EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

We provide an exciting, healthy and safe workplace that fosters employee development and wellbeing.

Global health

Taking the pulse of all our employees

iA Financial Group has conducted an annual survey of all its employees for a number of years to determine their level of satisfaction and measure the employer recommendation index. We adapted the questionnaire to make it a communication channel for keeping in touch with all our employees, almost all of whom are teleworking. We named the survey “Pulse,” because our goal is to take the pulse of employees and listen to their needs.

The solutions implemented

This survey has proven to be very effective in guiding important decisions that meet real and immediate needs. The solutions implemented include:

  • A $400 expense account for each employee for the purchase of equipment to make their telework setup more ergonomic
  • Five additional “wellness” days added to the paid leave bank already available
  • Project prioritization in order to reduce the workload for some sectors

At iA Financial Group, taking our employees’ pulse has enabled us to implement concrete actions that meet our employees’ needs. Key findings from the analysis of the survey results have been shared with employees at the President’s town halls, nurturing senior management’s contact with the pool of employees.

Promoting global health

At iA Financial Group, we have developed a comprehensive health program based on five key health pillars: physical health, mental health, financial health, work-life balance and social health.

Global health program

Created in 2011, our global health program has been continually expanded and improved. Since senior management views employees’ global health as a driver of the employee experience, a structure has been put in place to reflect this value. For example, the creation in 2018 of a Global Health department resulted in the development of a strategic plan in response to employee needs.

The organization takes a holistic approach to the needs of its employees and the challenges they face on a daily basis. One of the success factors for the sustainable global health program is listening to employees. They are surveyed on an ongoing basis to assess their level of satisfaction and solicit their comments and suggestions. In addition, regular monitoring of our health indicators allows us to take the pulse of the situation, target our activities proactively in response to employees’ needs and provide a multitude of resources as well as support.

Our initiatives

At iA, we instill a culture of caring. We have set up a network of ambassadors for psychological health in the workplace who have been trained and certified by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The role of a mental health ambassador is to detect signs of distress and listen to employees in order to refer them to the right professional resources.

Alongside the ambassadors, the Stay Healthy at Work team also provides support to employees in the form of prevention calls. The team carries out prevention and education activities with managers and employees.

Moreover, all our employees have access to virtual healthcare and an employee and family assistance program.

In addition, the Adapt. Together. initiative offers a series of talks that employees can attend during work hours. On average, there are five talks a year. There are also newsletters and articles with advice on various health topics, including nutrition, fitness, psychological health and financial health.

iA Financial Group’s sustainability goal is clear: to be a company that contributes to sustainable growth and wellbeing for its clients, its partners, its investors, its communities and, especially, its employees. Providing a safe and healthy workplace has a positive impact, both on society and on the environment.

Protecting the health and safety of all employees

Health and safety continue to be at the heart of our COVID-19 management concerns. All stakeholders have been called upon to play their part in dealing with the pandemic. Managers have played a critical role in informing employees of the decisions by senior management, the Emergency Crisis Management Committee and the Global Health department. We added a specific tab for managers to our intranet with quick access to our health resources and rolled out a COVID portal to facilitate communication between managers and employees.

Since the beginning of the crisis, we have established a multidisciplinary team to monitor developments in order to ensure risk-based decision-making and protect the health and safety of all employees. The team makes recommendations to senior management. It is also responsible for ensuring that our health policies, procedures and measures are up to date and implemented.

We published a handy guide on how to get set up for telework, supplemented by four webinars on proper workstation ergonomics as well as daily stretching and relaxation clips. We also reimbursed a portion of home Internet expenses and allocated $400 to each employee for the purchase of ergonomic office equipment, promoting health and safety at home.

Every year, iA Financial Group offers all of its employees across Canada the opportunity to get the flu shot. In 2021 more than 400 employees took advantage of this service.