Glengarry Consulting

09/22/2026

The people holding your business together? They’re exactly who competitors are trying to poach. 👀

A one-size-fits-all benefits plan doesn’t give your best people much reason to stick around if a flashier offer lands in their inbox.

Supportive coverage should include tax-free support for leadership, solid coverage for staff, and protection for the big what-ifs, like life insurance or AD&D.

For the people who would be *genuinely* hard to replace (your founding partner, your top biller, etc.), key person insurance helps cover the cost of finding and training someone new if life throws a curveball.

Suddenly, that benefits package isn’t just a line item anymore. It’s a real asset for the people who make your business run.

Want to see how to customize this for your team? Grab our free Scalable Benefits Blueprint here: https://www.glengarryconsulting.ca/scalable-benefits-blueprint

09/16/2026

Do your employee benefits reflect the realities of trades work?

Trades employees may work in physically demanding roles involving lifting, climbing, equipment operation, shift work and remote locations. These conditions can affect injury risk, mental health, recovery and the ability to return to work safely.

A recent Benefits Canada article explains why employers should consider:

✓ Early-intervention support

✓ Return-to-work plans based on actual job demands

✓ Practical and accessible mental-health resources

✓ Flexible or digital care for remote employees

✓ Ergonomic and mental-health strategies that work together

The answer is not always adding another benefit.

Sometimes it is making sure that existing coverage and support are designed around the people who will use them.

If you employ tradespeople, book a focused review to determine whether your benefits plan supports prevention, access to care and a safe return to work:

https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/how-employers-in-canadas-trades-sector-can-redesign-benefits-plans-to-support-employees/

Source: Benefits Canada, September 11, 2026. Expert commentary featuring Kim Zinck, president of the Disability Management Institute.

Trade workers see a higher rate of musculoskeletal injuries, chronic pain conditions and longer recovery periods, yet most benefits plans weren’t built with these recovery timelines or risk profiles in mind, says Kim Zinck, president of the Disability Management Institute. A single lost-time injur...

09/11/2026

Salary is only one part of compensation.

According to Mercer Canada’s 2027 compensation-planning survey, Canadian employers are projecting average increases of 3% for merit and 3.2% for total salary adjustments.

For a small employer working within a tight budget, this is a good time to look at the entire compensation package.

A thoughtfully designed benefits plan can support recruitment and retention without committing every available dollar to permanent payroll increases.

Before finalizing your 2027 budget, consider:

• Which roles and skills are essential to your business?
• How does your total compensation compare with the market?
• Which benefits do employees understand and value?
• Is your current plan cost-effective and being used?

The goal is not simply to spend more. It is to make informed decisions about where each compensation dollar can have the greatest impact.

Source: Mercer Canada’s 2027 compensation-planning survey, as reported by Benefits Canada:
https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/bencan/u-s-trade-war-worker-retention-shaping-employers-2027-compensation-budgets-expert/

09/09/2026

Stepping back for some late summer downtime? You’ve earned it.

What’s less fun is coming back to a stack of benefits paperwork.

Whether you’re running your business solo or managing a team, chasing down enrollment forms and reconciling claims probably wasn’t part of the plan when you started this. 😅

Modern benefits can run mostly on their own: employees onboard themselves digitally, snap a photo of a receipt to submit a claim instead of mailing anything in, and your time stays yours.

That’s an afternoon back for client work, sales calls, or a real break, instead of digging through paperwork.

Curious how other Ontario businesses are simplifying this? Grab your free Scalable Benefits Blueprint: https://www.glengarryconsulting.ca/scalable-benefits-blueprint

09/08/2026

This article details how to determine your eligibility for the claim, how to apply and how much you can get in compensation. Remember the deadline is February 3, 2027

Many Canadians are entitled to compensation from a 2020 CRA class action settlement. Here is what you need to know.

08/26/2026

Elbows up fellow

After negotiations toward a new Canada-U.S. trade deal broke down Friday night, Canadian businesses were bracing themselves for the impact of new U.S. tariffs of 50 per cent on US$20-billion worth of Canadian exports. But many members of the Canadian public were also feeling ready to participate in....

08/25/2026

If you’ve got kids (or employees with kids), you already know back-to-school season sneaks up fast. Eye exams, a new pair of glasses, the dentist appointment you’ve been meaning to book…it adds up quicker than you’d think.

Supporting your team through these moments shows them you value what they do.
Give someone a cash bonus, and taxes take a bite before it even reaches their account. Route that same support through a Health Spending Account instead, and it gets to them tax-free, while your business writes off the cost.

It ends up offsetting the cost of things your team is likely paying for out of pocket, whether you’ve got 3 people on your team or 30.

If you want more simple ways to make your benefits budget work harder, subscribe to our newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/glengarryconsulting/newsletter-signup

💸 Plus, get $50 for every successful referral.

08/13/2026

AI may change the jobs our children pursue, but curiosity, adaptability and critical thinking will remain essential. An insightful look at what AI leaders are teaching their own children about preparing for the future.

The Wall Street Journal asked Anthropic’s Daniela Amodei and other AI luminaries about what they advise their own children on education and careers in an AI-driven world.

08/11/2026

The right insurance plan does more than protect your family. It can also help safeguard your income, business and long term financial goals.

Employees often have group insurance coverage at work, but people who work for themselves need to make sure they are covered with the right kinds of insurance.

08/08/2026

Summer is in full swing, and if you’re a business owner, you know there’s always something that needs attention.

This is a great time to get a little ahead of things like tidying up routines, checking in on the budget, and thinking about what Q4 needs to look like.

If rolling out or upgrading health benefits in the new year has been on your to-do list, now is a great time to finally cross it off your list. A custom plan can take 3 to 4 weeks to set up: your carrier needs time to process the application, you’ll want to sort out how coverage breaks down by role (owners vs. staff, for instance), and your team needs a window to enroll instead of scrambling before the deadline.

Wait until late fall, and you might hit bottlenecks you didn’t see coming.

Want to map out a stress-free January launch? Free consultation chat: https://www.glengarryconsulting.ca/booking