Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey, 2020 Results

The Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey is Canada’s premier and longest-running annual survey of group benefit plans. The survey offers relevant insight and information, and has been used as an educational and practical tool in helping employers build valuable, sustainable, and cost-effective benefits plans for almost 25 years.

People Corporation is a proud sponsor of the Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey, and is excited to share the findings on a sweeping range of topics including personal well-being, the workplace environment, and group benefits plans.

Top six trends

The 2020 results are in. They highlight the top six priorities in the group benefits industry. To provide you with insight into these highlights, we’re creating a seven-part series of articles that will provide a deeper dive into:

  • The value of a group benefits plan – ensuring your plan is serving its purpose
  • Moving the dial on chronic disease management – what more can your group benefits plan do?
  • Plan member wish list – what coverage do plan members really want?
  • Nurturing a wellness culture – the impact wellness plays in attracting and retaining talent
  • Younger plan members are more likely to experience and struggle with high levels of stress, what’s the source?
  • Health technology – from apps to virtual care, plan members are ready for more

Insider Insight

The following insight is provided by Shannon Darvill, Consultant at Silverberg Group, a People Corporation Company, and a Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey Advisory Board Member.

An important factor this year is that both the survey and the results were collected and analyzed pre-COVID-19. When the board met to review results, the trajectory of the pandemic hadn’t hit Canada. The topic wasn’t woven through our discussions as the scope was just on the brink of being fully realized. Survey respondents would have provided their answers based on limited, if any, awareness of COVID-19. When a COVID lens was applied to the data, the feelings were unified in that the results remained relevant.

Alignment. This word surfaced consistently as I combed through the survey data in advance of the 2020 Sanofi Advisory Board meeting in February. Working to minimize the gap between the views of employers and employees towards their benefit programs ultimately results in a more harmonious experience for all with respect to workplace culture, retention and attraction.

A positive correlation exists between strong workplace wellness cultures, and the overall satisfaction and understanding of group benefit plans. Stress is a topic of concern that comes up in all areas of the report and should be top of mind for employers, especially given the many unknowns in our current landscape. The employee perception of workplace support available to manage stress is important and linked to the broader culture of wellness. The results of the survey support this with 61% of employees stating that their employer is effective in helping them to deal with, or manage stress. This number drops to 31% for employees who indicated that there is no wellness culture in their workplace.

It takes time and effort to build a positive corporate culture but once in place, it provides the foundation of a strong workplace and ensures alignment of company values. Of course part of building that culture is ensuring that the benefits plan in place aligns with the needs of employees – this ultimately reinforces a positive workplace culture, and attraction and retention of employees.  

Shannon Darvill is a Consultant at Silverberg Group, a People Corporation Company and a Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey Advisory Board Member.