Now more than ever, skilled tradespeople are in high demand for well-paying jobs and rewarding careers. About 700,000 skilled trades workers in Canada are expected to have or be about to retire between 2019 and 2028, including almost one quarter of new construction workers. Other top trades facing a shortage include welder, industrial mechanic (millwright), bricklayer, boilermaker, cook and hairstylist.
Your trades-based business has an urgent need to retain your current team, and recruit and hire the experts you need to succeed in the future. Offering health insurance can help.
Trades work is physically demanding and stressful
Work hard, play hard – that’s the motto of many tradespeople. Many trades workers will experience injuries and pain because of their occupations and may use substances like drugs and alcohol to cope. More men than women work in trades, and men are often less likely to talk about or address their health problems promptly, even if they do need help.
The important aspect of health insurance is that it helps eliminate the time and out-of-pocket costs barriers to getting healthcare, so your trades workers are more likely to seek out support and less at risk of serious physical and mental health problems.
How health insurance helps
Health insurance helps ensure employees will not hesitate to take care of their health and be able to stay productive. With family coverage, your trades people will be less distracted about the out-of-pocket burden if their spouse or children get sick or are injured too.
Health and dental insurance helps your team save on healthcare costs not covered by their provincial government plan, including expenses like prescription drugs, dental care, hearing aids, vision care and massage therapy and much more.
Consider what your skilled team may need:
- Dental repair or replacement of natural teeth caused by blow to the mouth
- Medical equipment like wheelchairs and braces
- Prescription medications for pain
- Physiotherapy or chiropractic visits
- Massage therapy or speaking to a psychologist
Having health insurance is viewed as a vital part of an attractive compensation package
Today’s skilled workers – young or old — need health insurance to take care of their current and future healthcare needs.
Younger workers understand the importance of ongoing healthcare just as well as their older counterparts. In fact, some of them may have already seen firsthand what it means to go without coverage as their own parents have faced the prospect of loss of benefits and underemployment. They may be interested in benefits that empower them to make better preventative choices to maintain their health. Popular plan features include access to virtual healthcare, fitness support and apps to manage claim payments. There is also a great deal of interest in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to manage mental health issues at times of high stress.
Older workers appreciate plans with the features included in extended health care benefits like physiotherapy to help to cope with chronic conditions like arthritis, a back injury, or diabetes so they can best manage their healthcare and be able to work longer in their working career.
Regardless of their age, every member of your team will enjoy access to medical professionals for video consultations, eliminating the obstacles of travel and waiting room time delays. It can help shorten the cycle between them identifying a health problem and implementing a clinical solution, making taking care of their health more convenient. They can even consider using a wider range of healthcare services without having to travel to a healthcare facility, like talking to a dietician.
For any person on your team, health insurance reduces out of pocket expenses and is a positive financial reward for their hard work.
Offer an innovative small group option or access to individual health insurance
Implementing a sound health benefits plan that effectively fits the needs of your team is important.
To simplify the selection and reduce the cost of a traditional group benefits package, you can consider GMS Group Advantage, a health and dental plan specifically designed and attractively priced for small businesses with 3 to 10 employees. Group Advantage plans are designed with premium stability in mind, which means you won’t see a big premium hike when your plan renews. You can choose from Silver, Gold, and Platinum health plans to cover health, vision and prescription drugs and add on dental care for services ranging from routine and basic, to major procedures and orthodontic services. Every plan includes the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP). Your employees can go online for interactive tools, health and wellness assessments, child and elder care locators and personalized content and education. For even more support, employees and their family members are offered confidential counselling when they face difficulties and lifestyle coaching to help them with day-to-day challenges.
You can offer your employees access to a variety of health insurance benefits. Individual health and dental insurance plans are available to help provide coverage that can be with each member of your team for their entire life. Individual health insurance plans provide supplemental coverage options for everyday health needs and medical emergencies by covering a wide variety of services, such as massage and acupuncture, so they can afford treatment that helps them feel their best. Employees can add prescription drug or dental benefits to complete their coverage. Individual health insurance can be the core of their healthcare protection or be used to enhance your group health plan with the features they want most.
Depend on SBIS’ skills to put your team’s health plan in place
Providing health insurance is an important part of your compensation plan. At SBIS we have access to almost 50 different plans from many major insurance companies like Manulife, Greenshield Canada and GMS – so we can give you and your skilled workers the best chance to find a plan that suits their needs and budget. And with many guaranteed acceptance options and no medical questions, enrolling is seamless and hassle-free.
Learn more about small business health insurance information and our offerings here or contact SBIS for your free, no-obligation quote or information package now!
