Our world and all humanity are worth saving. And kudos to all the non-profits and social enterprises who are working selflessly and saving the world one project at a time! But do they know what else they need to keep pace with the world’s troubles?
The so-called good guys of society, such as social enterprises and non-profits, toil daily to do the things that for-profit companies do not normally do. They go around and look for opportunities to help. That is their DNA. Each and every person who works for these organizations are wired to help, even going as far as sacrificing their own personal safety in order to carry out their mission. As social enterprises and non-profits rely mostly on benefactors and donors, how will these organizations be able to help their personnel’s financial needs so they can keep going?
The Concept of Group Insurance
The idea of collective insurance is said to have originated with the Roman burial societies in ancient Rome. The same concept of group insurance re-emerged in the early 1900’s during World War I. In the United States, soldiers who were fighting in World War I received coverage through the War Risk Insurance Act and coverage was later extended to the soldiers’ dependents through an act of Congress.
Alphonse Desjardins, founder of Desjardins General Insurance Group (Canada), promoted the idea of cooperation to curb usury, which was prevalent in his time in the early 1900s especially among the working class of French Canadians. Desjardins founded the 1st savings cooperative in North America from its beginnings in Quebec in 1900. After acquiring The Personal group insurance company and the CIBC in 2001, the Desjardins Group has grown to more than 7 million members and clients today, trailblazing the group insurance industry in North America.
Currently, group insurance is used to provide members of a formal group such as employees of a firm or members of an association such as a non-profit organization or social enterprise with group coverage all over the world. The uptrend continues.
Attracting the Best Talents
Group insurance benefits give you a competitive edge in attracting the best talents for your organization. Knowing that the job offered entails some degree of personal risk, albeit in a passion-centric environment, your organization quickly establishes a culture wherein people do not have to think about their insurance needs. Through group insurance coverage, employees can enroll upon hiring or joining, saving them time and effort in researching, buying, and maintaining their own individual plans. They can even do this on their smartphone or tablet through The Personal mobile app for easy access.
Retaining Awesome People
If group insurance can attract the best talent, it can also be used to retain top talent. According to Non-Profit Pro, one of the top reasons for leaving the organization was being underpaid. This translates to the workload that people have, but may be countered by a comprehensive benefits package besides firing up their passion to serve. Thus, adding group insurance saves your non-profit or social enterprise a great deal of effort and money in retaining awesome people in the organization.
Savings
Having group insurance is a no-brainer when it comes to saving dollars for the organization. While contributions are charges as part of your business expense, these become tax deductible. And as the premium payments are done before taxes, payroll taxes are lower. It’s also a good strategy to tell employees that their contributions to premiums are deducted from their salaries before taxes. This in turn decreases their overall taxable income.
Community Vibe
When your people are united in one group benefit, there is a certain community vibe that exudes in the organization. There is assurance that the employer is actively involved in people’s financial security and peace of mind, thus, implying that the organization is always there for them. This vibe ripples through the organization and even outside where stakeholders take notice. It is therefore important to get a large insurer like The Personal group insurance company, which boasts of being Canada’s 3rd largest property and casualty insurance group under the banner of Desjardins Insurance. They are known to go all out to make sure the customer is satisfied. They are committed to provide service excellence, way beyond customer expectations, given their 24/7 claims service.
Conclusion
Today, group insurance has become a staple in terms of employee benefits. When high employee turnover rates loom over organizations like non-profits and social enterprises, this benefit is a minimizing factor.
When employers show how they are invested in their people’s future and financial security, this positive vibe swells in the entire organization.
When everyone is happy, so are the people they serve!
