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Benefits Redesigned

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Benefits Redesigned

Employee Benefits Broker, working with you to ensure the best health benefits are put in place.

10/16/2026

Celebrating Canadian small businesses

BDC Small Business Week begins on Monday, October 19.

For anyone who has owned a small business, you know it is never just about sales, expenses and spreadsheets.

It’s personal.

You know the names behind the payroll. You celebrate employees’ milestones, worry when someone is struggling and often carry business concerns home at the end of the day.

That’s also why employee benefits for a small business shouldn’t simply imitate what a large corporation offers.

They should reflect:
- The people you employ
- The risks you need to manage
- The budget you can realistically maintain
- The culture you are trying to build
- The employees you hope will stay and grow with you

As we head into Small Business Week, here’s to the Canadian entrepreneurs who continue adapting, creating opportunities and supporting their communities.

Take a breath this weekend—you’re building something that matters.

10/15/2026

Menopause belongs in workplace conversations

This Sunday is World Menopause Day.

There are approximately five million working women over age 40 in Canada—experienced employees, managers and business owners whom workplaces cannot afford to overlook. The Menopause Foundation of Canada

Menopause symptoms can affect sleep, concentration, mental health, temperature regulation and energy. Yet many employees continue working through these changes without feeling comfortable mentioning them.

Creating a more supportive workplace doesn’t necessarily require an entirely new benefits plan.

It can begin with:
- Educating managers
- Offering reasonable flexibility
- Reviewing mental-health and virtual-care services
- Confirming drug and practitioner coverage
- Providing a private way to ask for assistance
- Clearly communicating the support already available

Sometimes the benefit exists—but employees don’t know where to find it or whether it applies to them.

A thoughtful benefits strategy should recognize the real health experiences of the people using it.

10/14/2026

Tariffs affect people, not only numbers

Tariff uncertainty isn’t only something that appears on a fiTariff uncertainty isn’t only something that appears on a fi statement.

It can affect employee hours, workloads, job security and the decisions families make at home.

The federal government has extended special Work-Sharing measures for businesses experiencing a temporary reduction in activity. For qualifying employers, the program may help retain employees by reducing working hours while Employment Insurance provides some income support.

But there is another question employers should be asking:

What happens to employee benefits when hours or earnings change?

Before making workforce changes, confirm:
- Whether health and dental benefits will continue
- How premiums will be collected
- Whether insured earnings need to be updated
- How life and disability coverage could be affected
- What mental-health or EAP support employees can access
- How changes will be communicated clearly and compassionately

Business resilience is about protecting cash flow—but it is also about helping good employees remain connected to the business through difficult periods.

10/13/2026

An EAP is an EAP… right? Not necessarily.

I’ve recently been comparing several Employee Assistance Program platforms for a small business, and the differenceI’ve recently been comparing several Employee Assistance Program platforms for a small business, and the difference are significant.

Most programs promote counselling and confidential support—but when you look more closely, important questions emerge:
- How quickly can an employee connect with someone?
- Are counsellors experienced, Master’s-level clinicians?
- Does the program provide one or two sessions—or enough time to make meaningful progress?
- Can spouses and dependent children access support?
- Are appointments virtual, in person or both?
- What happens when an employee needs longer-term care?
- Does the employer receive useful, anonymous reporting?
- How will employees learn about the program before they reach a crisis?

Price matters, especially for a small business. But an inexpensive EAP has very little value if employees don’t know it exists, can’t access care quickly or don’t receive the right level of support.

The best solution isn’t necessarily the platform with the longest list of services. It’s the one that fits the workforce—and provides help employees can actually use when life becomes difficult.

When was the last time you looked beyond the words “EAP included” to see what your program really provides?

10/09/2026

Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day.

This year’s theme is:

“Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.”

It’s a meaningful reminder that workplace wellness shouldn’t be designed only around assumptions.

Ask employees what makes support difficult to access. Listen to the people who have tried to use the plan. Learn where communication, coverage or workplace culture may be creating barriers.

Sometimes the most valuable feedback is found in a simple conversation:

What helped?
What was confusing?
What was missing?
What would have made the experience easier?

As we head into Thanksgiving weekend, I’m grateful for the honest conversations clients and employees share with me. Those conversations help create benefits plans that work better for real people and real life.

Change begins when people feel safe enough to speak—and know someone is genuinely listening.

10/08/2026

Have you ever left an event with more questions than you arrived with—in the best possible way? That was me on Monday! 🧠

I attended the **CWOC Human Capacity Executive Leadership Summit**, hosted by TruStone Financial, for a day of conversations about brain health, leadership and the people behind every business.

One idea really stayed with me: **what someone is capable of doing and what they have the capacity to manage today can be very different.**

Think about your most dependable employee—or yourself. The skills and experience are still there, but stress, health challenges and life’s demands can affect how much we can take on.

Dr. Bart Rademaker’s insights on human capacity and Dr. Francisco Cidral’s presentation on brain performance gave me plenty to reflect on. My notes kept coming back to asking better questions, looking beyond the numbers and pausing to understand before jumping to a solution.

For business owners, that might start with a simple conversation: **“What’s affecting your ability to do your best work right now?”**

At Benefits Redesigned, these conversations matter. Understanding the people using a benefits plan helps us make more thoughtful decisions about the support they need.

Thank you to Anthony Rodrigo, the TruStone team and the speakers for a thought-provoking day. I’m looking forward to bringing these insights into my conversations with clients.

10/07/2026

“We have mental-health coverage.”

That sounds reassuring—but what does it actually mean?

One benefits plan may cover psychologists, social workers and psychotherapists. Another may limit the eligible practitioner types or combine them under one annual maximum.

Employees may also have access to an EAP, virtual counselling or additional services—but only if they know those resources exist.

When reviewing a plan, look beyond the reimbursement percentage and ask:

• Which practitioners are eligible?
• Is there one combined maximum?
• Are virtual appointments covered?
• Do dependants have access?
• Is a referral required?
• Is an EAP or EFAP included?

Coverage on paper doesn’t always remove the barriers of cost, time, availability or confusion.

Good plan design considers how easily employees can reach care—not simply whether a benefit appears in the booklet.

10/06/2026

Here’s a quick test for plan administrators:

How many clicks does it take an employee to find your EAP or EFAP information?

If employees have to search through an old email, locate a benefits booklet and then figure out which phone number to call, they may give up before reaching the support they need.

Consider creating one simple resource that includes:

• The program name and contact information
• How to access support online or by phone
• The services available
• Whether spouses and dependants are included
• A reminder that the service is confidential
• Information about emergency or crisis support

Having an EAP is important.

Making sure employees can actually find and use it is just as important.

When was the last time your team received a reminder?

10/05/2026

A benefit only has value when employees know it’s there—and know how to use it.

As we begin a new week and look ahead to World Mental Health Day, it’s a good time for employers to ask:

If one of my employees needed help tonight, would they know where to find it?

Would they know how to access the EAP or EFAP?
Would they know whether their spouse and children are included?
Would they understand their mental-health coverage?
Could they find the information without having to ask their manager?

Mental-health support shouldn’t be hidden inside a benefits booklet that employees only see when they’re hired.

Sometimes the most meaningful step an employer can take is simply reminding people that support is available—and making it easy to access.

Let’s start the week by making support more visible.

10/02/2026

As the workweek comes to an end, here’s your reminder that rest is productive too.

The emails will still be there on Monday. So will the meetings, deadlines and growing to-do list.

This weekend, make time for something that fills your cup—enjoy the crisp fall air, connect with the people who matter, try a new recipe or simply slow down for a while.

Healthy workplaces are built by people who have the space to recharge, spend time with family and return feeling supported—not depleted.

Here’s to closing the laptop, taking a deep breath and enjoying the weekend ahead.

Happy Friday!

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Guelph, ON

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Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 1pm

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