Colliers International Group Inc.’s win at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards is highlighting the company’s efforts to support employee well-being via its absence management program, says Sonia-Sophia Vallie, the company’s benefits, leaves and accommodation specialist.
“This was an exciting moment for the entire company, to receive such an award where the efforts of our team have been recognized. [The award] also brought attention to the individual compassion and care [we take] towards the employees.”
The company’s absence management program targets employees’ well-being needs in real time, allowing it to apply an early intervention approach through its employee assistance program and possibly prevent disability leaves by offering adequate accommodations at work.
Read: Colliers lands award win for individualized, interventional approach to absence management
It features easy-to-use reference guides, application forms, request forms and educational resources to assist employees and help them overcome challenges around managing their leave. Colliers also provides return-to-work tips for employees and managers.
“Our goal is to provide service in real time and really to target the individual rather than the group because the idea and the strategy around the well-being of the employees is to increase their satisfaction and contributions and to give them the tools to be confident and productive.”
For employees taking a parental leave, Colliers provides a top-up of up to 80 per cent of base salary for 16 weeks. For working parents who don’t take parental leave, the company provides 10 paid parental days. Similar to its disability leave program, the company provides a parental leave toolkit with access to resources.
Read: How are pandemic reverberations affecting disability management programs, workplace accommodations?
The absence management program is one piece of the company’s wider employee well-being strategy, bolstered by a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion and the development of employee resource groups, says Vallie.
“It’s our duty to provide not just disability and absence management to the employee, but also the tools to prevent health issues. If the employer provides healthy workplace conditions, then the employee really feels supported.”
The 2025 Workplace Benefits Awards are open for entries here. The deadline is June 30.