goose offering […]
The City of Toronto is planning to bring the coronavirus vaccine to high-risk workplaces in an effort to stop the spread of the disease, the city’s mayor said Monday as pressure mounted on the province to vaccinate essential workers. Mayor John Tory says the city is currently developing the details of the plan, which will […]
Canada’s defined benefit pension plans’ funded positions continue to improve in 2021, ending the first quarter at their highest levels in more than 20 years, according to Mercer Canada’s pension health index. It found solvency ratios increased from 114 per cent at the end of 2020 to 124 per cent at the end of March 2021, with the median solvency ratio […]
Job-protected leave has been written into British Columbia’s Employment Standards Act to give workers time off to get their coronavirus vaccinations. Labour Minister Harry Bains says the safeguard will ensure that no one will lose their job if they need time away to get vaccinated. The changes allow part-time and full-time workers to take as much […]
Employers are facing a growing number of legal considerations as they continually adapt policies amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent webinar hosted by Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie. In Ontario, there’s been a substantial increase in workplace inspections through that province’s occupational health and safety act, said Ted Kovacs, a partner at […]