Mindset: Benefits as Strategic Investment, Not Just Cost
For small corporations, group benefits aren't just a line item expense: they're a strategic investment in talent, culture, and business sustainability. The most effective benefit plans are lean, transparent, and aligned with your long-term owner strategy.
This "dynasty-first" mindset means asking: How do benefits support our ability to attract and retain the right people? How do we design plans that are sustainable over decades, not just affordable this year? How do benefits align with our overall business strategy and values?
Mechanics: How Group Benefits Work
Core Benefit Components
Group benefit plans typically include:
- Health and dental: Coverage for medical expenses, prescriptions, dental care, vision care
- Disability insurance: Income replacement if employees can't work due to illness or injury
- Life insurance: Death benefit for employees' beneficiaries
- Critical illness: Lump-sum payment if employee is diagnosed with covered conditions
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Mental health and wellness support services
Plan Design Options
Benefit plans can be structured in various ways:
- Fully insured: Insurance company assumes all risk; predictable costs but less flexibility
- Self-insured (ASO): Corporation pays claims directly; more control but more risk
- Hybrid: Combination of insured and self-insured components
- Flexible benefits: Employees choose coverage levels; can reduce costs while maintaining value
Cost Structure
Benefit costs typically include:
- Premiums: Monthly or annual fees paid to insurer or administrator
- Claims: Actual benefits paid to employees (in self-insured or partially self-insured plans)
- Administration fees: Costs for plan administration, claims processing, etc.
- Stop-loss insurance: Protection against large claims (in self-insured plans)
How to Apply: Owner Playbook
Here's a practical approach to designing group benefits:
- Define your objectives: What are you trying to achieve with benefits? Attract talent? Retain employees? Support employee well-being? Align with company values? Be specific about your goals.
- Assess your current situation: If you have existing benefits, review:
- What coverage do employees actually use?
- What are your actual costs (premiums + claims + administration)?
- Are employees satisfied with current benefits?
- Are benefits helping you attract and retain talent?
- Research options independently: Don't limit yourself to one insurer or broker. Get quotes and comparisons from multiple providers. Compare:
- Coverage options and flexibility
- Cost structures (premiums, administration fees, claims experience)
- Service quality and claims processing
- Plan administration and employee support
- Design for value, not complexity: Focus on benefits that employees actually value and use. Avoid unnecessary features that drive up costs without providing meaningful value. Lean plans are often more sustainable and appreciated than complex plans with unused features.
- Consider tax implications: Work with your CPA to understand how benefit costs are treated for tax purposes. Some benefits may be deductible business expenses; others may have different tax treatment.
- Plan for sustainability: Design benefits that you can sustain over years, not just afford this year. Consider:
- How will costs change as your business grows?
- How will employee demographics affect claims experience?
- What flexibility do you have to adjust coverage if needed?
- Communicate clearly: Employees need to understand their benefits to value them. Clear communication about coverage, how to use benefits, and what's included (and not included) helps maximize the value of your investment.
Decision Checklist
Consider group benefits if:
- You're struggling to attract or retain talent and believe benefits could help
- You want to support employee well-being and build a stronger company culture
- You have employees asking about benefits or comparing your offer to competitors
- You're paying for individual insurance policies and wonder if group coverage would be more cost-effective
- You want to align employee benefits with your long-term business strategy
- You're ready to invest in benefits but want to ensure you're getting value, not just complexity
Important Notes
Group benefits are provided through iAssure Inc. Group insurance and group annuity plans are offered through iAssure Inc., which is a firm in the insurance of persons and in the group insurance of persons. These activities are neither the business nor the responsibility of WhiteHaven Securities Inc.
This is educational content only. Benefit plan design requires professional advice. Regulations vary by province, and plan structures have legal and tax implications. Always coordinate benefit decisions with your CPA, lawyer, and qualified benefit consultants.