Canadian HR Reporter

NEWS BRIEFS More than seven out of 10 Canadians would choose a slightly lower salary in exchange for a pension plan, according to a survey. A similar proportion also prefer a pension plan that pays out an amount based on what they earned while working (70 per cent) versus one based on the economy and the markets (15 per cent) or the employer's financial success (also 15 per cent), found the survey of 2,500 Canadian adults by the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP). Nearly eight out of 10 respondents agree that reasonable paycheque deductions are an effective way of helping Canadians save for retirement while 77 per cent feel that employers have a responsibility to offer a pension plan that workers can access to provide them with adequate retirement income. Two-thirds believe that companies could afford to offer good pensions if they wanted to, regardless of economic conditions. Almost half of respondents (47 per cent) think that most Canadians won't have an adequate income in retirement from pensions and individual savings, while nearly two-thirds feel that saving for retirement is prohibitively expensive and fear that there is an emerging retirement crisis. Two Canadian cities are top 10 in the world for work- life balance in 2021, according to a study. Ottawa claims the sixth spot and Vancouver eighth in the 2021 Work-Life Balance Index produced by Kisi, a cloud- based security solutions provider. The study assigned 50 cities around the globe a score in 18 factors across three main categories — work intensity, society and institutions, and city livability — and generated a weighted average score. The 2021 study included a factor related to the social and economic impact of a location's COVID-19 response. OTTAWA SCORES HIGH FOR BALANCE CANADIANS VALUE PENSION PLANS 65% More than one-third of workers report feeling burned out as they face a return to the physical workplace, according to an international survey. However, six out of 10 say their employer does not discuss burnout, found the survey of 4,553 full-time employees in France, Germany, the U.K., Australia and the U.S. by Limeade. Eight out of 10 U.S. professionals don't want to return to the office full time but instead want to work from home full time or on a hybrid schedule, a survey has found. Pandemic life has changed the habits of most workers, found the poll of nearly 1,500 professionals who worked remotely from March 2020 to March 2021, by the Harvard Business School Online. Finland's capital of Helsinki was the top-rated city with an index score of 100. Oslo, Zurich, Stockholm, and Copenhagen rounded out the top five. Ottawa's score was 89.1 and Vancouver's 87.8. Calgary and Toronto also scored well with 85.2 and 84.9, respectively, good for 13th and 14th on the list. Compared to a similar study in 2019, Ottawa moved up five spots and Vancouver was up two. Toronto dropped one spot and Calgary didn't appear in the 2019 ranking. The most overworked cities in the study were Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, and Seoul. 75% Binge-watched TV shows or movies more often 70% Spent more time with loved ones 59% Made health more of a priority 50% Read for fun/spent more time with friends online Work from home proves relaxing Anxiety rises with return to workplace TOP SOURCES OF WORKPLACE ANXIETY TOP PANDEMIC HABITS CANADIANS KEEN ON PENSIONS • 77% Exposure to COVID-19 • 71% Less flexibility • 68% Commuting to work • 54% Wearing a mask • 22% Need for childcare All workers should have access to affordable retirement savings arrangements All employers should be required to contribute to pensions for full-time workers All employers should be required to contribute to pensions for all workers Pensions are much less costly than government retirement programs 85% 79% 77% 61% 14 www.hrreporter.com M A R K E T N E W S

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