In a recent interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Pascale Mapleston, founder and CEO of The Benefit Code, shed light on the critical role of comprehensive group benefits in shaping both employee satisfaction and corporate success. Pascale emphasized that well-structured benefits programs are an extension of a company’s brand, promoting health and well-being among employees. She pointed out the shortcomings of traditional benefits systems, such as outdated policies and lack of inclusivity, and stressed the necessity for innovative, accessible solutions. The Benefit Code utilizes employee data to tailor wellness plans, incorporating tools like DNA tests to aid in informed health decisions. Pascale also shared success stories, like the significant reduction in stress-related conditions within a mid-sized company, illustrating the positive impact of their customized benefits approach.
Pascale Mapleston is the founder and CEO of The Benefit Code. She is uniquely focused on promoting employee health by utilizing data so that people can identify potential health pain points and improve upon small health issues before they become large ones. Over the last 20-plus years, Pascale has crafted her experience, founding her benefit and pension consultancy and advisory business in 2012. She is known for disrupting the traditional health benefits space and introducing new ideas that incorporate science, technology, and data to identify areas of focus for organizations.
A certified Women Business Enterprises Canada Council (WBE) member, Pascale is unique in the health insurance market for driving a female-led organization in a traditionally male-dominated space. Pascale is known for her innovative spirit and big-picture vision. She is an expert on how companies can better support their employees’ health through data and offering health advocacy programs in the workplace.
Can you explain why great group benefits matter and how they impact both employees and employers?
Think of your employee compensation, and in particular, your employee benefits as a way to extend your corporate brand to one of health and well-being and your benefits broker as your partner in employee health optimization. When a company has the right programs in place – in which they are addressing the unique needs of the organization and the individuals within the organization – they maximize ROI, reduce long-term costs, improve employee health and workplace culture.
What are some of the main issues you’re seeing in the traditional benefits space, and how do you envision the future of this industry?
We see the biggest issue as companies and brokers not evolving with the times or making new and relevant recommendations.
Many employers are not taking the opportunity to pivot to inclusive language or updating policy addressing the needs of the Canadian worker. We see missed opportunities with employees not able to access resources or tools to help manage their health. There is an opportunity to focus communications and contract language around gender inclusion, age inclusion, to hormonal health at any stage of one’s journey, it’s important that everyone in an organization feels recognized and supported.
We know that employees are not staying with organizations as long as they were 30 years ago, plan options, design and support needs to meet employees where they are, for the journey they are on while they are with each organization.
On-line, easy access, and access anytime is the key to supporting individuals and choosing partners that make that access easy is a win for any organization.
How does The Benefit Code use employee data to create personalized and effective wellness plans? Can you provide some examples of this in action?
The Benefit Code uses claims and demographic data to personalize benefit offerings which in turn has a significant impact on employee satisfaction.
The value adds we bring are significant. We pivot to adjust to each corporate health landscape and develop custom communications addressing needs, existing claims data and disease states for each client. That allows us to focus programs and communications that help target issues pro-actively to manage health and overall well-being.
We also embrace tools and opportunities to better support members when they need them. For example, we offer DNA tests to help employees gain insight and make more informed decisions alongside their health care providers. We are known for our custom communications that really stand out in the market. Communicating in a relevant and easy to understand way helps all generations, all cultures gain access to what works best for them.
What do you believe are the biggest misconceptions companies and employees have about benefit plans, and how can they be addressed?
Benefits are really an extension of a companies’ corporate culture and through them, employers are showing employees that they value their people and their families.
Employee Benefits and total compensation become part of your brand if you market it right and will help attract, retain and maintain your employees, the health of your company and optimize your corporate culture.
When it comes to benefit plans being underutilized, this is driven by lack of communication and understanding of coverage available and how to access the programs. Effectively communicating the plan and how to access coverage is critical. Target and focus on the way that plans are not being used and that will drive usage up. The data is there, we just need the focus- and then the strategy- looking at the data quarterly will help drive results.
Benefits are still considered by many companies as a must provide, but many mid-sized companies are missing the opportunity of that existing spend being a huge driver of their brand and identity if the benefits are marketed right within the organization.
Benefit plans have evolved and include easy access tools to help optimize health- communicating effectively is essential to drive usage.
Finally there are a lot of products in the market, so knowing which ones will best serve your demographic is key to a successful program.
Can you share a specific story or example of how The Benefit Code has significantly improved a company’s employee benefits and overall workplace culture?
Yes, working closely with a mid sized HR team for a successful company in Ontario we noticed that although the company was successful in sales and growth the claims data was pointing us to trends within the organization that we wanted to address proactively, in particular high levels of stress which was leading to the big 3- sleep disorders, depression and anxiety. We know that if not addressed these indicators lead to burn out, employee leaves as well as poor long term health.
We helped focus programs and communications on these trends and we were pleased to see the results after 3 years in that area of focus including:
Depression/Anxiety/Sleep Disorders – number of participants accessing medications for these conditions dropped by 29% over the period of study and engagement numbers up.
Pain management – (indicator of a leading cause of disability) the number of participants using these medications dropped by 41% over the same period.
