In a Nutshell: Blog Highlights
This blog explores how transparent communication helps employers strengthen trust, boost engagement, and improve retention. It outlines:
- Common pitfalls like “mystery” plans, low awareness, and opaque policy changes that can erode employee confidence.
- How our advisors help, from simplifying language and leveraging technology to building feedback loops and guiding change.
- The vital role of Ashley Moisan, our Onboarding & Implementation Specialist, who ensures that transitions in benefit carriers are smooth, transparent, and handled with genuine care.
- Why it all comes back to care: Clear, consistent communication helps employees feel valued and supported, creating stronger workplaces where trust thrives.
The Deeper Dive
In today’s workplace, trust is crucial. Employees want to feel cared for and confident that their employer’s benefits plan truly supports their well-being. But even the most generous plan can fall short if it’s not clearly understood or communicated.
That’s where our team of benefit advisors comes in. At Wiegers Financial & Benefits, we work closely with our clients to help them communicate their benefit plans openly, consistently, and effectively, because transparency builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.
Why Trust Through Benefits Matters
Canadian employees increasingly expect fairness, clarity, and care in every part of their employment experience, including their benefits. A recent study from Mercer found that employees who receive engaging and transparent communication about their benefits are nearly four times more likely to feel that their employer cares about them and their well-being.1
Similarly, Benefits Canada reports that employers who foster open communication and transparency - whether about pay, benefits, or policies - see higher employee trust and stronger retention.2
In other words, when employees understand what their benefits cover, how to use them, and why decisions are made, they feel valued and supported. That’s a win for everyone.
Where Things Can Go Wrong
Even employers with the best intentions can face challenges in communicating benefits clearly. Our advisors see a few common pitfalls that can quietly erode employee trust:
- The “Mystery” Benefits Plan
When benefit plans are written in dense language or buried in hard-to-navigate documents, employees stop reading. They may assume the fine print is working against them - or worse, they might not use their coverage at all.
- Low Awareness and Uptake
It’s not unusual for employees to be unaware of key benefits available to them. That means underused Spending Accounts, forgotten wellness benefits, or unclaimed coverage for mental health supports.
- Opaque Policies
Changes to coverage or claims decisions can create frustration if not explained clearly. When employees don’t know the “why,” they can start to question fairness. That’s why the work of our Onboarding & Implementation Specialist Ashley Moisan is so important. Ashley plays a hands-on role in helping our clients and their employees navigate a change in insurance carriers with confidence. When a company transitions to a new carrier, she’s there every step of the way, organizing information, coordinating with carriers, and communicating clearly so nothing feels confusing or overlooked. Her calm, caring approach helps ensure that every transition is handled smoothly, transparently, and with genuine care for the people it impacts most.
Learn more about the important and unique work Ashley does for our clients in her blog, Guiding Change With Care: My Role in Making Benefit Plan Transitions Seamless and Transparent
Our role as advisors is to help prevent these issues before they happen by ensuring our clients’ communication is simple, proactive, and people-focused.
How Our Advisors Help Build Transparency and Trust
We see benefits communication as an ongoing partnership - not a one-time enrolment event. Here’s how our advisors help our clients foster understanding and trust all year long:
- Turning Complex Plans into Plain Language
We translate insurance jargon into easy-to-understand language. Whether it’s through customized employee handouts or in-person education sessions, we make sure every team member knows exactly what their plan covers and how to use it.
- Leveraging Technology and AI to Educate Employees
We help clients take advantage of technology that makes benefits accessible anytime, anywhere. From employee portals and mobile apps to AI chat tools that answer everyday questions (“How much massage coverage do I have left?”), digital solutions are transforming how Canadians engage with their benefits.3 According to PolicyAdvisor’s 2025 report on Canadian benefits trends, plan members increasingly expect personalized, digital experiences when managing their benefits. Our advisors guide clients in selecting and implementing the right tools for their workplace.
- Building Feedback Loops and Two-Way Conversations
Our advisors don’t just help clients talk to their employees; we help them listen. Through employee satisfaction surveys, we help employers learn what’s working and what’s confusing. Then we adjust communications accordingly. As one Canadian benefits publication noted, ongoing feedback helps employers align their programs with employees’ evolving needs, especially in today’s hybrid work world.4
- Guiding Transparency Around Change
When a change is needed like switching carriers or adjusting coverage, we help clients communicate the “why.” We coach them on explaining the reasoning behind decisions, outlining what’s staying the same, and being open about what’s changing. As pay and total rewards transparency gain traction across Canada, with new rules already in effect in provinces like British Columbia and Ontario, clear and honest communication is no longer optional; it’s expected.
- Measuring Impact and Keeping Communication Alive
Our advisors work with clients to track engagement and understanding, whether through plan utilization data, feedback surveys, or digital analytics. We help identify what’s resonating and what might need a refresh, ensuring benefits communication stays relevant and meaningful year after year.
Why It All Comes Back to Care
Transparency isn’t just about compliance or communication; it’s about care. It’s about helping our clients show their teams that they’re seen, supported, and valued.
When benefits communication is clear and ongoing, employees feel confident in their coverage and grateful for their employer’s investment. That sense of trust ripples across an organization, improving satisfaction, retention, and even productivity.
Our advisors are proud to stand beside our clients as partners in building that trust one conversation, one communication, and one caring connection at a time.
Please contact us to learn more.
Deb Wiegers, GBA, CLU, CH.F.C.
Founding Partner, Managing Principal Benefits Division
[3] https://www.policyadvisor.com/employee-benefits/employee-benefits-trends-in-canada/
[4] https://blog.cowangroup.ca/en/why-you-need-a-benefits-communication-plan-for-employees
