Dear Subscriber,
February is here and it often feels like more of the same, but spring is looming not too far off in the distance. With that, I feel a bit more hope, even if it's just for nicer weather.
We've had to delay our March "in-person" Ontario seminar AGAIN in order to allow adequate seating and work within the meeting rules. As things now stand, it will be held Wednesday March 30th (MARK YOUR CALENDAR).
Educational webinars are starting to ramp up again with more to choose from than we've seen in months. There are lots of great opportunities to get CE credits listed below. The Benefits Trust alone has 5 very interactive events in the next month and Business Career College has loads of content that you can view at your own pace (and a CGIB reduced cost).
Please don't take your CE requirements lightly. We have found the new Ontario regulator (FSRAO) to be tightening up, and auditing much more than in the past (FSCO). We hope to get back to the great CGIB events you've come to know and love, but will comply with local rules so could see further delays.
If you need help with anything around CGIB, please reach out.
Dave |
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OUR EVENTS
CGIB COFFEE CHATS
Coffee chats are like a virtual breakfast. Log in, ask questions, share problems, seek solutions and talk about what's on your mind. Best done from a computer, with a camera and a microphone. No CE credits, but also no cost, just show up.
Thursday February 3rd @2pm (EST) Tuesday February 15th @ 2pm (EST) Thursday March 3rd @2pm (EST) Tuesday March 14th @ 2pm (EST) Thursday March 31st @2pm (EST) ____________________________________________________________
BREAKFAST MEETINGS CGIB no longer runs the breakfast meetings, but supports the initiative of the volunteers that do.
Please find the details for your closest location below. Ajax, Cambridge, London, Markham, Oakville, St Catherines, Toronto, Vancouver Island, Windsor or the Virtual National Meeting
Virtual meetings through Zoom may be utilized until COVID19 passes. Please contact the event champions to be added to their lists, and receive more info.
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LOOKING FOR PEOPLE
Share your info and we'll post it here. ____________________________________________________________ Upcoming CGIB Events:
Toronto - MOVED to March 30th (awaiting word if we can proceed)
Due to the short planning time and the possibility of cancellation or further postponement, we are going to hold another Building and Using a Plan Administration CheckList workshop with the possibility of an employment lawyer joining us to share their perspective.
Hold the date, and watch for details HERE.
Calgary - POSTPONED to fall 2022? or TBC Vancouver - POSTPONED to fall 2022 or TBC |
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GET ON SLACK
The CGIB SLACK channel is a great place to pose questions, share info and learn a ton from your fellow members. The info and discussions that are posted there are unlike anywhere in the industry. Sadly, about 15% of CGIB members are still missing out on all the info being shared. Others have not taken a look at all the documents, videos and information available in MEMBERS ONLY to make their life easier.
NOTE TO ALL SLACK USERS: We now have 40+ channels in Slack to handle different topics. Please take a moment to add these channels to your menu. To do so, just click on the + next to Channels on the top left. Browse the channels and then click JOIN to add each of them. By doing so you won’t be missing some really great info. |
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SUGGESTED READING
We think the information contained below is of great value and encourage you to read the articles and check out the events that interest you. In most cases, these articles and events are not run by CGIB, so please contact the organizers for more information. We take no responsibility for the websites, events, organizations or their content. |
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CANADIANS FEELING BURNED OUT As the two-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic nears, new research shows that more than one-third (35 per cent) of all working Canadians are feeling burned out. A study – commissioned by Workplace Strategies for Mental Health, compliments of Canada Life, and conducted by Mental Health Research Canada in December 2021 – measured a wide range of factors relating to how employees are feeling at work. Those factors ranged from engagement and recognition to workload and safety. “The number of Canadians reporting burnout is cause for concern,” says Mary Ann Baynton, director of collaboration and strategy, workplace strategies, for Mental Health. “It’s not surprising though – considering we’re once again faced with extreme uncertainty as the pandemic rollercoaster continues. For so many of us, anxiety and exhaustion are at an all-time high.” While the signs and symptoms of burnout may vary, she says it’s often characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, negativity, and reduced efficiency in the workplace. It’s also more prevalent in employees who set high expectations for themselves, have unreasonable demands placed on them, or feel unappreciated for their efforts. While not considered a mental illness, burnout can be debilitating and long-lasting, making prevention and mitigation strategies important.
BENEFITS MUST BE PERSONALIZED As a result of workers’ restlessness, organizations can’t afford to look at employee benefits in the same light as before, says the ‘HUB 2022 Employee Benefits Outlook.’ In essence, benefits plan sponsors will need to personalize benefits, using data analytics and competitor benchmarking to inform decision making. And because personalized benefits give workers a real connection with their benefits, it not only benefits them, but increases engagement with the job. This means wellbeing will help redefine benefits plans as the COVID-19 pandemic has made the workday longer. In fact, the average workday is about 49 minutes longer than it was before the pandemic with extra time the result of organizations being short-staffed and employees doing extra work just to keep the ship afloat. That’s created a vicious cycle with employees working longer hours due to labour shortages and, as a result, they are experiencing higher rates of burnout, leading to an erosion of their health and wellbeing and an increase in absenteeism, healthcare costs, and resignations. This means organizations should look at their benefits through the lens of employee wellbeing, it says. This view includes physical and mental health, financial wellness, career support, and other components which, if left unattended, threaten worker performance and engagement.
ADULTS STILL EXPERIENCE SEVERE ANXIETY Adult Canadians are reporting levels of moderate to severe anxiety, loneliness, and feelings of depression as high as early in the pandemic, says the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH) ninth survey of Canadians’ pandemic health and substance use. Overall, a quarter (25.1 per cent) of survey participants reported feeling moderate to severe anxiety, significantly higher than the 19 per cent reported in the last survey completed in July 2021. Similar spikes were found in reports of loneliness (24.1 percent now compared to 18.8 per cent last summer) and feelings of depression (22.3 per cent now compared to 18.6 per cent last summer). The survey also found a significant gender gap in the results. Reports of moderate to severe anxiety, loneliness, and feelings of depression increased significantly among women, but only slightly for men. “These larger increases among women may reflect that they are often carrying a disproportionate burden, including imbalances in caregiving responsibilities and frontline work,” says Dr. Samantha Wells, survey co-lead and senior director at the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at CAMH. |
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How did the dog become your teacher’s problem? When we’re actively enrolled in a journey, it’s on us. That’s the requirement once you choose to act professionally. You know the terms, the dates, the structure. It wasn’t even fine print. It’s simply the structure you agreed to be part of.
Of course, enrollment is frightening. Because enrollment confers responsibility. “This is something I’m choosing to do.”
Compulsory education doesn’t often lead to real learning. That’s because compulsory education is coerced. There’s no active enrollment.
For the rest of us, there’s the chance to engage and to move forward. And part of the journey is acknowledging that we have a dog, that life gets in the way, that it’s never the ideal moment or the perfect time. And then doing something about it.
Leaping isn’t easy, but it’s far better and safer than the alternative.
My Take on Seths Post
Put another way...
We are the masters of our own fate. We started our companies (speaking to advisors here) and need to "own it" when it comes to how we educate ourselves and operate them.
I've heard too many benefit advisors complain that no one ever taught them about Plan Administration Liability Coverage, the Third LTD taxation rule, or the fact that there were 2 contract wordings available (mandatory and the one they insurers would prefer you sell). That's not on them, it's on you to self educate yourself and be the professional we want to be viewed as.
CGIB give you access to endless resources between; our members shared knowledge, Slack exchanges, the sales and tech videos, presentations, sample documents and tools posted on the website. Modify them to fit your practice, use them, add and improve on them, and be the pros that you want to be seen as. They don't do much until you dive in, engage with them, and make it yours.
After finishing reviewing the data on the CGIB site, let me know if you are looking for more content and we'll find or create it. |
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EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
ONLINE CE CREDITS
Looking for benefits dedicated online CE courses? Want to provide your admin and support staff with basic knowledge? Want to dig into something more detailed for your benefits/insurance business? Business Career College (BCC) has an extensive catalogue of online CE courses with a number of group benefits specific courses covering topics ranging from contractual concerns, plan designs, and underwriting requirements, to product specifics and integration with government benefits. Courses consist of narrated videos with short, online quizzes. The full catalogue includes over 60 courses, podcasts, and videos covering topics from the world of insurance, investments, financial planning, taxation, and ethics with a focus on technical content and real-world application. Courses are accredited for the maximum categories of credits and can include provincial Life and A&S credits, FP Canada, Advocis, and more! Use code CGIB on registration for your first three months free! ____________________________________________________________
The BC Insurance Council now offers online continuing education (CE) courses that are available for registration through Insurance Council’s online portal. Once courses are registered through the online portal, they can be accessed through the newly launched Learning Management System (LMS) with CE certificates ready for immediate download upon course completion.
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The Benefits Trust presents....
Selling Benefits in 2022 Special Guest Speaker: Robert J. Crowder - The Benefits Trust February 3rd, 10:00 am
Using Formulary Protect and Formulary Protect Plus to Protect Your Clients Special Guest Speaker: Dave Wochuck - ClaimSecure February 8th, 10:00 am Why Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) Offer Today's Best Value for Your Benefits Dollar Special Guest Speaker: Melaine Leblanc - Life Works February 15th, 10:00 am
Improve Your Value Proposition with Effective Communications Skills Special Guest Speaker: Robert J. Crowder - The Benefits Trust February 23rd, 10:00 am
Why Online Marketing in 2022 is Critical to Build and Maintain Your Benefits Practice Special Guest Speaker: Ben Molfetta - Core Online Marketing March 2nd, 10:00 am
Full details and booking HERE... ___________________________________________________________
LinkedIn is a powerful tool that many sales reps just don’t know how to use - and it starts with profiles that just aren’t getting it done.
If you want more connections and conversations that lead to new opportunities, and want to turn your profile into lucrative online real estate, we have the goods.
In this live webinar, JB Sales is partnering with Devin Reed from Gong to give you a plan of action to polish up your profile and drive more success with social selling.
You’ll learn: - The top info and traits every great LinkedIn profile must have
- How to sell socially and not drive away your prospects
- How to adapt your profile to your industry, role, and ideal customer profile
- The best posting frequency, plus other tips on being active on LinkedIn
It’s on Thursday, February 3 @ 3pm EST. Sign up to turn your profile into a great first impression. ___________________________________________________________
Join us Thursday, February 10th, 2022, from noon-1:30pm EST for Williams HR Consulting Inc.’s complimentary “Leading in the New Workplace” webinar, facilitated by Laura Williams, on How to Create an Effective People Strategy to Stabilize and Recalibrate in the Evolving World of Work. This first session in our Leading in the New Workplace webinar series will explore how organizations can properly and sustainably address the destabilizing impacts of the past two years, using a root cause approach. Once root causes are identified, workplaces can then properly, thoughtfully, and intentionally create strategy to stabilize and recalibrate their environments in a manner that ensures they can attract and retain the talent they need to meet objectives and thrive. We encourage business leaders, HR professionals and anyone who is engaged in setting corporate strategy to attend. ___________________________________________________________ Worker's Compensation and Government Benefits (BC) Wed, Feb 16 & 17 , 2022 *** Check link for your province***
Workers' Compensation as well as other government benefits like EI and CPP make annual changes that can be difficult to keep track of. These benefits can help relieve the financial burden of an unexpected disability, but may leave your clients with a false sense of security about the extent of their protection.
Join us as we review the annual changes to these government plans and explore how you can grow your business and provide your clients greater financial security by tapping into the expanding living benefits market.
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MENTAL HEALTH AND DISABILITY EXAMINED Mark Faiz, CEO of Personalized Prescribing Inc. will examine ‘When Does Mental Illness Lead to Disability?’ at a Benefits and Pensions Monitor Meetings Events session. He will compare two patient cases ‒ one where the patient recovers readily, while the other suffers through complications and disability ‒ and discuss the most likely reasons for the latter case. It takes place February 22. Information is at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1273827522061075469 ____________________________________________________________ PACE OF CHANGE EXAMINED The pace of change in the world of employee benefits will be examined in the CPBI Saskatchewan ‘Glaciers on the Move’ session. Ken Fraser, president of Fraser Group, will share his observations on the resilience of employee benefits in the face of recessions and pandemics and on the vulnerabilities that may undermine the value of benefit plans in the future. It takes place February 24.
____________________________________________________________ CHANGING LANDSCAPE EXAMINED ‘The Changing Risk Landscape: Trending Solutions for Plan Sponsors’ is the focus of a Benefits Breakfast Club session. The presenters will explore several chronic diseases and discuss their impact on patients and on benefit plans, plus what insurers, advisors, and plan sponsors can do to proactively work with patients to detect these conditions early and manage them for optimal health outcomes. It takes place March 24.
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Need help? Have questions? Looking for something?
Reach out to CGIB - Dave Patriarche - dave@cgib.ca - 905-886-9203 |
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