Canadian HR Reporter

16 www.hrreporter.com F E A T U R E S THE coronavirus pandemic has undeniably changed the future of the Canadian workforce as we know it. And with many employers supporting the shift toward more flexible working arrangements, companies are seeking new ways to respond to the changing needs of employees. On that note, interest in virtual care services exploded in March as the COVID-19 outbreak spread dramatically and employers scrambled to ensure safe, reliable access to health care for employees. However, in speaking with early adopters of virtual care technologies, a common theme begins to emerge: The advantages of making health-care services available to employees 24-7 are powerful not only for people's well- being and addressing the challenges of the service is evident from the program's annual utilization rate, which sits at more than 80 per cent. With only about half of those doctor visits happening during office hours, the benefit has helped the company to provide peace of mind to employees around the clock — demonstrating both differentiation and how deeply the company cares for employees' health and well-being. They're not just talking the talk when it comes to workplace wellness, they're walking it, too. Gore Mutual also credits the strong results to finding the right partner for the business. "We don't like the word 'vendor,'" says Leclair. "The needs of our employees are going to change over time, so we wanted a solution that was going to allow flexibility and adaptability — a partnership with a company that could evolve and pivot quickly to suit our needs, which has been an incredibly strong asset in our partnership with Maple." VIRTUAL CARE BENEFITS POPULAR WITH CANADIANS we wanted to be an early adopter," says Catherine Leclair, CHRO at Gore Mutual in Kitchener, Ont. "As an insurance company, we provide peace of mind for our policyholders. To be able to provide peace of mind to employees, many of them parents, was and still is very rewarding." The company chose virtual health-care provider Maple for the service. And in return for providing 24-7 access to health care for the team, Gore Mutual has seen a deeper emotional investment from employees. "We were able to eliminate a daily worry from our employees' lives, and that matters," says Leclair. "The number of staff who have stopped me in the hall or sent me emails with stories about how virtual care made their lives easier is unbelievable." The value employees have placed on 85% Number of workers with benefits who believe benefit plans should offer virtual care for both mental and physical health needs 78% Number of workers aged 18 to 34 who say that offering virtual care would improve their opinions of their employer 62% Number of Canadians who would be comfortable using virtual care for mental health support 60% Number of workers 55 and older who say that offering virtual care would improve their opinions of their employer 72% Number of workers who would perceive their employer more positively if virtual care was part of the benefits package 67% Number of people who would be willing to buy medication from an online pharmacy ADP, GORE MUTUAL OFFER VIRTUAL CARE Providing employees with access to virtual health-care services 24-7 not only helps to improve people's well-being, it can boost retention and employee engagement rates while lowering absenteeism levels, says Christy Prada at Maple the pandemic but also as they relate to retention, employee engagement and a reduction of absenteeism. Gore Mutual makes employees' lives easier Early adopters of virtual care include Gore Mutual, one of Canada's leading property and casualty insurers. Following a comprehensive analysis on employee well-being, the company identified a need to better align its employee value proposition and benefit program with the company mission. Virtual care not only provided an opportunity to deliver an enhanced level of care and convenience to employees — demonstrating the value placed on employee well-being — it also offered the opportunity to differentiate from others. "Many employers in our industry had never explored virtual care and Sources: Teladoc Health, RBC Insurance, Green Shield Canada F O C U S O N : H E A LT H & S A F E T Y

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