Employee Benefits
Sutherland Insurance arranges group employee benefits for Ontario employers, including health and dental, short and long-term disability, critical illness and business overhead expense plans. Sutherland Insurance has operated from Guelph, Ontario since 1870, is licensed by the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario, and holds accident and sickness licensing with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario.
- Who it is for
- Ontario employers arranging coverage for staff
- Plans arranged
- Health and dental, disability, critical illness, business overhead expense
- Regulator
- Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA)
- Required by Ontario law
- No, group benefits are voluntary for most employers
- Area served
- All of Ontario
What benefits do Ontario employers have to provide?
Ontario law requires employers to remit to the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance, and to carry WSIB coverage where the industry requires it. Group health, dental, disability and life benefits are not required by provincial law. Employers offer them to attract and retain staff rather than to satisfy a statute.
How many employees are required for a group benefits plan in Canada?
Most Canadian insurers write group plans from three enrolled employees, and some write from two. Below that threshold, individual health and disability policies are the route rather than a group contract. The available options depend on the insurer and on how many staff enrol.
How does Sutherland Insurance set up a benefits plan?
A licensed Sutherland Insurance advisor reviews the size of the group, the budget and the coverage under consideration, then approaches the benefits markets. Sutherland Insurance presents the options with the trade-offs set out, and the employer selects the plan design.
What does a group employee benefits plan usually include?
A group plan is assembled from components an employer chooses. Extended health and dental are the most common, alongside short-term and long-term disability, a base amount of group life, and often an employee assistance programme. The mix, the limits and the share of the premium paid by the employer are all set when the plan is arranged.
Extended health and dental typically lead the plan, covering prescriptions, paramedical care, vision and preventive to major dental work. Short and long-term disability replace income while an employee cannot work, and an employee assistance programme adds counselling and support services alongside the base group life amount.
Frequently asked questions
Are group benefits taxable in Canada?
Treatment differs by benefit. Employer-paid premiums for group health and dental are generally not a taxable benefit to the employee in Ontario, while employer-paid life insurance premiums generally are. Disability treatment depends on who pays the premium, which affects whether a benefit is taxable when claimed.
Can a small Ontario business offer employee benefits?
Yes. Most Canadian insurers write group plans from three enrolled employees, and Sutherland Insurance arranges plans for small Ontario employers alongside their commercial insurance. Placing both with one brokerage means one point of contact for renewals and for claims questions across the whole programme.
Is Sutherland Insurance licensed to arrange employee benefits?
Group benefits in Ontario are licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario rather than by the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario, which regulates property and casualty brokering. Sutherland Insurance holds FSRA licensing alongside its RIBO brokerage licence, and its standing with both regulators can be verified directly.
What is business overhead expense insurance?
Business overhead expense insurance reimburses fixed operating costs (rent, utilities, staff salaries and loan payments) while an owner is disabled and unable to work. It covers the cost of keeping the business open rather than replacing the owner’s personal income, which is what disability insurance does.
Can Sutherland Insurance arrange employee benefits for my business?
Yes. Sutherland Insurance arranges group employee benefits plans for Ontario employers, including extended health, dental, disability, group life and employee assistance programmes. Group benefits are licensed through the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, and Sutherland Insurance holds that licence.
Talk to Sutherland Insurance About Benefits
A licensed Sutherland Insurance broker compares the available markets on every quote request.
Talk to Sutherland Insurance About Benefits Call 519-822-0160
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