Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, now make up the largest portion of the Canadian workforce. They are a uniquely diverse generation, spanning a wide range of life stages with some launching careers, others raising families and many stepping into leadership positions.
This spectrum of experiences is exposing the disconnect between traditional, standardized employee benefits plans and the evolving needs, values and health priorities of this generation. These shortcomings in coverage, accessibility and relevance have consequences not just for employee well-being, but for workplace culture, productivity and your bottom line.
As organizations compete for top talent in a post-pandemic, wellness-conscious environment, rethinking benefits through a modern, millennial-focused lens is key to employee recruitment and retention.
What happens when legacy benefits plans don’t evolve
Many existing benefits plans were built with previous generations in mind when career paths were more linear, family structures more uniform and workplace expectations more rigid. These plans were structured around homogenous workforces and often lack the flexibility and personalization that millennials expect.
The effects cascade throughout the workplace, and the impact is visible for both the employer and employee:
- Employees are left with unmet health needs, covering costs out-of-pocket (particularly for mental health services), struggling with unmanaged chronic illness, and feeling unsupported and overlooked. This poor employee experience results in “quiet quitting,” disengagement and a rise in short-term disability claims.
- For employers, this translates into increased absenteeism, lower morale, higher turnover, declining productivity, and escalating costs from burnout and disability claims.
A shift towards holistic wellness
While these trends are global, the shift is particularly acute in here in Canada.
Millennials are navigating a fragmented health system, increasing wait times and limited access to primary care. This has driven demand for solutions that prioritize ease of access, clarity and personal agency.
Employers are being asked to bridge the gap left by public systems, by investing in accessible, meaningful wellness benefits.
Forward-thinking employers are embracing a new approach that recognizes health is multi-dimensional and deeply personal.
Modern employee benefits plans go beyond just covering medical costs. They emphasize wellness and lifestyle support through offerings such as:
- Virtual care access and mental health support.
- Lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs) that can be applied toward childcare, gym memberships, cosmetic dermatology or even golf lessons.
- Flexible work arrangements such as permanent work-from-home days.
- Health and wellness initiatives like national fitness challenges.
This reflects a “whole person” approach that supports employees across all facets of their life.
Taking a diagnostic approach towards tailoring benefits
The most successful wellness programs are underpinned by culture — one that values transparency, empathy and regular dialogue.
Millennial employees want to be heard. They value organizations that invest time in understanding them and are proactive in addressing their personal concerns, rather than waiting for human resources complaints or rising disability claims.
The key is taking a diagnostic approach and data-driven customization. At Acera Benefits, we put this approach into action with:
- Employee surveys (anonymous, digitally distributed and incentivized responses produce higher volume and quality of results)
- Detailed utilization reporting on health and dental benefits
- Benchmarking tools using independent third parties to compare industry standards
- Open-ended conversations to uncover hidden pain points
This intelligence informs tailored solutions that are not only innovative but aligned with what actually matters to employees and employer philosophies around benefits.
Building infrastructure for flexibility
One of the strongest themes emerging from both client conversations and internal experience at Acera Benefits is that integrating flexibility must be structured and intentional.
Employers often recognize that their teams want more autonomy, choice and work-life balance, but struggle with how to translate that into a scalable benefits strategy.
It means creating a framework that empowers employees to tailor their own experience while still providing consistency and value across the organization.
Rather than offering generic perks, forward-thinking companies are designing benefits programs that accommodate life’s variability. This approach helps create a benefits experience that feels personalized without sacrificing structure — a balance that is highly valued by millennials.
How Acera Benefits walks the walk
We don’t just recommend solutions, we put them into practice starting with our teams.
Diverse in age, background and life stage, our nationwide staff mirrors the very demographics of our clients. This gives us a unique advantage: we experience the same benefits, the same gaps and the same changing expectations. That insight drives our commitment to vetting every product and service before they are presented to any of our clients.
We invest significant time and resources into testing and trialing wellness offerings, from employee assistance programs and virtual healthcare platforms to niche mental health services and new digital access tools. These are piloted internally with our own teams, so we can speak from experience about what works, what doesn’t and where improvements are required.
A key part of this commitment is our in-house wellness coordinator, Crystal Valente, whose role was created specifically to meet the dynamic nature of our clients’ needs. Her expertise allows us to stay ahead of market trends, respond proactively to client concerns and design benefits programs that are truly customized. Crystal works closely with clients to interpret benefits data, identify gaps and implement tailored strategies that support real-life challenges.
Our hands-on approach sets us apart from many in the industry who take a more passive, reactive approach to solutions.
We prioritize real-world functionality and cultural fit, ensuring what we offer is not only innovative but also practical and impactful.
Meeting millennials where they are
Millennials are changing the workplace and redefining its values, priorities and expectations.
For organizations aiming to attract and retain talent in this influential generation, evolving health and wellness plans presents a strategic advantage.
The future of benefits is personalized, data-informed and culturally relevant. Employers that invest in understanding and meeting the diverse health and wellness needs of millennials won’t just see improved individual outcomes, they’ll develop and foster engaged, high-performing long-term teams.
Chantell Arsenault is an Employee Benefits Consultant and Partner at Acera Benefits. She partners with organizations to create employee benefits, savings and wellness programs that are meaningful, measurable and aligned with their values, goals and budgets. Connect with Chantell at 250.869.6080 or chantell.arsenault@acera.ca.
Crystal Valente is a Client Service Specialist and Wellness Coordinator at Acera Benefits. She works directly with clients to design and implement customized employee wellness programs to build motivated, productive and healthy teams. Connect with Crystal at 403.262.7278 or crystal.valente@acera.ca.
Information and services provided by Acera Insurance, Acera Benefits and any other tradename and/or subsidiary or affiliate of Acera Insurance Services Ltd. (“Acera”), should not be considered legal, tax, or financial advice. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, we recommend consulting a qualified financial planner, lawyer, accountant, tax advisor or other professional for advice specific to your situation. Tax, employment, pension, disability and investment laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Acera is not responsible for any decisions made based on the information provided.