CAA Club Group’s commitment to supporting employee health and wellness led to a win in the Health/wellness program category for employers with more than 1,000 employees at Benefits Canada’s 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 20.

“We were up against some strong competitors and we’re excited that the work we do in the wellness space is being recognized,” says Joanna Marra (pictured left), director of wellness for CAA Club Group

This year, the organization updated its benefits plan with several key changes, including 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.

Read: CAA Club Group adding virtual care to benefits plan

CAA Club Group also supports employees through several virtual health-care services, including a telemedicine portal, internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy, a virtual pharmacy service and a wellness app. This year, it linked the wellness app to its employee recognition platform, awarding participants with a series of wellness badges that can be redeemed for rewards. By rewarding healthy lifestyle behaviours, employee engagement with the app increased from 27 per cent to 50 per cent.

“By recognizing those who take care of themselves, [we’ve had] a phenomenal impact,” says Carla Spina (pictured centre), vice-president of human resources at CAA Club Group. “[Seeing their] progress is a big motivator [for employees].”

Utilization of the app is extremely high, says Marra, both in terms of registration and engagement on a day-to-day basis. “Something that differentiates it . . . is the holistic approach — it’s not just about physical activity or nutrition, it’s [also] about acts of kindness and financial well-being and preventative care. . . . It also allows our organization — which is very diverse across the country but also in terms of [roles] — to connect on a social level, which is extremely important.”

Read: How CAA’s wellness app is evolving during the pandemic