In Canada, Sun Life is one of the leading and most trusted providers of group benefits for all sizes of employers across the country.
Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing individual and corporate clients insurance, wealth management, and asset management solutions.
In this review, we’ll examine Sun Life employee benefits for Canadians, the advantages and services it provides for companies and their employees, and the reasons it has become one of the top employee benefits providers in Canada.
Sun Life Company Overview
Sun Life History and Founding
Sun Life Financial traces its roots back to 1865, when Matthew Hamilton Gault founded it as The Sun Insurance Company in Montreal, Canada. The company initially provided fire insurance to customers but later expanded to life insurance, which became its main line of business. The company increased and began its international expansion in the late 1800s, opening offices in various countries.
In 1918, the company officially moved its headquarters to the historic Sun Life Building in downtown Montreal, which remained home for many decades. After a series of mergers and acquisitions over the 20th century, the company adopted the Sun Life Financial name in 1999 as it evolved into the diverse international financial services firm it is today.
Throughout its 150+ year history and evolution as a business, Sun Life has focused on providing insurance, asset management and other financial security products to businesses and individuals. Today, Sun Life Financial has over 40,000 employees serving millions of customers across Canada, the United States, the UK, Asia, and other global markets.
Scope of Products and Services
While Sun Life may be best known for its group benefits offerings, Sun Life provides a diverse array of employee benefits in Canada, including:
- Group Life insurance
- Group Health insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Disability insurance
- Critical illness insurance
- Retirement savings plans
- Mutual funds
- Annuities
- Investment management
Sun Life’s critical business units today include:
- Sun Life Financial Canada provides insurance, wealth and asset management solutions. This is the core Canada business and includes group benefits.
- Sun Life Investment Management, which includes mutual funds and institutional investing.
- Sun Life Financial U.S. provides insurance, asset management, and retirement solutions for the U.S. market.
- Sun Life Financial Asia distributes insurance, wealth and asset management products across Asia.
With this broad range of products and services, SL can provide a one-stop shop for Canadian individuals and businesses’ insurance and financial needs. Many companies appreciate working with a single provider for multiple products.
Financial Strength
SL has consistently maintained a solid financial position and ratings as a large international financial services company. Fortune magazine has included it among the top 500 North American companies.
Some key facts and figures demonstrating Sun Life’s financial stability and strength:
- Assets under management of over $1.2 trillion (Q2 2022)
- The market capitalization of approximately $35 billion (November 2022)
- Standard and Poor’s credit rating of A+ with a stable outlook (Affirmed in 2022)
- Sun Life ranks #227 on the Global Fortune 500 list for 2022
Source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1097362/000119312522087850/d310315dex995.htm
These metrics indicate that Sun Life has substantial assets and a diverse, low-risk portfolio. Sun Life’s substantial capital and liquidity help provide peace of mind for companies seeking stable long-term relationships for employee benefits.
Recognition and Awards
With its long track record and leadership in the benefits space, SL has accumulated many industry accolades, including:
- Awarded “Most Trusted Life Insurance Company” by the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands award every year since 2011
- Ranked 25th among the Top 100 Employers in Canada for 2022 by Mediacorp Canada’s Top Employers program
- Achieved “Leader” score on disability inclusion index by Disability: IN from 2018-2021
- Recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for ten consecutive years (2013 – 2022) by Mediacorp Canada
These recognitions reflect Sun Life’s status as an industry leader who strongly values diversity, inclusion, sustainability and workplace culture. For employers looking for a provider that embodies such attributes, choosing SL helps enhance a company’s reputation and ability to attract talent.
Source: https://www.sunlife.ca/en/about-us/achievements/
Sun Life Employee Benefits Offerings
As a specialized area within Sun Life Financial, Sun Life Group Benefits provides a comprehensive range of insurance options employers can offer their employees as part of their overall compensation and benefits package.
Overview of Group Insurance Plans
Sun Life Group Benefits makes available a full suite of insurance protection, including:
- Life Insurance – Provides income replacement for beneficiaries in the event of death. Basic life insurance funded by the employer and optional coverage paid by employees are available.
- Disability Insurance – Protects an employee’s income if they cannot work due to illness or injury through short-term and long-term disability coverage.
- Health Insurance – pays for prescription drugs, vision care, hospital costs, paramedical therapies, medical equipment, and more not fully covered by government health insurance. Dental insurance helps pay for preventive care, basic procedures, and primary treatments.
- Critical Illness Insurance – Provides a lump sum payment upon diagnosis of specific critical illnesses like cancer, stroke, or heart attack so the employee can focus on recovery.
- Wellness Programs – Sun Life offers customized wellness solutions that help employers promote health and well-being in the workplace. This includes health risk assessments, lifestyle management services, and resource access.
Plan Customization and Flexibility
One of the advantages SL provides is the ability to customize benefit plans based on the particular workforce and budgets for each employer. Companies can select the optimal coverage types, benefit amounts, deductibles, and premium cost-sharing. Sun Life advisors help organizations determine the right group insurance plan design for their needs and employees.
SL also offers flexibility when it comes to eligibility requirements and waiting periods so companies can establish their own rules on issues such as:
- When new employees become eligible for benefits after their hire date.
- If part-time or contract employees are included.
- Rules around late applicant limitations and guaranteed issue amounts.
- Employees can extend coverage when on leave for a length of time.
Administration Services for Employers
In addition to designing plans and paying out claims, Sun Life provides valuable administration services to streamline benefits management for employers. Sun Life’s team handles many of the ongoing administrative tasks like:
- Billing and collecting premiums
- Make regular adjustments to reflect new hires, salary changes, etc.
- Maintaining up-to-date plan member data
- Providing regular utilization reports
- Communicating benefit information during open enrolment periods
- Assisting with benefits education for employees
- Supporting the overall renewal process
Sun Life frees up companies to focus on their core business by outsourcing much of the H.R. administration for benefits programs.
Reasons Sun Life is a Top Group Benefits Provider
There are many good reasons Sun Life has become a top choice as a group benefits provider for Canadian companies:
- Broad experience as a leading group benefits insurer for over 70 years
- Wide range of insurance products to enable one-stop customized packages
- Plan design expertise to create optimal coverage for unique workforces
- Leading health and wellness programs to promote employee well-being
- Strong communication and education resources for benefits programs
- Outstanding service support throughout plan implementation and administration
- Innovative digital capabilities like apps, online portals, virtual care access
- Proven track record of financial strength and stability.
With such attributes, it is easy to understand Sun Life’s popularity in helping Canadian companies protect their most valuable asset: their employees.
Sun Life Group Benefits for Employees
While employers ultimately select group benefits providers like SL, it’semployees utilize the coverage regularly. Let’s look at some of the key advantages Sun Life group benefits offer employees.
Sun Life Life Insurance
Types of Coverage
Eligible employees are automatically enrolled in basic life insurance funded by the employer. This coverage usually provides a benefit equal to 1x or 2x annual salary. Employees can also purchase additional supplemental life insurance for themselves and spousal and child life insurance. All plans offer options to continue coverage if leaving the company.
- Essential Life – core protection paid by the employer
- Optional Life – additional coverage employee can purchase
- Spousal Life – life insurance for spouse bought by employee
- Child Life – coverage for all eligible children under a single policy
Benefit Amounts
Life insurance plans provide benefit payments in preset amounts or multiples of salary. Here are some sample options:
- Essential Life – 1x or 2x annual earnings to a maximum of $250,000
- Optional Life – units of $10,000 up to $750,000
- Spousal Life – units of $5,000 up to $300,000
- Child Life – fixed benefit $5,000 or $10,000 per child
Conversion and Portability
With SL, employees who lose insurance under a company’s group benefits program can convert to individual life insurance without providing evidence of insurability, enabling them to maintain coverage. Employees can also port certain benefits to an individual policy if they leave an employer.
Sun Life Early Life Stage Benefit
If diagnosed with a terminal illness, employees can access a portion of their Life coverage while still living. This benefit provides substantial financial relief during difficult times.
Sun Life Disability Insurance
SL provides short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) plans to replace lost income when illness or injury prevents an employee from working.
Sun Life Short Term Disability
STD plans help bridge the gap during the initial weeks of disability before long-term benefits kick in. Typical STD coverage features include:
- Benefit amount – 50% to 75% of weekly earnings
- Benefit payment duration – 15 to 26 weeks
- Elimination period before benefits start – 0 to 30 days
Sun Life Long Term Disability
LTD coverage provides extended income replacement up to retirement age if an employee has a prolonged disability. Plan design components can include:
- Benefit amount – 60% to 75% of monthly income
- Benefit payment period – to age 65
- Elimination period before benefits start – 90 to 180 days
- Own occupation and any occupation definitions of disability
- Taxability options on benefit payments
- Return to work programs and partial disability benefits
Sun Life Health Insurance
SL contracts provide health insurance to cover services and costs not paid by provincial government health plans. This gives employees access to crucial medical care. Common features include:
Prescription Drugs
- Benefit typically covers 80% of prescription drug costs
- Includes higher reimbursement for expensive specialty drugs
- Co-pay and co-insurance options to reduce premiums
- Generic drug pricing provision for lowest cost
- Caps on dispensing fees
Medical Supplies and Equipment
- Covers casts, splints, wheelchairs, walkers, insulin pumps
- Nursing and homecare services, medical equipment rentals
Paramedical Therapies
- Care from massage therapists, physiotherapists, chiropractors
- Speech and occupational therapy
- Coverage for psychologists and social workers
Vision Care
- Payments for prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses
- Coverage for laser eye surgery
- Vision testing and exams are paid at a defined frequency
Out-of-Province/Country Emergencies
- Coverage for sudden illnesses or injuries when travelling
Other Health Services
- Semi-private hospital room charges
- Private duty nursing
- Accidental dental treatment
Member Experience and Support
- Access plan details and e-claims through the SL app and portal
- Online health risk assessment and chronic disease management
- Health coaching and appointment booking assistance
- Virtual physician and mental health counselling services
Sun Life Dental Insurance
Sun Life’s group dental plans assist employees with dental work costs.
Routine and Major Coverage
- Diagnostic, preventive, restorative, and surgical dental procedures
- Cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals, periodontics
- Coverage for crowns, dentures, bridges, implants
Frequencies and Maximums
- Cleanings and oral exams every 6 to 9 months
- Maximums for services like crowns, bridges, root canals
- Annual benefit maximums per person
Claims Process
- Employees submit electronic dental claims directly through a dentist
- Coverage verified in real-time through dental office integration
- Employees pay only their portion of costs and collect reimbursements
- Plans coordinate benefits with spousal coverage
Sun Life Critical Illness Insurance
This coverage provides financial aid for employees diagnosed with severe medical conditions.
Conditions Covered
- Heart attack, stroke, primary organ conditions and transplant
- Cancer
- Neurological disorders like M.S. and Parkinson’s
- Kidney failure
- Loss of sight, hearing or speech
Benefit Amounts
- Offered in units of $5,000 or $10,000 up to $150,000 maximum
- Typically covers first-ever diagnosis of a condition
- Multiple claims allowed for unrelated illnesses
Survival Period
- Most plans require survival for 30 days following diagnosis
- Ensures benefit is paid only in the event of a genuine critical illness
Benefit Payment
- Lump-sum payment made directly to employees tax-free
- It can be used for any purpose – medical bills, daily expenses, debt
- It does not reduce any other insurance benefits
Additional Wellness Benefits
In addition to its core insurance coverage, SL provides access to various wellness programs and resources to support overall health.
Examples include:
- My Health at Work – digital health portal with resources and tracking
- Employee assistance and counselling programs
- Virtual physician and mental health services through Lumino Health or Dialogue platforms
- Health risk assessments – online questionnaires to identify risks
- Smoking cessation and weight loss programs
- Magazine subscriptions, fitness discounts, contests and more
- Option to integrate with wearable device data
Sun Life delivers a robust suite of tools and benefits for employers invested in workforce health and well-being.
Sun Life Group Benefits Plan Administration
Smooth, ongoing administration of group benefits plans is essential for employers. SL devotes significant resources to providing top-notch administrative support.
Services for Employers
Sun Life administration teams take care of numerous group benefits plan tasks, including:
- Enrolment management: adding new hires, updating employee changes, terminating departures
- Premium billing and collection: sends regular invoices, collects payments
- Responding to inquiries: answers questions on eligibility, coverage, claims, etc.
- Managing contract changes: implements benefit adjustments, contract re-negotiation
- Regulatory compliance: ensures adherence to laws, tax requirements
- Utilization reporting: supplies various data reports to clients
- Renewal support: helps clients evaluate options and navigate renewal
- Employee communications: assists with benefits materials, open enrolment
Dedicated advisors and administrative contacts are assigned to each employer group to provide ongoing, personalized support. Services can be customized based on each client’s needs and preferences.
Digital Tools and Resources
To facilitate benefits administration, SL offers innovative digital tools for employers. Examples include:
- Group benefits mobile app for H.R. managers provides real-time data access
- Benefits Central portal enables administration tasks like additions and terminations
- Online chatbots provide instant help with common questions
- Virtual benefits fairs assist with open enrolment education
- Digital assistant capability automates administrative workflows
These technologies streamline processes for H.R. teams and create efficiencies in managing group benefits programs.
The Member Experience
While SL focuses on service for employers, it also strives to provide a seamless experience for employees using its group benefits coverage.
Accessing Benefits
Sun Life offers user-friendly online and mobile access for plan members through portals like mysunlife.ca and the Sun Life mobile app. Key features include:
- I.D. cards available digitally on the app for health, dental and drug claims
- Details on coverage and claiming process for each benefit type
- Dashboard summaries of coverage amounts, claims, payments
- Ability to submit many claims electronically
- Instant adjudication confirms claim eligibility in real-time
For employees, the site and app make benefits information, card access, and claims seamlessly available 24/7 on their devices.
Claims Reimbursement
Employees appreciate Sun Life’s quick claims reimbursement. Options include:
- Direct bank deposit for claim payments within 48 hours for many claims
- Instant pay-at-pharmacy with drug card rather than submitting claims
- Electronic transfer of dental claims from dentist offices
- Ability to submit many paramedical claims electronically by providers
Fast claims reimbursement reduces employee out-of-pocket costs.
Customer Satisfaction
In an annual proprietary survey, Sun Life group benefits members report strong satisfaction results, including:
- 91% say Sun Life offers the benefits that meet their needs
- 90% are satisfied with their overall experience with Sun Life
- 86% are likely to recommend Sun Life products to friends/family
These results indicate Sun Life continues to enhance services and solutions to satisfy evolving employee expectations.
Why Choose Sun Life for Group Benefits
Finding the right employee benefits provider is an important decision for any business in Canada. With a range of options to choose from, it’s helpful to understand the landscape of top providers across the country. Some of the leading employee benefits providers in Canada include:
- Assumption Life Employee Benefits in Canada
- Medavie Blue Cross Employee Benefits
- Pacific Blue Cross Employee Benefits
- Equitable Life of Canada Employee Benefits
- Beneva Employee Benefits
For Canadian companies evaluating group benefits providers, the reasons to select Sun Life are compelling.
Proven Track Record
- Over 150 years of experience providing insurance in Canada
- A longstanding leader in the group benefits the marketplace
Source: https://strategyonline.ca/2015/04/02/sun-life-150-years-of-making-life-brighter/
Financial Strength and Stability
- Consistently maintains a solid capital base, liquidity and credit ratings
- Manages over $1 trillion in assets under management globally
- Low-risk diversified portfolio across multiple geographic markets
Exceptional Range of Products
- One carrier for all insurance needs – Life, health, dental, disability
- Proven expertise across all main coverage types
- Allows customized and integrated benefits package
Market Leading Health and Wellness Capabilities
- Access to leading-edge wellness programs, tools and support
- Encourages workforce health through digital platforms
- Commitment to evolving wellness offerings aligned to market needs
Workplace Insurance and Benefits Innovation
- Continued investment in new digital capabilities
- Leverages data and analytics to improve services
- Easy enrolment, administration and claims processes for employers and employees
- Virtual healthcare and mental health support integrated with coverage
Corporate solid Values and Culture
- Values diversity, equity, sustainability and social responsibility
- Promotes ethics, integrity and transparency as a business
- Focus on employee engagement, development and well-being
For employers who want a group benefits partner they can trust for the long term, SL has a proven combination of capabilities that make it a top choice in the Canadian market.
Conclusion
Group benefits are an essential tool for attracting talent, and SL has firmly established itself as a top provider for Canadian companies. With stability, expertise, excellent service, and leading-edge plans, Sun Life empowers employers to protect their greatest asset – their people. Sun Life coverage delivers essential health care, income replacement, and other protections for employees at various life stages.
Sun Life’s focus on digital enablement and innovative wellness solutions helps propel workplace benefits into the future. For companies seeking a group benefits partner with enduring capabilities, Sun Life offers compelling advantages as a leader in the Canadian market.
Article Sources
At Ebsource, we are devoted to empowering Canadians to make the best possible decisions about employee benefits and human resources strategies. We provide comprehensive, impartial information so Canadians understand all their options and can choose what fits their specific circumstances. Our guidance comes from veteran finance professionals, reflecting current industry best practices. We exclusively reference statistics from authoritative sources like Statistics Canada, ensuring complete accuracy.
We thoroughly research the major benefits providers across Canada so we can offer tailored recommendations based on individuals’ budgets and needs. Ebsource upholds high standards of independence and transparency in everything we publish. We pride ourselves on supplying reliable counsel by citing reputable sources and adhering to strict editorial principles. As Canada’s definitive source for employee benefits news and HR knowledge, our purpose is to empower Canadians by furnishing the information they require to make optimal benefits choices.
Sun Life Assurance Company: Overview – lsminsurance.ca
Sun Life Insurance Review: 2024 Guide for Canadians – policyme.com
Workplace benefits – sunlife.ca
Sun Life Financial – en.wikipedia.org