Non-Profits Find Securing Employee Health Benefits Difficult

(EMAILWIRE.COM, June 15, 2007 ) Toronto, Ontario -- Owen and Associates, a leading Canadian employee benefit consulting firm, has made it their mission to provide employee and group benefit insurance and consulting services to non-profit organizations throughout Canada.In order to be competitive with other businesses in securing the best employees, the volunteer sector needs to find a way to improve access to employee benefit and retirement plans. Organizations that offer employee health benefits through a group insurance plan tend to attract and retain workers to a much greater degree than companies that do not. Unfortunately, only about half of all people working in Canada’s non-profit sector have access to employee insurance plans such as life or disability insurance, dental plans, or supplementary medical plans, and many not-for-profit groups find securing benefits for their employees difficult due to insurance carriers’ reluctance to provide insurance to non-profits.However, Michael Owen, President of Owen and Associates (http://www.owenandassoc.com), a leading Canadian employee benefit consulting firm, is well aware of the industry’s lack of enthusiasm when it comes to insuring non-profits, and has capitalized on the need to reach this market. There are few studies in Canada that outline the barriers non-profit organizations face in obtaining employee health benefit plans for their workers. One report, from HRVS (Developing Human Resources in the Voluntary Sector), interviewed a variety of stakeholders, including volunteer and not-for-profit associations, plan managers, brokers and insurance carriers, for their input regarding the issues and barriers affecting the acquisition and management of employee benefits in the volunteer and non-profit sector. It was concluded that there is a definite need for affordable insurance plans geared towards small organizations that offer a reasonable level of insurance benefits. The study found that the insurance industry viewed the non-profit sector as a less than ideal market. They felt this group to be a higher risk because many non-profits are small groups with little or no experience administrating employee health benefits and because the lower average wage paid by many not-for-profit groups means workers have less capacity to contribute to premiums. There was also the perception that not-for-profit groups were in some way less financially astute than for-profit organizations. Insurance brokers interviewed for the study felt that educating insurance carriers about not-for-profit groups could help to alleviate the industries reluctance to insure. They also believed that brokers needed to accept new ways of conducting business to best serve the needs of their not-for-profit clients. St. Stephen’s Community House in Toronto’s Kensington district, a client of Owen and Associates since 1992, is an excellent example of how this employee benefit consulting firm has made a difference for non-profit organizations. “St. Stephen’s is a major government funded not-for-profit centre with an excellent financial record and a caring environment for their employees. When we have solicited competitive proposals for their business from the marketplace, there is a marked reluctance from the insurance carriers to quote and quote competitively,” states Owen. Despite the reluctance that many of the insurance carriers express, Owen and Associates has made it their mission to provide employee and group benefit insurance and consulting services to non-profit organizations throughout Canada.He goes on to say, “We have over twenty other major not-for-profit groups with various carriers. They too are stable and financially sound groups that have been excellent clients for our firm and for the carriers that provide their insurance coverage. Our firm has a proven track record serving not-for-profit organizations. We understand their needs and wrap our services around them to insure they are supported to the fullest.”The ability to offer employees an attractive benefit package is important for any company that wishes to attract and maintain the best work force. For not-for-profit organizations, securing these benefits can be difficult. Nevertheless, with the help of a knowledgeable insurance broker, not-for-profit groups can establish a viable plan that is tailored to fit the needs of their employees. The right broker will design a suitable plan, help with the administration and provide all the assistance and education required to make the benefits plan a success.Michael T. Owen & Assoc. represents a relatively new face in the Canadian benefits landscape. For more information on employee benefits management including executive programs, pensions and international pooling, please visit Owen & Associates or call Mike Owen at 416-252-6116.###This press release was issued through GroupWeb EmailWire.Com. For more informartion on press release distribution, go to http://www.emailwire.com.

Kevin Dill

hillaryalane@yahoo.com