Trusted Tips and Resources

Trusted Tips & Resources

Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits Professionals at Aurora Workplace Solutions Explain The Rising Cost Of Group Benefits In Canada

Aurora Workplace Solutions are about creating brilliant futures by developing wealth security for businesses and individuals. As experts in the industry, they keep on top of recent news including changes to relevant group benefit plans, retirement savings options, and guidelines and policies. They also keep their eyes open for informative articles we think are of interest to our current and potential clients. Aurora Workplace Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits and Insurance Professionals! 

HOW TO MANAGE THE RISING COST OF GROUP BENEFITS 

Rising cost of group benefits in Canada



It is understandable to be concerned about the rising cost of group benefits in Canada. Several factors contribute to the increasing costs of group benefits, including rising healthcare expenses, increased utilization of healthcare services, evolving insurance regulations, and demographic shifts. Here are some factors to consider and potential strategies to manage the rising costs:


1. Analyze Plan Design: Review your group benefits plan design to ensure it aligns with the needs of your organization and employees. Consider adjusting coverage levels, co-pays, deductibles, or maximum limits to balance cost and coverage. Working with a benefits consultant can help you evaluate your plan design and identify areas for cost optimization.


2. Employee Wellness Programs: Implementing employee wellness programs can help promote a healthier workforce, reducing the utilization of healthcare services and related costs. Encourage healthy lifestyle choices, provide wellness resources, and offer incentives for employees to participate in wellness activities.


3. Shop Around for Competitive Rates: We regularly review and compare quotes from different insurance providers to ensure you are getting the best value for your group benefits plan. 


4. Consider Self-Insurance or Alternative Funding Options: Depending on the size and stability of your organization, self-insurance or alternative funding arrangements (such as level-funded or partially self-insured plans) could be worth exploring. These options provide more control over plan costs, allowing you to pay for claims directly rather than through traditional insurance premiums.


5. Employee Education and Communication: Communicate the value of group benefits to your employees and help them understand the costs associated with providing comprehensive coverage. Educate employees on the responsible use of healthcare services, the importance of preventive care, and ways to maximize their benefits. This can help reduce unnecessary healthcare expenses and mitigate cost increases.


6. Data Analysis and Predictive Modeling: Use data analytics and predictive modeling to identify trends, patterns, and high-cost areas within your group benefits plan. By understanding utilization patterns, you can make informed decisions on plan design adjustments, wellness initiatives, and targeted interventions to address specific health issues proactively.


7. Government Programs and Tax Credits: Stay informed about government programs, incentives, and tax credits related to group benefits. For example, the Canadian government offers tax incentives for employers providing certain types of group benefits. Understanding these programs can help offset some of the costs associated with providing group benefits.


Managing the rising costs of group benefits requires a proactive approach that considers plan design, employee wellness, market comparison, and data-driven decision-making. It is advisable to consult our advisors who specialize in group benefits to navigate the complexities and identify cost-saving opportunities specific to your organization.



Aurora Workplace Solutions design & create custom group benefits plans that meet custom organization goals. Read more about their Group Benefits Plans or contact them today to get started!

'Creating Brilliant Futures'


Aurora Workplace Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits and Insurance Professionals! 



Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits Professionals at Aurora Workplace Solutions Explain Critical Illness Insurance

Aurora Workplace Solutions are about creating brilliant futures by developing wealth security for businesses and individuals. As experts in the industry, they keep on top of recent news including changes to relevant group benefit plans, retirement savings options, and guidelines and policies. They also keep their eyes open for informative articles we think are of interest to our current and potential clients. Aurora Workplace Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits and Insurance Professionals! 

Importance of Critical Illness Insurance Explained

Critical Illness Insurance Coverage Helps You Recover

A critical illness can strike at any time, and it can happen to anyone, regardless of their age or gender. Although the incidence of cancer, heart disease, and stroke are rising in Canada, the odds of surviving a critical illness are better than ever. Thanks to medical advances.

But surviving a health crisis can often involve a number of financial challenges for which you were unprepared. Long Term Disability payments can help replace lost wages, but not the additional costs associated with surviving a critical illness. Expenses like time off work, travel to and from treatments, home modifications or assistance at home are now added on top of your normal living expenses. That’s where Critical Illness Insurance comes in.


Ease the financial pressures associated with a life-threatening illness

Critical Illness insurance is designed to ease the financial pressures associated with a life-threatening illness by paying a tax-free lump sum if you become seriously ill. As a result, you can devote 100% of your energy to recovery, without worrying about how your illness has affected you financially.


Aurora Workplace Solutions design & create custom group benefits plans that meet custom organization goals. Read more about their Group Benefits Plans or contact them today to get started!

'Creating Brilliant Futures'


Aurora Workplace Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits and Insurance Professionals! 

Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits Professionals at Aurora Workplace Solutions Discuss Stop Loss Insurance

Aurora Workplace Solutions are about creating brilliant futures by developing wealth security for businesses and individuals. As experts in the industry, they keep on top of recent news including changes to relevant group benefit plans, retirement savings options, and guidelines and policies. They also keep their eyes open for informative articles we think are of interest to our current and potential clients. Aurora Workplace Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits and Insurance Professionals! 

What is Stop Loss Insurance?

Stop-loss Insurance takes claim off the Employer’s shoulders


When an employee has a health issue requiring expensive treatment, the associated high-cost claims can be significant for their benefits plan sponsor. But it’s impossible to predict when a large claim will arise, so stop-loss insurance, which takes the claim off the employer’s shoulders, is one option to help protect against these unexpected costs.

As a type of insurance policy that sits on top of a benefits plan, stop-loss is available to both fully- and self-insured plan sponsors. When choosing stop-loss insurance, an employer selects a threshold up to which it can reasonably cover claims — ranging from between $10,000 and $100,000 — and any claims beyond that will be covered by the policy.


Stop-loss not a substitute for plan management

The main benefit of stop-loss insurance is its ability to protect the Saskatoon employer from catastrophic claims. For self-insured groups, it primarily acts as a budgeting tool so there aren’t any unexpected hits that could affect accounting.

On the other hand, stop-loss can become costly. While a claim may be mitigated in the first year, premiums can rise in the following years, essentially providing only short-term stabilization. This is especially difficult if the claim is reoccurring, which is the case for most drug claims.

“Stop-loss doesn’t help you avoid cost; it simply helps you prevent an unexpected surge in costs in a given year. It’s not a substitute for plan management.”

Another drawback is that most plans only have a single market for stop-loss insurance, meaning employers can only purchase it from one group, typically their own health insurer, which limits them to that insurer’s quote.

To limit risk, employers can use a pre-existing condition clause for an employee’s first year of employment by setting benefits to a specific limit so they can’t bring in unexpected expenses. Another option is to put a limit on drug reimbursement levels or incorporate provincial drug programs into the benefits plan.

While stop-loss prevents large, unexpected claims from affecting a plan sponsor, it’s important to understand that issues can still arise after a claim is made and employers should be aware of all the available options, so they can make a decision before it’s too late.


Aurora Workplace Solutions design & create custom group benefits plans that meet custom organization goals. Read more about their Group Benefits Plans or contact them today to get started!

'Creating Brilliant Futures'


Aurora Workplace Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits and Insurance Professionals! 

Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits Professionals at Aurora Workplace Solutions Discuss Remote Workers

Aurora Workplace Solutions are about creating brilliant futures by developing wealth security for businesses and individuals. As experts in the industry, they keep on top of recent news including changes to relevant group benefit plans, retirement savings options, and guidelines and policies. They also keep their eyes open for informative articles we think are of interest to our current and potential clients. Aurora Workplace Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits and Insurance Professionals! 

Should Your Business Hire More Remote Workers?


As businesses scrambled to adapt to strict new health measures, even the most stringent of change evaders were forced to bend to forces beyond their control. Employees began working remotely, keeping in touch with clients from their at-home offices and connecting with co-workers via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

For some employers, the experience was a hard push into a trend that had already been happening long before the pandemic. And for some, the biggest and most surprising lesson they learned from the experience was that people working remotely actually works.

Of course, it doesn’t work for everyone. Businesses that require employees to be on-site because the work is physical in nature or retail shops that serve customers in-store need real people at work. But for those with employees who already do the bulk of their work digitally – and for those who discovered during the pandemic that they were still doing well without people in the office – taking a deeper look into hiring more remote workers may be worth the effort.


The Benefits of Having Remote Workers

Research undertaken by organizations such as Gallup, Harvard University, Global Workplace Analytics and Stanford University shows a number of ways employers benefit from remote workers.
  • On average, teleworkers are 35-40 per cent more productive than their office counterparts.
  • Employees working remotely are more strongly engaged than their in-office counterparts, with 41 per cent lower absenteeism.
  • Employers who offer the ability to work remotely have better retention of employees. 54 per cent of employees say they would change jobs for one that offered them more flexibility – like where they can work from.
  • Organizations save an average of $11,000 per year per part-time telecommuter.
Another benefit: hiring employees who work remotely means you can access skills that might be scarce locally. Thanks to technology, employers can literally hire employees from anywhere around the world.


How Do You Hire The Right Remote Worker For Your Business? 

Pay attention to their behaviour, even before they interview.
  • Do they respond quickly to your emails? Do they communicate clearly, politely, and respectfully? Can they spell? How they communicate with you reflects how they’ll communicate with your clients.
Make sure they’re suited to working remotely.
  • Just because someone wants to work from home doesn’t mean they’ll be good at it. Weed out the couch surfers from the keeners by asking if they’ve worked remotely before and if they’re set up with the equipment to complete your projects. In the interview, ask them to walk you through a typical workday.
Ensure they’re a good fit for you and your culture.
  • Invite some of your employees to sit in on the interview and ask their own questions, including questions that aren’t all “business” so you can get a sense of the candidate’s personality and if it fits with your work culture. And don’t forget that your current employees can be a great resource. Ask them if they have recommendations for potential hires.
Give them actual work.
  • For candidates who look particularly promising, give them a paid test project with a firm deadline. The assignment should involve all aspects of the job – including working with your team and with supervisors – so you can see how they work, how well they meet deadlines and how they interact with the rest of your staff.

Aurora Workplace Solutions design & create custom group benefits plans that meet custom organization goals. Read more about their Group Benefits Plans or contact them today to get started!

'Creating Brilliant Futures'


Aurora Workplace Solutions are Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits and Insurance Professionals! 

Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits Advisors at Wiegers Financial & Benefits Discuss Workplace Wellness

Wiegers Financial & Benefits is one of the largest private financial planning and employee benefits consulting firms in Saskatchewan. Its Saskatoon Financial Planning Division provides business owners, households, retirees, and students with expert investment and insurance planning services to help them reach their long-term financial goals. They also have a Benefits and Personal Insurance division.  

In this latest Wiegers Group Benefits tip, they explain flex benefits for employee wellness. Wiegers Financial & Benefits are Trusted Saskatoon Insurance and Group Benefits experts.

Do You Have  A Strong Or Weak Workplace Culture? 


The 2020 edition of the Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey – arguably the most reputable and referenced healthcare survey in the country – makes clear that a positive workplace wellness culture is key to a business’s success. But why?

Simply put, a strong wellness culture plays an important role in employee job satisfaction, which in turn drives productivity and both healthier results and healthier bottom lines for everyone from company stakeholders to the employees and their families. But it starts even earlier than that. A strong wellness culture is important also in the attraction and retention of strong talent. More than 85% of employees surveyed agree that a workplace environment that encourages health and wellness is an important factor when deciding whether to accept a job offer or continue with a current employer.

The great news is that it appears that employers are listening. Over the next three years, 74% of employers plan to dedicate funding and/or staff resources outside of the health benefit plan to at least one out of five possible health and wellness areas. Among them, they will most likely do so in the area of emotional/mental health (58%), followed by the prevention of illness and/or management of chronic conditions (49%), physical fitness (45%), social well-being (44%) and financial well-being (40%).

The development and maintenance of a wellness culture needn’t be complicated or costly, though. Providing employees with safety supports, and actively encouraging positive relationships among co-workers and with immediate supervisors, is a great start. The options are endless from there:

  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Flexible health benefits
  • Well-defined Human Resource policies
  • Mental well-being support
  • Workplace wellness programs
  • Social activities
  • Healthy snacks… and the list goes on

The degree to which these types of initiatives positively impact a workplace wellness culture, though, depends significantly on the degree to which senior leadership supports and engages in them. This is something that my team and I at Wiegers Financial & Benefits can attest to personally and with genuine enthusiasm.

We have been actively promoting and supporting a wellness culture in our workplace for almost 20 years, long before it became popular to do so. Our initiatives have evolved a lot over the years but currently include a very active volunteer social committee that regularly – frequently, actually – does extraordinary things to engage our team socially and to inject fun into our workdays, and celebrate holidays and other special days. Even during the pandemic, our social committee continues to deliver in meaningful, impactful, and outside-of-the-box ways. Our management team actively supports this kind of initiative for the comradery it fosters, its morale-boosting impacts, and the message it sends our team that their happiness matters.

Really, though, all aspects of our team’s mental health matter. We have a culture of open dialogue when it comes to mental health struggles and triumphs, and we support and encourage our team members to share their own stories. We also continue to provide our team members with an Employee and Family Assistance Program, which includes coverage for counselling and many other mental health supports, and we increased the benefit amount for psychologist coverage on our benefits plan.

We take steps to help our team members’ physical health too. We provide each employee with an annual Health Spending Account and Wellness Spending Account to provide coverage for health and wellness expenses not already covered under our group benefits plan. We also provide a Second Opinion benefit, which enables our employees to seek second medical opinions from some of the best medical doctors in the world. We provide our employees with a telemedicine benefit so they can quickly and easily access a medical expert by phone or video chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the comfort of home. And of course, there’s our Wiegers Wellness Partners Program. The Program, which is almost 20 years old now but is undergoing a refresh and expansion, was originally designed to provide our group benefits clients and their employees with discounted pricing at participating local businesses in the wellness industry. The Program was since made available to our individual clients in our Wealth Management Division too but it’s something our own employees and their families make good use of as well. 

All of this pays off. A lot, and for everyone involved. We recently surveyed our team for anonymous feedback about our wellness culture and learned – or rather confirmed – that the vast majority of our team members are really happy with it. We also requested and are now considering thoughtful feedback about what we might do differently; we’re always looking for new ideas! But beyond the survey results are what we’re seeing elsewhere in our business. Employee turnover is extremely low, with several employees working with us for upwards of 10, 15, and even 20 years. Client retention is extremely high – something we’d have a difficult time achieving if we had a revolving door of employees not well-trained and not highly-experienced in the financial services industry. And despite a lot of business and sometimes high-pressure demands, there’s laughter in our office – and lots of it. We all have days when going to work is not what we’d choose to do if we had the choice but the wellness culture at Wiegers Financial & Benefits makes even difficult days a bit brighter.

For employers who don’t yet have a strategy for creating a workplace wellness culture, it might seem an overwhelming thing to get started but it needn’t feel like that. Try one or two easy, low-cost options and see what they do. Once you get started, and you discover what matters to you and your team, I predict you’ll want to do more because the benefits to your employees, your business AND you will be clear and motivating. As is the case everywhere, wellness in the workplace is a winning solution for everyone.


Debra L. Wiegers, GBA, CLU, CH.F.C.
Benefits Advisor, Wiegers Financial and Insurance Planning Services Ltd.


Wiegers’ Benefits Consulting Division includes many consultants and support staff who custom-design the most employee-valued and cost-effective group benefit, personal insurance, employee assistance programs, and retirement plans available. Contact them today for a no-obligation consultation to determine how they can help you.

Wiegers Financial & Benefits are Trusted Saskatoon Insurance and Group Benefits Advisors 

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