As we come to the end of another year, we continue to confront an uncertain geopolitical landscape, with wars raging on and leaders tangled in conflict, as well as enduring market churn, wild weather caused by catastrophic climate change and artificial intelligence creeping into every part of our lives.
This is our current reality and I’m not sweeping any of it under the rug, but despite this grim opening, I want to imbue my last editorial of 2025 with a more positive outlook.
In October, Benefits Canada announced the winners of the 2025 Workplace Benefits Awards. Running for more than 20 years, the awards program strives to recognize and celebrate Canadian employers across multiple categories, including absence management strategy, mental-health program, financial wellness program and health and wellness program.
Read: Who are the winners of the 2025 Workplace Benefits Awards?
This year, we presented awards in 11 categories — we had our first-ever tie, so there are 12 winners showcased in our coverage on page 20. We had nearly 100 entries and the finalists represented 29 different employers across the country, with a total count of 356,397 Canadian employees. I’ve said it on our website and when I presented the awards, but I want to once again extend a sincere congratulations to all of the finalists who are leading the way in supporting their employees’ well-being.
Since I manage the awards program and judge a couple of categories myself each year, I’m often asked for feedback by organizations that didn’t make the shortlist for an explanation why. I typically respond to this question by pointing to what the finalists included in their submissions, highlighting the criteria we clearly lay out in the entry process.
The independent judging panel, who kindly volunteers their time to read pages and pages of entries, are tasked with ranking the submissions by the level of detail, creativity, innovation, effectiveness, return on investment and metrics provided. Each year, what the winners have in common is that they demonstrate all of these criteria and, most importantly, they provide data and metrics to back it up.
Read: Coordination, collaboration at core of HOOPP’s winning absence management program
Read: Arc’teryx Equipment awarded for tech-forward benefits communications strategy
For example, the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan, which won for its absence management program this year, showed a consistently low absenteeism rate and a disability claims rate below the benchmark over the last five years, ranging between 2.1 and 3.7 (against a benchmark between 7.2 and 8.5 during the same time frame).
When Arc’teryx Equipment, the winner in the benefits plan communications category, rolled out its communications campaigns with information sessions, around 900 attendees (50 per cent of its eligible Canadian population) attended virtually or onsite, with 260 employees initiating a plan change.
In 2024, Air Canada saw membership in its employee resource groups more than double and employees logged more than 1,400 hours of diversity, equity and inclusion training. The company took home the prize for best DEI program.
Fengate Asset Management, which won for its future of work strategy, demonstrated measurable results, including short-term absences declining by 22 per cent and high engagement in its social, wellness and learning programs.
Read: Air Canada recognized for embedding DEI into every layer of organization
Read: Fengate Asset Management a winner for blending hybrid flexibility and wellness
Read: Pratt & Whitney Canada’s winning well-being program centres around four pillars of health
In 2024, Pratt & Whitney Canada, a winner for its health and wellness program, introduced a virtual sleep clinic after an internal survey found 33 per cent of employees reported sleep issues. Since June 2024, roughly 200 employees have followed the treatment plan included in the sleep clinic.
The company was also a winner for its mental-health program. Following the implementation of its mental-health initiatives, an internal survey found two-thirds (67 per cent) of employees said they feel comfortable talking to their manager about mental health. And in 2024, it reported an estimated return on investment of 2.76 per cent and cost savings of nearly $11 million.
These examples don’t cover every winner of the Workplace Benefits Awards, but they certainly illustrate some of the data and metrics leading employers are sharing in their entries. It’s so great to hear about all of the robust and generous employee benefits offerings, but these offerings reach a whole new level alongside measurable results.
I’m already looking forward to seeing what next year’s Workplace Benefits Awards will bring.
Jennifer Paterson is the editor of Benefits Canada and the Canadian Investment Review.