'The more benefits you offer, the more important it is to continue to communicate and educate associates on these options'
What makes a good benefits program? The question has puzzled and tormented employers since the dawn of HR – and really there’s no one simple answer.
Benefits programs, by their very nature, need to be flexible, filled with options, and not at all restrictive. That was the findings of HRD’s recent 5-Star Benefit Programs report, which assessed the current state of perks packages across Canadian organizations.
Speaking to HR leaders on what makes a great benefits strategy, the resounding answer was avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.
5-Star winner ADP Canada’s Jill Doucette advises offering a bevy of benefits – so long as you’re adept at explaining to your people how and when to access them.
Check out the list of winners along with ADP Canada in the Best HR Software Companies in Canada special report.
“The more benefits you offer… the more important it is to continue to communicate and educate associates on these options,” she says.
“Many employers communicate during recruitment, onboarding, and annual enrolment time. At ADP, benefits communication and education occurs at those times but also regularly throughout the year to ensure that associates remember the wide array of benefits available.”
And this is a step that some organizations often forget to implement. It’s not enough to simply purchase a state-of-the-art new benefits plan if you don’t take the time to tell your employees – this is even more paramount if you offer mental health resources.
Retention advantages
Data from Mercer found that 42% of workers who have access to mental health support are less likely to leave their current employer — compared to the 27% who don’t have access. The shift towards a more holistic plan, which makes room for psychological wellbeing, is expected to come to the fore in 2023. This was reflected, in part, by Kate Interisano, compensation and benefits manager at 5-Star Benefit Programs winner Niagara Casinos.
“As the closure extended, we were forced to make some changes to safeguard the benefit plan to reduce costs and ensure coverage could be maintained as we gradually reopened and rebuilt the business,” she tells HRD.
“We also saw the pandemic take a toll on our associates and their dependents’ mental health. While we have always focused on providing our associates with benefit coverage and resources, the pandemic further highlighted the need to expand our coverage to provide access to more practitioners.”
Take a look at HRD’s recent 5-Star Benefit Programs report here.