At this year’s Annual Conference in Niagara Falls, we had an outstanding time exploring Indigenous workplace and organizational matters, and how they are tied to financial, physical and emotional health. Here is a brief recap of our presenters and some of the knowledge, wisdom, and resources they shared.
Day 1
After a lovely welcome reception the evening before, the teams from WP Pensions + Benefits and Life Benefit Solutions kicked off the conference bright and early with a series of updates, current industry trends, and matters of importance to Indigenous communities. We took a closer look at insurance suppliers and ancillary, mental health, and dental benefits, the retirement outlook in Canada, plan engagement, and Health and Wellness Spending Accounts.
To book a 1:1 pension counselling session or to review your benefits plan, simply email the WP team to set up a time. And don’t forget to check out our Book+ Club and to follow us on social media!
Dr. Liz Scott and Tamara Keenan of Organizational Solutions then reviewed best practices regarding Workers’ Compensation. The management essentials included funding approaches, occupational coverage, case management, and cost monitoring, all with a focus on a safe, timely, and sustainable return to work.
To access support around Workers’ Compensation or other disability accommodations for your employees, reach out for special conference pricing on an initial assessment.
Next, Graham McWaters, Founder of the Indigenous Hockey Equipment Drive (IHED), gave us an inspiring update on the amount of hockey equipment the initiative has distributed to date. With sponsorships from WP and LBS helping send gear and sticks to Indigenous communities, the team is expanding its support from Ontario to Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and beyond. Now, 65% of kids attending the LNHL use equipment supplied by IHED.
For more information on how to receive gear or to participate in the drive, contact Graham.
After connecting with each other over lunch, Dr. Karyn Gordon of DK Leadership and Success Intelligence delivered an engaging presentation on Emotional Literacy and Leadership. While your IQ might get you hired, it’s your EQ that gets you promoted. And with 70% of employee engagement influenced by their manager, EQ has major impact. Reviewing The 3 Chairs and the core EQ skills, Karyn helped us shift into the middle chair with a confidence!
Keep your eyes out for more workshops with Dr. Karyn. WP Members receive special discounts!
Next, we had some fun with WP history and pensions and benefits trivia using Slido. It was a great way to share our knowledge and reflect on our surroundings. Did you know that 2.6 million litres of water go over Niagara Falls every second?!
To finish day one, Michelle Oram of Second Life Vision Retirement Coaching helped us with Putting Together the Retirement Puzzle. Thinking beyond financials, we explored the retirement lifestyle planning process, our core retirement needs, the top reasons people struggle with retirement, and how to help employees prepare for their next chapter. She also acknowledged the need to rethink retirement, exploring how the landscape has changed significantly. Retirement used to be about five years – now it’s an average of 15-20!
For support navigating you and your team’s Second Life, reach out to Michelle for workplace education, small group workshops, and one-on-one coaching.
To cap off the day, we enjoyed a fabulous community dinner at Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse. There were plenty of laughs, and more than enough food!
Day 2
On day two, Barbara Martinez, National Practice Leader, Drug Solutions at Canada Life, provided an overview of the Drug Landscape and Trends, including national pharmacare, drug pricing in Canada, biosimilar drugs, and a GLP-1 drug update. With the popularity and expanded uses of GLP-1s, it’s important to remember that losing weight is only the tip of the iceberg. They must be coupled with hands on programs to improve nutrition, increase physical activity, and support mental health – or there may be no benefit to these drugs.
Connect with Barbara and WP for more details on how to amend your drug plans to best support your team.
Next up, Kristy Cork from Workplace Safety & Prevention Services brought much need validation to attendees, exploring Integrating Psychological Safety into Workplace Safety Programs. She reviewed the current state of mental health for Canadian workers, the concept of psychological safety, and the cost of psychologically unsafe work. We looked at ways to leverage your existing safety programs to increase psychological safety and prevent or address psychologically unsafe work. With seven out of ten (69%) working Canadians reporting symptoms of burnout in the past 12 months, this is a critical issue – both for employees and businesses. The estimated economic cost of Canadians missing work due to mental illness is $51 billion annually.
Recognizing that addressing mental harm can be delicate, particularly in close communities, WP clients can reach out to Kristy anytime for resource materials and support.
To close out the conference, Diana Saturno of Fogler Rubinoff LLP reviewed Best Practices for an Effective Employment Relationship. She expanded on the nature of an employment relationship and its lifecycle, from beginning and middle to end, while addressing common issues at each phase. She reminded us that how we treat our employees is an important part of what they receive from the employment experience. And like in any relationship, communication, clarity, and consistency are key.
Connect with Diana for support on employment contracts and issues management.
Sharing wisdom and expertise to support you and your team, the WP team is happy to have met or exceeded participants’ expectations once again. Proud to represent First Nations and Indigenous employers, we truly enjoyed hosting you and look forward to seeing you again next year.