Plan Sponsor Week: Rogers engages staff in retirement savings amid plan design changes, coronavirus

Employees of Rogers Communications Inc. don’t have to look far if they’re searching for new home or car insurance — their employer has multiple discounts available for them.

Beyond its traditional benefits package, the company has a website where it “capitalize[s] on the relationships we [hold] as an organization” by providing a range of discounts to employees, from home and car insurance with multiple providers — including the Co-operators and RBC Insurance — to fitness memberships at reduced prices, says Jason Traetto, director of benefits, wealth and recognition programs for the company.

Read: Plan Sponsor Week: Rogers engages staff in retirement savings amid plan design changes, coronavirus

“We’ve just been building on it over the years,” he says. “The state of benefits is changing and we were able to leverage this website to discount new and creative items based on the changing needs [employees] have.”

Discount home and auto insurance options are seen as a “core fundamental” on the website and help address the needs of the multiple generations of employees in Rogers’ workforce, Traetto says.

“Someone may leverage auto [insurance] but, as they get older and purchase a home then they’re bundling it and using it for home and auto,” he says, noting that bundled insurance products can often net larger discounts for employees. “I think from a generational perspective they’re really good programs to offer because as you age and have different needs you’d have something available to you.”

Read: Rogers Communications keeps staff engaged in retirement savings

Roughly 3,000 to 4,000 employees have taken advantage of discounted home and auto insurance through the various providers, Traetto says.

More recently, Rogers has added to its offerings to include discounted rates for “virtual recess products” that employees can use to keep their children occupied at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The company is also currently working on a deal to provide discounted virtual tutoring services. “If [children are] going to be really far behind towards the end of the pandemic, we want some support to employees.”