Time is running out to make the most of your employer benefits

As 2021 comes to a close, so may be the window to use your employer benefits.

As 2021 comes to a close, so may be the window to use your employer benefits. This past year has seen some employers enhance their offerings to support employees with the new challenges brought on by the pandemic, but some workers may be unaware of the extras they’re leaving on the table and they’re running out of time to use them.

“I have clients who realize they have $600 in benefits to use up, so they cram in five appointments in December,” said Kristin Riley, a registered massage therapist (RMT), who runs a private practice in Vancouver. 

But along with more dollars allocated towards traditional benefits like seeing an RMT or dietician, the category of wellness benefits has expanded to even include self-care items like virtual art classes, e-books, and dumbbells.

“New ways to access virtual care will not have had the uptick that it did if it weren’t for the pandemic,” said Ingrid Gailler, vice president of benefits consulting of national accounts with Hub International, in a phone interview.

“What’s also been interesting is the uptick with men,” she said. “Virtual [counselling] is easier for certain sectors of the population. The stigma is essentially gone.”

She said the challenge now is integrating the various supports on one platform. Hub International services firms with at least 100 employees across a variety of sectors and implemented a “care concierge” within the last year at the request of its clients. Employees can access a “live care advocate” who directs them to employee assistance programs, telemedicine, or fitness apps.