Canadian Public Sector Pensions and Benefits Conference

This session provides a comprehensive economic update tailored specifically to the challenges and opportunities facing the public sector, including the latest trends, forecasts and analyses impacting financial markets, inflation rates, and GDP growth.

Join us for an overview of the ever-changing domain of drug plan management as we review current and future innovative drug therapies in Canada. We will delve into the most common cost control measures being applied today and explore strategies to anticipate and address future cost drivers and the evolving needs of plan members, including digital health platforms and chronic disease management. Finally, we will examine how data analytics can be leveraged to optimize drug plan design and improve health outcomes.

The world has changed and so should how we think about retirement. As we face a “greying society,” it’s critical that pension plans, along with the government rethink their strategies and thoughts about aging, and what retirement looks like for a new generation. Learn more about how forward-thinking organizations and institutions are reimagining how we might support longer lives and a new life course.

Pension plans are designed to provide retirement benefits to all members. However, many plans contain provisions that can cause—or exacerbate—disparities between members. This session explores various inequities within pension systems, showing how plans may inadvertently create discrepancies in the value received by different groups of members.

Topics examined include:

• How age- and service-based differentials create disparities between different generations of workers
• What provisions may result in differential treatment based on a member’s marital status or gender
• How ancillary benefits, such as early retirement subsidies and joint and survivor pensions, play a pivotal role in shaping member experiences—and not always for the better.

Join us for the evolving discussion on equity and accessibility considerations as they relate to group benefit plans:

• Legal aspects overview
• Best practices on how to implement equity considerations within group benefit plans
• Evolving impacts on plan design, rating, member experience and systems
• Case Study—Gender Affirmation.

Interest-based bargaining fosters collaboration and problem-solving, allowing all members from both the union and employer to actively engage in discussion. Discover how this innovative approach led to a profound shift in dynamics, enabling union and employer representatives to collectively identify systemic issues and collaboratively craft solutions.

This seminar will explore the Psychological Safety and its implications for the workplace. What is the context and history regarding psychological safety what are our calls to action to create a safer workplace. Learn how empathetic leaders can nurture trust, foster open communication, and create a workplace culture that prioritizes psychological safety and unlocks the full potential of every individual.

This session will highlight recruitment and retention strategies, how to craft inclusive benefits, and a comprehensive understanding of Indigenous history in Canada.

Amidst skill shortages across many industries, employers face a demographic shift with an increased number of neurodivergent candidates entering the workforce. The session summarizes key findings from research on neurodiversity in the workplace, conducted on behalf of the Future Skills Centre, and essential strategies for building “neuro-equal” workplaces that support the drive and innovation of neurodivergent employees.

Exploring the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) but concerned about risk and compliance? One of Canada’s leading privacy and technology lawyers will lay out the legal landscape on using AI, with lessons learned from some of the early adopters.

Stay ahead the curve by understanding the emerging trends shaping the future of pension plans. Explore the impact of global trends affecting Canadian pension plans and the impact of an Alberta Pension Plan.

Discuss cutting-edge topics such as medical assistance in dying (MAID), moral injury in benefits, Transgender benefits, and more. The session will explore the ethical dimensions, legal implications and practical challenges surrounding these emerging trends.