Word on Benefits

Human Nature: Wellness Benefits of the Outdoors

Rebecca Plier

26 Jul 202426 Jul 2024

It should come as no surprise that the spaces we occupy every day have a huge impact on our overall wellness. The Environmental Protection Agency and Vancouver Coastal Health report that Americans and Canadians spend about 90% of their time indoors. But […]

Canada Compliance Employee Benefits Health Care Legislative Regulatory

Cross-Country Benefits Update

Eli Argueta

24 Jul 202424 Jul 2024

The 2024 Canadian Legal and Legislative Update kicked off with a comprehensive cross-country benefits update delivered by Kiersten Amos, counsel at McInnes Cooper, and Michael Wolpert, partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin. These updates covered a range of legislation affecting benefit plans across […]

Canada Cybersecurity Employee Benefits Insurance U.S.

Cyber Insurance: Do You Have It? Do You Need It?

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

23 Jul 202423 Jul 2024

The frequency and costs of data breaches continue to rise globally, with the average price tag of a data compromise reaching US$4.45 million in 2023, according to a recent report from IBM Security. Cyber insurance can help protect your organization from bad […]

Canada U.S. Wellness Work Life Balance

Shaping Human-Centered Workplace Cultures

Rebecca Plier

18 Jul 202418 Jul 2024

In recent years, there have been dramatic societal transformations that have affected the workplace. From the increased necessity for remote work to trends in employee turnover and new generations entering the workforce, work as we have known it is changing. Although these […]

401(k) Plans DOL Employee Benefits ERISA ERISA50 Health Care Legislative Regulatory U.S.

Understanding ERISA Liability in the Context of Pharmacy Benefits

Anne Newhouse

17 Jul 202417 Jul 2024

Fiduciary responsibility has always been a concern for retirement plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The language on the Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Responsibilities webpage explains, “The primary responsibility of fiduciaries is to run the […]

Canada Compliance Employee Benefits Legislative Regulatory

Cross-Country Pensions Update

Eli Argueta

15 Jul 202415 Jul 2024

Here is a quick overview of legislative and regulatory updates including Income Tax Act, Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) and province-specific updates presented at the 2024 Canadian Legal and Legislative Update in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Income Tax Act (ITA) […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) DOL Health Care Legislative U.S.

ACA Litigation Update: Preventive Services Requirements Upheld

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

12 Jul 202412 Jul 2024

What’s new? On June 21, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Braidwood v. Becerra that the lower court had overreached when it struck down the Affordable Care Act (ACA) preventive services mandate nationwide. The Fifth Circuit held that federal […]

Canada U.S. Wellness

Building Meaningful Relationships

Rebecca Plier

11 Jul 202411 Jul 2024

In recent years, a startling trend has emerged: We are feeling lonelier than ever, especially at work. BetterUp reports that 69% of U.S. employees are not satisfied with the opportunities for connection in their workplace. This is especially troubling because most of us spend […]

Canada Employee Benefits Legislative Regulatory

Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Industrial Relations Board Regulations

Eli Argueta

10 Jul 202410 Jul 2024

Bill C-58 received royal assent on June 20, 2024 to ban the use of replacement workers and will come into effect June 20, 2025. This legislation was developed through extensive consultations with unions and employers and received unanimous support in Parliament. Bill […]

401(k) Plans Compliance DOL Employee Benefits ERISA Retirement SECURE 2.0 U.S.

Three DOL Developments for Retirement Plan Sponsors

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

09 Jul 202409 Jul 2024

So far in 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) has released proposals for plan administrators to populate a missing participant database and automatic portability of retirement plan accruals when employees change jobs. The DOL also finalized a retirement security rule package and […]