Trusted Tips and Resources

Trusted Tips & Resources

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 Employment Expert, Hanif of Express Employment Tip on hiring the Semi-Retired

Express Employment Professionals is Saskatoon’s only locally owned and operated staffing and recruitment agency, that offers a full scope of staffing and recruitment solutions from professional search and headhunting to temporary staffing in Saskatoon. Express Employment Saskatoon Is Your Trusted Saskatoon Recruitment and Employment Agency allows clients to focus their efforts and time on being productive and doing what they do best – their business! Let their team focus on finding that right hire – that is what they do best! In their latest Saskatoon employment agency tip, they discuss how most companies are not offering semi-retirement despite ongoing labour shortages. 


Most Companies Not Offering Semi-Retirement Despite Ongoing Labour Shortages

Canadian companies dealing with ongoing labour shortages are overlooking a significant source of labour – retired workers, according to a survey from The Harris Poll commissioned by Express Employment Professionals. 

Only one quarter (25%) of Canadian companies offer semi-retirement, despite the growing number of employees retiring. Indeed, nearly one in four companies (23%) say retirements are one of the main reasons they expect increased employee turnover in 2023.

Of companies that offer semi-retirement, about one-third (33%) report an increase in the number of employees choosing semi-retirement over the past two years.

While keeping or bringing back retired workers might be seen as a temporary solution to labour shortages given age-related issues, more than half of the employees (53%) that have retired in the past two years have been under the age of 65, with more than a quarter (27%) retiring under the age of 60.

Semi-retirement is a win-win for both the company and the retired employee according to Niven Lee, an Express franchise owner in Delta, British Columbia.

“Offering semi-retirement can reduce the shortage of workers, but the main benefit to employers is the continued transfer of institutional knowledge and company culture,” said Lee. “For retired workers, it gives them a sense of purpose, allows them to keep up to date in their field, and gives them flexibility to enjoy their older years.”

KV Aulakh, and Express franchise owner in Barrie, Ontario, agrees that offering semi-retirement has significant benefits.

“One of the biggest drawbacks of retirement is the lack of routine that people feel initially, but semi-retirement allows older employees to slowly adjust to retirement by offering a routine with less hours, less stress, and more time away from work,” said Aulakh. “Semi-retirement also allows companies to hire someone who is more likely to show up to work. The benefits to bringing a retired employee back on a flexible basis are huge as that worker already has the required skills and familiarity with the processes, so they can continue to train the new workforce using the years of experience they have.”

Lee says that the number of employees retiring has increased in the past few years.

“Due to the aging and retiring of baby boomers, we have seen an increase in the proportion of employees retiring,” said Lee. “In addition, during the pandemic, we saw a growing number of older employees taking early retirement.”

However, both Lee and Aulakh say that inflationary pressures have caused many older workers to either delay retirement or come out of retirement. As a result, there is a growing source of labour that can help companies struggling to find qualified workers.

“The increased cost of living is making it difficult for people to live only on their pensions and, as a result, we definitely see an older age group continue to stay in workforce in our local market,” said Aulakh.
“As baby boomers continue to age and consider retirement, the labour shortage is only going to get worse,” said Bill Stoller, Express Employment International CEO. “Semi-retirement is one solution to allow experienced workers time to train their successors, ensuring a seamless knowledge transfer and business continuity.”


Survey Methodology

The Job Insights survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between Dec. 1 and Dec. 15, 2022, among 506 Canadian hiring decision-makers (defined as adults ages 18+ in Canada who are employed full-time or self-employed, work at companies with more than one employee, and have full/significant involvement in hiring decisions at their company). Data were weighted where necessary by company size to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from those who agreed to participate in our surveys. Harris online polls' sampling precision is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. This study's sample data is accurate to within + 4.6 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.

The omnibus survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals from Dec. 13-15, 2022, among 1,050 adults ages 18 and older. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income and propensity to be online, to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from those who agreed to participate in our surveys. Harris online polls' sampling precision is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. This study's sample data is accurate to within + 3.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.



Express Employment Professionals allow clients to focus their efforts and time on being productive and doing what they do best – their business. Let their team focus on finding that right hire – that is what they do best!

Contact Hanif and the team today! Connecting employees with great companies like yours. 

'It's What They Do'

Express Employment Saskatoon Your Trusted Saskatoon Headhunters and Employment Agency


Trusted Saskatoon Employment Agency Express Employment Share a Job Spotlight on Light Industrial Jobs

Express Employment Professionals is Saskatoon’s only locally owned and operated staffing and recruitment agency, that offers a full scope of staffing and recruitment solutions from professional search and headhunting to temporary staffing in Saskatoon. Express Employment Saskatoon Is Your Trusted Saskatoon Recruitment and Employment Agency allows clients to focus their efforts and time on being productive and doing what they do best – their business! Let their team focus on finding that right hire – that is what they do best! In their latest Saskatoon employment agency tip, they spotlight and explain light industrial jobs. 


Job Spotlight: Light Industrial Jobs Explained

You may have heard the term “light industrial” used before, but have you ever wondered what jobs are considered a part of this category?

This is a very broad category of jobs in various industries, but generally, they include positions like assemblers, inventory clerks, warehouse workers, cashiers, and material handlers. You may see a slightly different definition on other platforms that use the terms “working class” and “blue collar” interchangeably.

Knowing which jobs fall into this category will help you better understand the type of work you should pursue and what it will take to land the job you want.

Light industrial jobs are the backbone of our economy and play an important role in the success of both large and small businesses. Because they typically require less experience and education requirements, they can be easier to enter and start a career.

Express often hires:

  • Shipping/Receiving Clerks
  • Warehouse Workers
  • Assembly Crews
  • Material Handlers
  • Industrial Machine Builders
  • Pick and Pack Workers
  • Custodial/Sanitation Crews
  • Forklift Operators

If you need help finding a light industrial position, Express can help.


Express Employment Professionals allow clients to focus their efforts and time on being productive and doing what they do best – their business. Let their team focus on finding that right hire – that is what they do best!

Contact Hanif and the team today! Connecting employees with great companies like yours. 

'It's What They Do'

Express Employment Saskatoon Your Trusted Saskatoon Headhunters and Employment Agency


How Easy the ExpressJobs App Makes Finding Work From Trusted Saskatoon Employment Agency Express Employment

Express Employment Professionals is Saskatoon’s only locally owned and operated staffing and recruitment agency, that offers a full scope of staffing and recruitment solutions from professional search and headhunting to temporary staffing in Saskatoon. Express Employment Saskatoon Is Your Trusted Saskatoon Recruitment and Employment Agency allows clients to focus their efforts and time on being productive and doing what they do best – their business! Let their team focus on finding that right hire – that is what they do best! In their latest Saskatoon employment agency tip, they discuss how easy it is to use their ExpressJobs App.


ExpressJobs App: Work Has Become a Lot Less Work


Looking to leave your current job but need help figuring out where to start? In search of the perfect part-time job? Or maybe you want to break into a new industry altogether.

The ExpressJobs app keeps you in direct communication with your Express Employment Specialist with up-to-the-minute details about new positions available through Express, job assignments, work, job location details, and more!

You can track and maintain your schedule right from your device. You can even submit your hours with the timecard function. It’s like having your Express team with you—wherever, whenever.

The free ExpressJobs app allows you to easily access and manage your job opportunities and options at Express Employment Professionals right from your mobile device. The ExpressJobs app puts great jobs right at your fingertips and allows you to:

  • Search for available jobs
  • Build your profile and show off your skills
  • Apply for jobs that interest you
  • Communicate with your local Express office
  • Manage your timesheets and work assignments

Express Employment Professionals allow clients to focus their efforts and time on being productive and doing what they do best – their business. Let their team focus on finding that right hire – that is what they do best!

Contact Hanif and the team today! Connecting employees with great companies like yours. 

'It's What They Do'

Express Employment Saskatoon Your Trusted Saskatoon Headhunters and Employment Agency


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