CAA Club Group’s holistic and data-driven approach to employee well-being led to a win in the Health/Wellness Program category for employers with more than 1,000 employees at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 18.
This is the second year in a row that CAA has won the award. “We know that we do such amazing work in the space, but to win the award two years in a row is just amazing,” says Joanna Marra (pictured left), the organization’s director of wellness.
The company’s wellness strategy focuses on work-life balance and is supported by tools, including an employee assistance program and wellness resources that focus on all aspects of employee well-being.
Read: CAA Club Group’s enhanced health benefits, wellness app leads to award win
Within its benefits plan, CAA offers discounted gym memberships, access to internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy, a virtual pharmacy service and a personal health-care spending account. It also offers combined annual maximums of $2,000 for psychologists/social workers and speech therapists, $1,000 for occupational therapists, physiotherapists and chiropractors and $500 for acupuncturists, audiologists, naturopaths, osteopaths, podiatrists/chiropodists, massage therapists and dietitians.
In addition to physical and mental well-being, CAA also supports workers’ financial wellness through its various retirement savings plans (including a defined contribution pension plan, group registered retirement savings plan and group tax-free savings plan) and resources such as estate planning services and an online will platform.
To engage employees on their wellness journeys, CAA launched a wellness app that allows workers to set personalized wellness goals at their convenience. In 2024, 62 per cent of CAA employees have registered for the app, an increase of 14 per cent from 2023.
By participating in activities and challenges on the app, employees can win bronze, silver and gold badges that are directly tied to the company’s reward and recognition platform. Employees can then redeem the points they’ve collected on the app for a selection of rewards.
Read: Canadian employers focusing on workers’ emotional well-being in post-pandemic era: survey
Within the app, more than 450 employees are currently participating in the financial wellness community, in which they can connect with colleagues to discuss tips and progress around their financial goals. Similar to physical activity, the app also allows employees to earn and redeem points for their savings goals.
Throughout the year, CAA hosts several educational and team-building sessions that reinforce key wellness information and resources. It has hosted presentations on women’s heart health, as well as 10 days of mindfulness and meditation sessions in May. During the week of ‘Blue Monday’ in January, the company hosted week-long sessions that saw more than 100 employees participate in activities such as art/painting, cooking classes and a wellness webinar on cultivating success and setting goals.
“[In January], employees are really struggling — it’s dark and it’s cold and we want to do whatever we can to support our associates during that time, whether that’s through something fun or educational,” says Marra. “We find the engagement at that time is really high and it really allows us to connect [with employees].”
Read: Majority of Canadian employees recognize link between financial well-being, mental health: report