Overview
Human Resource Management 208: Introduction to Pensions Representation introduces the kinds of pension and retirement savings plans that are typically offered by employers in Canada. The course covers the decision-making procedures involved in the establishment, design, administration, investment, funding, and governance of these plans.
HRMT 208 will benefit anyone involved in managing, administering, or overseeing a pension or retirement savings plan. The course is relatively broad in scope and offers practical, relevant knowledge and skills that you can apply in both professional and personal settings.
Outline
Unit 1: Overview and Types of Pension Plans
- Lesson 1: History and Context
- Lesson 2: Types of Plans
- Lesson 3: Overview of Administration and Regulations
Unit 2: Pension Plan Design
- Lesson 4: Terms and Conditions
- Lesson 5: Minimum Standards
Unit 3: Pension Fund Investments
- Lesson 6: Fundamentals of Pension Fund Investments
- Lesson 7: Pension Fund Investment Management
- Lesson 8: Environmental, Social, and Governance Investing Issues
Unit 4: Financial Management of Pension Plans and the Actuary
- Lesson 9: Funding and the Actuary
- Lesson 10: Defined Benefit Plan Funding Regulations
- Lesson 11: Other Financial Regulations
Unit 5: Governance
- Lesson 12: Fiduciary Responsibility
- Lesson 13: Pension Plan Governance
- Lesson 14: Trustees and Their Professional Advisors
Learning outcomes
After completing HRMT 208 you should be able to
- discuss the history of and current framework for retirement income provision in Canada.
- summarize the key components, roles, and considerations involved in the establishment, management, and oversight of employer-sponsored pension plans in Canada.
- describe and compare the main features, including issues of risk sharing, of the two main types of pension plans: defined benefit and defined contribution.
- evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different types of pension plans from various perspectives, including that of employers and employees.
- describe the reasons and requirements for funding and the role of the actuary in defined benefit pensions.
- outline basic investment tools, policy requirements, and management structures for pension plans.
- discuss how and why environmental, social, and governance factors may be incorporated into pension plan investment strategies.
- describe and compare the main features of pension standards legislation and tax-related legislation for pension plans.
- discuss fiduciary relationships in the context of pension plan governance.
- describe the role of governance in the oversight of pension plans, develop a basic governance structure, and assess the appropriateness of different governance processes.
Evaluation
To receive credit for HRMT 208 you must submit all five assignments and achieve a composite course grade of D (50 percent).
The following table summarizes the evaluation activities for this course.
| Activity | Weight | Complete by |
| Assignment 1 | 10% of final grade | after Unit 1 |
| Assignment 2 | 25% of final grade | after Unit 2 |
| Assignment 3 | 25% of final grade | after Unit 3 |
| Assignment 4 | 15% of final grade | after Unit 4 |
| Assignment 5 | 25% of final grade | after Unit 5 |
| Total | 100% | |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Physical course materials
The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
Morneau Shepell. (2020). Morneau Shepell handbook of Canadian pension and benefit plans (17th ed.). LexisNexis Canada. ISBN: 9780433506997
Other materials
All other materials are available online.