COMMUNICATING COMPENSATION, PENSION & BENEFITS

Conference held in Toronto on January 25, 26 & 27, 2006
Chairs: Tracey Riccardi, Casino Windsor; Gary Tompkins, University of Regina; Marie F. Donnelly, Aon Consulting, Inc.; Jacqueline Taggart, Morneau Sobeco

CD-ROM: App. 10 hours of video presentations

To purchase, please contact Federated Press.

TOTAL REWARDS & OTHER TRENDS

• Total rewards communication: internally and externally
• Leveraging compensation, benefits, development and culture
• Managing total rewards for value and growth
• The total rewards modeler

"The total rewards program at HSBC is designed to go beyond the traditional compensation method by integrating a set of programs and policies that attract, motivate and engage employees."

Video: 46 minutes • Overheads

Case study: Developing & implementing a pension communication plan
Tracey Riccardi, Casino Windsor

• Results from the pension education week
• Measuring success and setting benchmarks
• Casino Windsor's strategic three-year plan
• Ongoing communication techniques
• Stumbling blocks and audience analysis

"Windsor Casino has successfully implemented a pension education week, which has significantly raised the interest and knowledge of employees about the plan."

Video: 35 minutes • Overheads

Case study: Communicating the "tangerine experience" at Aeroplan
Nicole St-Pierre and Michèle Meier, Aeroplan

• Goals and objectives of the tangerine campaign
• Raising employee awareness
• Creating an integrated internal communications campaign
• Reactions and results of the Tangerine campaign

"The objective of the tangerine campaign at Aeroplan is to raise employee benefit awareness by creating an integrated internal communications system."

Video: 41 minutes • Overheads

Legal developments in pension, benefits & compensation communication
Ross A. Gascho, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

• Defined benefit pension plans: case law
• Communicating group benefit plans
• Defined contribution plans: regulation
• CAP guidelines

"In order to minimize legal difficulties arising out of pension obligations, it is important to accurately and regularly communicate plan terms to members, and to ensure that the documentation is complete and up to date."

Video: 49 minutes • Overheads

COMMUNICATING TO YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Case study: Tailoring compensation & benefit communications to a diverse organization
David Caird, Greater Vancouver Regional District

• Communication challenges
• Communication focus groups: objectives and findings
• Benefits communication strategy
• Connecting with field staff: HR OnSite
• 2006 communication initiatives

"Providing effective compensation and benefit information to a diverse organization such as the GVRD requires an understanding of the local organizational culture and how HR is perceived in different work groups."

Video: 40 minutes  • Overheads

Communicating pension and benefits to employees in remote locations
Paul Hancock, De Beers Canada Inc.

• Evolution of the benefits program at De Beers
• Addressing geographic challenges
• The communication strategy: target marketing
• Leveraging partnerships

"To effectively communicate to employees of a geographically diverse company such as De Beers, a diverse communications plan had to be implemented, as well as a developed benefits strategy."

Video: 35 minutes • Overheads

Connecting all the dots: Harnessing the power of managers and Intranets
Tony Kerekes, NVision Consulting Ltd.

• Implementing total rewards: manager's role vs. HR intranet
• The manager as the rewards broker
• Creating a self-service focus in your HR intranet
• Top 10 tips in making your HR intranet more effective

"Managers can be a key component of effective communication in any organization, along with the maximization of online tool capabilities."

Video: 46 minutes • Overheads

Avoiding pitfalls in communicating benefit plans in a unionized environment
Gary Tompkins, University of Regina

• Converting the academic and administrative pension plan
• The consultant role in the communications strategy
• What members and union executive want to know
• Implementing pension info sessions and retirement planning seminars
• Member feedback: formal vs. informal
• Lessons learned in improving the communications process

"The transmittal of information regarding the changing benefits program at the University of Regina indicated that perhaps the most important thing in the future would be to maintain information contact on an ongoing basis."

Video: 45 minutes • Overheads

Monitoring the effectiveness of "pay-for-performance" programs through two-way communications
Rowena Nur Rahman, Dun & Bradstreet

• Compensation and the role of pay-for-performance
• Common pay-for-performance initiatives
• Critical points to remember when designing pay-for-performance programs
• Ways of monitoring program effectiveness
• Building an "environment of trust"

"To effectively integrate pay-for-performance with business objectives, alignment with the organization's mission must be clearly stated and understood by all."

Video: 32 minutes • Overheads

Getting your employees on your side using effective strategies & tools for communicating flexible benefits
Gilbert Deschênes, Innovapost

• Communicating the flex benefits program and its advantages
• Case studies in communication strategies and approaches
• Leveraging communication via technical tools and Internet portals
• Lessons learned: preparing for what can go wrong

"Effectively communicating plan benefits to your employees can be greatly enhanced through the proper use of technology, which in turn yields the employee greater choice and empowerment in benefit matters."

Video: 55 minutes • Overheads

Case study: Communicating new & innovative recognition programs
David Abesdris, BCE Corporate Services

• Communication techniques to create visibility
• Dealing with the challenges in launching the programs
• Developing internal branding of the programs
• Using promotional items with program name to enhance visibility

"Recognition programs, while facing challenges from budgetary and job cuts, form an increasingly important part of the workplace culture amongst the younger working generations."

Video: 53 minutes • Overheads

COMMUNICATING DURING TIMES OF TRANSITION

Case study: Communicating new compensation programs following a merger
Bruce Tibbitts, Meridian Credit Union; Liz Wright, Watson Wyatt Worldwide; and Claudine Kapel, Kapel and Associates Inc.

• Nine key communication practices linked to an increase in shareholder value
• Principles for successfully managing change
• Emphasizing management communications
• Using HR to send messages and influence employee behaviour

"Studies have shown that the more effective the organizational communication practices are within the new corporation, the greater the ROI and the lower the turnover rate."

Video: 42 minutes • Overheads

Case study: Communication during pension plan transitions
Roy Wieschkowski, Patheon Inc.

• Establishing plan design and communication objectives
• Communicating the new plan to key stakeholders
• Sample communication tools
• Fostering employee understanding
• Dealing with resistance to change

"Through the use of expert opinion and a rigorous education program, Patheon was able to successfully navigate its employees through pension change."

Video: 31 minutes • Overheads

Effectively communicating total rewards changes
Jacqueline Taggart, Morneau Sobeco

• Communicating total rewards
• Communicating change and encouraging acceptance
• Selecting a total rewards model that works for you
• Online total rewards sample

"Utilizing a communication strategy, with the different methods of communicating to employees, is essential to effectively bring about an understanding of total rewards changes within an organization."

Video: 37 minutes • Overheads