Benefits for Smaller Small Business
By Michele MactaggartSmall businesses face tough challenges when it comes to recruiting (and retaining!) top talent because the job market is competitive, and as a small business owner, you’re competing with companies of all sizes. To remain successfully competitive in today’s business world, it’s imperative for small businesses to be offering employees real value, which means meeting […]
On the Rise: Trending Benefits of 2023
By Michele MactaggartEmployee benefits have gained attention over the past few years, and rightfully so. Today’s growing Millennial and Gen Z workforce understands the importance of basic healthcare, and the advantages of working for an employer that offers other types of benefits that support their lives outside work. As we navigate an age of high turnover and […]
Asking the Right Questions: Employee Benefits Surveys + Template
By Michele MactaggartThere’s a phrase I like that says, “if you don’t ask, you’ll never know,” which I think applies to most things in life, and your employees’ job satisfaction is no different. But we usually only hear answers to the questions we’re asking, and sometimes miss out on pertinent information. It may be time to ask […]
Getting the Most out of Benefits Means Knowing What They Are
By Michele MactaggartWhat good is having something if you don’t know about it? Whether it’s because you don’t know it exists, or you simply don’t know how to use it, how do you know if you’re reaping the benefits? The same goes for employee benefits. You could offer the best, most comprehensive benefits to your staff, but […]
GRSPs: Benefiting Everyone’s Future
By Michele MactaggartIf you’re anything like me, you occasionally dream about what you’ll be doing after retirement. Floating on a yacht around the Spanish coast? Travelling the globe now that your kids have left the nest? It’s easy to dream big, but with the cost of living at an all time high, many feel the yacht may […]
Holiday Giving: Benefits for All
By Michele MactaggartAs our children eagerly count down the days until Santa’s arrival, thousands of charities across the country await donations and volunteering that will allow them to continue making a difference in their communities. According to Imagine Canada, over 40 percent of all annual donations happen the last eight weeks of the year. This year, the […]
Rethinking Big Bonuses: Get Creative with Your Incentives
By Michele MactaggartIn a super broad, umbrella definition, a bonus refers to cash payments given in lump sums. The term itself is rather exciting – it’s extra, additional… more! And in the language of making money, more is always good. As we’ve been reading, a signing bonus is becoming increasingly popular as employers pull out all the […]
Preparing for Fallout: Disability, Critical Illness, and Life Insurance
By Michele MactaggartEven if you’re not an avid air traveler (thanks, COVID), you likely know what they say when it comes to how to act in an emergency: always put your own mask on first. You’re better off putting your own mask on first so you’re best able to focus on helping others who may need your […]
Value Over Cost – How to Positively Approach Benefit Renewals
By Michele MactaggartWhen it comes to employee group benefits, the whole administrative process can be daunting – what makes it worse? When you go to renew, and the cost has spiked. What’s that all about? Group benefit costs in Canada are forecasted to rise 7 per cent in 2022. A combination of higher costs for prescription drugs, […]
Going Against the Grain – Staffing up during COVID
By Michele MactaggartFew small businesses moved through the pandemic without experiencing monumental change. For one company, the “pandemic pivot” didn’t mean retreating but instead providing full-time jobs with benefits. Two years ago (almost to the day), when panic and uncertainty prevailed, businesses of all sizes across the country were forced to make some difficult decisions. Finances were […]
