CAA Club Group’s award-winning health and wellness strategy is showing employees, as well as potential candidates, that the organization is focused on supporting the holistic well-being needs of its workforce.

Last year, the organization’s extensive employee well-being program led it to win Benefits Canada’s 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards in the Health/wellness program category for employers with more than 1,000 employees.

Read: Who are the winners of the 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards?

Employees knew just how much effort and work went into CAA Club Group’s wellness programming, so they were thrilled but not surprised that all the hard work had paid off, said Joanna Marra, the organization’s director of wellness.

Indeed, in 2023, the organization updated its benefits plan, providing 100 per cent coverage of premiums for extended health and dental coverage, life insurance, critical illness, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, as well as short-term and long-term disability. It also added a combined annual maximum of $2,000 for psychologists, social workers and speech therapists; a combined annual maximum of $1,000 for occupational therapists, physiotherapists and chiropractors; and added a wellness account.

It also provides several virtual health-care services, including a telemedicine portal, internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy, a virtual pharmacy service and a wellness app. CAA Club Group also linked its wellness app to its employee recognition platform, awarding participants with a series of wellness badges that can be redeemed for rewards, increasing employee engagement with the app from 27 per cent to 50 per cent.

Read: CAA Club Group’s enhanced health benefits, wellness app leads to award win

The organization’s win has magnified its well-being efforts both internally and externally, says Marra, noting other organizations have reached out to hear more about its well-being programs and to find out how they, too, can get on that same path.

Its well-being message is also breaking through to its recruiting efforts, as she says individuals have applied to the company because they’ve heard of CAA Club Group’s deep commitment to employee well-being. Individuals have also reached out to say how refreshing it is to hear about a company that cares so much about its employees and really shows up for them.

“Having this [win] magnified on our social platforms . . . and through Benefits Canada [leads] people to recognize that CAA is a thought leader in this [well-being] space and that it’s not just a topical thing for us. It has been ingrained in our organization for a long time and we will continue to invest in thought leaders in the space.”

She believes candidates are seeking out employers who are investing in employee health and well-being support tools. “The pandemic was a pivotal point in workforces and individuals really saw that and they’re looking for organizations that care about them in a holistic way.”

Enter the 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards here. The deadline is June 28.