Work, wealth and well-being are all connected when it comes to Vancity’s employee rewards program, according to Ivana Afonso, the credit union’s director of total rewards, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2026 Vancouver Benefits Summit.
One of the main reasons she joined the company four years ago was its commitment to employee well-being. Employees don’t experience well-being in categories, she noted, and while adding benefits can be useful, layering programs can also increase complexity when it comes to employees’ ability to navigate them.
With around 2,700 employees, Vancity is focused on helping staff engage with the programs more holistically to support sustainability and create more meaningful experiences with their benefits over time. “It’s not what we offer, but how it all comes together,” said Afonso. “It’s not just one initiative — it’s a series of connected shifts.”
Read: Vancity using data to support employees’ financial, mental health amid rising cost of living
She encouraged plan sponsors to approach benefits from a holistic perspective by focusing on employee feedback, program design, ease of navigation and experience, data utilization and operational implementation, rather than treating each area in isolation.
To improve ease of use, Vancity is building a more integrated self-serve employee experience that’s personalized and timely, said Afonso, noting this allows employees to make more informed decisions using their devices and view their — and their family members’ — options holistically. The approach helps employees feel more supported throughout their health journeys, she added.
“We can’t offer everything. We’re constantly navigating simplicity, personalization, cost, impact, equity and flexibility — and these all have to be intentional choices.”
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Employers must be proactive, intentional and preventative, noted Afonso. Vancity uses its own data along with data from insurers to make real-time decisions to support employees. The data helps guide decisions around program sustainability, administrative efficiency and employee impact.
For employers, a key part of managing total rewards is consulting their financial, technology and people teams. Financial teams can help account for cost and affordability considerations, while tech teams can support improvements to systems, platforms and data security. People teams can help manage relationships with external providers, insurers and consultants to support program delivery.
“What matters isn’t the decisions themselves, but how these decisions are experienced by employees.”
Read more coverage of the 2026 Vancouver Benefits Summit.