"Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients."

This quote comes from lifelong mega entrepreneur Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, which controls over 400 companies. He knew the first ingredient of business success: happy, productive employees.

2019 is just around the corner. Now is the time to review your employee benefits program - which will set both your business and your employees up for success in the coming year.

Now and perhaps more than ever, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for employers to attract and retain qualified workers. A variety of factors come into play when desirable candidates weigh their options before ultimately deciding on their ideal landing-spot, and unsurprisingly, high on most wish-lists you’ll find:

• Competitive pay

• Attractive benefits package

• Security

Employers consult with professionals on matters relating to pay and benefit structures, but “security” can’t be addressed using a one-size fits all approach, it comes in many different forms and can be uniquely different from one employee to the next. In this blog, we’ll take a look at how employers can provide their employees with security by making use of EI’s Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) program.

Chances are, you hire people who fall into the “contractor” category. Since they're not actual employees, they probably don't receive your full benefits package. 

So what would happen if they got sick or injured? Would they have any financial protection?

Today, we want to discuss why you should offer benefits to contractors—and highlight the types of benefits to consider.

Our lives are busier than ever, and finding the time to take care of our health can sometimes feel impossible. But while technology may be part of the problem, it’s also part of the solution.

The healthcare industry is working hard to bring innovative technologies to clients and patients, making it easier for them to access the care they need. By empowering people to take charge of their own health, these platforms are transforming the way we think about wellness.

Let’s take a look at the latest technology in healthcare today.

Are you a Canadian-based employer with staff in the US? How can you best manage your benefits plan for this special group?

In this blog, we’ll discuss how to navigate employee benefits for US workers, so you can keep your entire team happy and protected—wherever they are.

Last week, we hosted an “Ask the Experts” panel here in Vancouver. We wanted to give our clients the opportunity to ask specific questions directly to industry experts. We had a great discussion, and attendees learned tons of valuable information.

Now, for those of you who couldn’t make it, we’ve compiled the questions and answers into this blog post. So if you want to learn more about cannabis in the workplace, issues around termination, an employer’s duty to accommodate, and more, then read on!

Do you have employees stationed north of the border? Are you ready to implement a Canadian benefits plan?

In our blog, Canadian Benefits 101: Advice for Foreign-Based Employers, we discussed how Canada’s healthcare landscape is unique in many ways. So when looking at employee benefits in Canada, creating the right plan for your needs can be challenging.

Luckily, it doesn’t have to be. In this blog, we’ll break down the process, so you can better understand the next steps. Let’s get started.

Parental leave, terminations, cost-sharing. These are just some of the situations that could result in a change to your employee benefits plan.

To ensure you have the information you need to make these changes correctly, we put together this list of eight FAQs. So without further ado, here are some of your most common questions, answered.

Today, we’re going to talk about marijuana coverage and benefits plans.

Because of recent legislation changes around marijuana legalization, this is a hot topic for many employers. In this article, we’ll focus on medical marijuana, and look at how it fits into your employee benefits landscape.

When people think of Canada, they think of a lot of things, and “free healthcare” is usually one of them.

If you have employees living and working in Canada, you may be wondering, “What does free healthcare really mean? And what does it actually cover?”

Most importantly, what do you, as an employer, need to know about providing employee benefits to workers stationed in Canada?

In this blog, we’ll go over things you need to know about the healthcare benefits landscape in Canada, so you can protect your business while taking care of your people.