In today’s fast-paced world, managing mental health in the workplace has gained widespread recognition. Beneva, the largest mutual insurance company in Canada, exemplifies the importance of prioritizing well-being at work—and in everyday life.
Because we’re so inspired by their dedication to mental health advocacy, we sat down with the Beneva team to learn more about their mission to support anxiety awareness, education, and prevention. We learned more about the ways they #ACTonAnxiety and the steps they’re taking to promote mental wellness and empathy in the workplace. Enjoy!
Anxiety Canada (AC): What motivates Beneva’s commitment to supporting anxiety-related initiatives?
Beneva (B): At Beneva, putting people at the heart of everything we do is fundamental to our approach. We care for our members, clients, and their families at all stages of their lives since anxiety can strike anyone at any time. Our corporate culture is based on collaboration, mutual trust, and empathy, which means we take responsibility for ourselves and give ourselves the right to make mistakes and the space to learn and bounce back. To offer a greater sense of well-being, we decided to contribute to the mission of helping prevent and manage anxiety for all Canadians with concrete actions. Given our increasingly complex and hectic lifestyles, we know many people will benefit from these initiatives and enjoy greater peace of mind.
AC: How do you support your staff internally?
B: Beneva is stressing the importance of people’s mental health and well-being by committing to encouraging real social change with:
- the development of innovative social programs;
- improve access to effective tools launch awareness initiatives;
- invest in organizations with a key role in preventing and managing anxiety.
We are also collaborating with TELUS Health to expand our group insurance health support service offering, namely our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). With this program, Beneva is able to provide a range of services to professionals (in-person or virtual). For our mental health program, Beneva also has a partnership for their health program with Relief, a non-profit organization that supports people living with anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder, as well as their loved ones, to help them move forward, and Dialogue, which offers a virtual healthcare solution dedicated exclusively to employee health and well-being.
“To offer a greater sense of well-being, we decided to contribute to the mission of helping prevent and manage anxiety for all Canadians with concrete actions.”
– The Beneva Team
B: Furthermore, Beneva encourages people on a daily basis to take care of their physical and psychological health. We also have committees devoted to developing a work environment that maintains and improves employee health and well-being. The committees act as ambassadors, promoting health and well-being in the workplace. We also invest in organizations with a critical role in preventing and managing anxiety, like Anxiety Canada, and share resources. By partnering with several organizations in the psychological health field, we are able to share anxiety prevention and management tools, as well as conferences, with our employees.
AC: What advice would you give other companies, both big and small, looking to prioritize mental health in the workplace?
B: Anxiety is a mental health condition that has always existed. Finding out if anxiety is present at your company among members of your team allows you to take measures to promote employee well-being and prevent absences and departures. You create a healthier and more positive work environment by being more informed on anxiety symptoms, possible causes, and best practices for helping those dealing with it.
AC: Beneva’s generous contribution to Action Anxiety Day not only raises awareness but has the potential to create meaningful change in the lives of those affected by anxiety. How do you envision your overall philanthropic efforts making a lasting impact?
B: Guided by our mutualist values, we think it’s essential to contribute to the well-being of society. We believe that the initiatives put in place by Beneva will provide greater peace of mind to the many people who can benefit from them. That’s why we invested more than $1.6 million in various organizations across Canada to increase access to effective tools, raise awareness, and participate in research projects on anxiety.
We’re also partnering with various organizations like Anxiety Canada to develop tools and trainings, and to support research.
Beneva spread awareness in the Quebec City community in June, as Beneva’s buildings were lit in blue and orange in support of Action Anxiety Day.
“We want to offer our members, customers and their loved ones peace of mind while promoting well-being at every stage of their lives. We’re aware that anxiety is an issue affecting a large number of Canadians. That’s why we’ve chosen to help prevent and manage anxiety, by taking concrete steps such as developing effective anxiety tools.“
– Jean Routhier, Vice President of
Corporate Communications at Beneva
AC: Thank you for sitting down with us! Beneva clearly understands that positive mental health is a necessity, not a luxury, and shows that by investing in organizations like Anxiety Canada. Beneva sounds like a workplace that is super-charged with empathy and respect!
We are so grateful for your support! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn more about your commitment to helping Canadians with their mental health.
Beneva’s dedication to anxiety management deserves recognition. Evidently, they take action by investing in programs and services, developing practical tools, and supporting organizations focused on helping people manage anxiety.
We admire how Beneva fosters a culture that acknowledges and addresses individuals’ challenges in their personal and professional lives and applaud that they offer information and tools (like Anxiety Canada’s MindShift app, as well as our programs and educational materials) to their staff.
Anxiety Canada is grateful to have Beneva as a generous and devoted supporter. Beneva is our Mental Health Champion for Action Anxiety Day 2023, and it’s the second year Beneva has proudly supported our annual awareness and education day.
This year, Action Anxiety Day had a special focus on educating children, so Beneva’s support has helped us reach new audiences and shape the next generation’s understanding of anxiety.
We thank the team at Beneva for all their invaluable support in making Action Anxiety Day possible. They have helped us amplify our impact and show Canadians how they can #ACTonAnxiety.
Companies like Beneva show us that we can build a future that values mental health, anxiety relief, and accessible mental health care for all. Thank you, Beneva! Learn more here.
Looking for quick relief for anxiety? Anxiety Canada’s MindShift CBT app serves as safe spaces for individuals to share their experiences, gain insights from peers and experts, and access proven techniques for managing anxiety. The app is free and available in both English and French.