2021 was a challenging year. Many of us had difficulty navigating the constant instability caused by the virus, inflation, and other unexpected challenges. Small businesses had an especially hard year, with many having to shutter their doors and lay off their colleagues to make the ends meet.Working Canadians have also had a hard time. Recent reports have found that as many as 84% of Canadians say they feel burnt out. There are many reasons for this. Covid has impacted people’s relationships, their finances and how they work. It has left many feeling overwhelmed as workloads went up and resources went down. Work from home has exacerbated this feeling, with Canadians reporting that they feel as though they are always on call.What is the Great Resignation and Why is it Happening?This has resulted in global workforce trends, including what many are calling the ‘Great Resignation’. For example, between April and September of this year, the United States saw a record 24 million workers leave their jobs. Concerningly, recent reports say that over 40% of the world’s workers are considering leaving their positions in 2022.While Canadians have not been resigning at the same rates, there is evidence to suggest the trend is picking up here. A recent study found that 40% of Canadians are seriously considering leaving their job in 2022. Working conditions, including workload and compensation, are consistently being reported as major contributors to this trend.Canadians have been feeling worse and worse since the emergence of the pandemic. The 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey found that nearly 1/3 reported poorer fitness and dietary health. Mental health has also been a challenge, with nearly 35% of Canadians describing their stress levels as very high or extremely high in 2021. Recent reports have found that ¼ of Canadians were considering taking a leave of absence to help them cope and another 23% say they will access mental health services in 2022.What can small businesses do to help their employees?Canadian workers are united in wanting better benefits, flexible schedules, and more mental health days from their workplace. Canadians generally like working from home and more than 40% of them looking to work from home 2-4 days a week after the pandemic has ended. Surprisingly, work from home has emerged as one of the most desirable workplace perks for Canadian workers in 2022.Benefits have played an important role in Canada’s current employment and hiring trends. They are a strong driving factor for those seeking new employment with nearly 30% of Canadians saying that their company benefits offering was the main reason they were considering leaving their current role. Similarly, 53% of Canadians say that benefits are the most impactful consideration other than salary on accepting a new position.But a one-size-fits-all approach is not what Canadians want. A recent Ipsos study found that nearly 40% of Canadians with a chronic condition and nearly 50% of younger working Canadians say their benefits did not fit their needs. Overall, nearly 8 in 10 Canadians report that they would like more flexible and individualized benefits programs.Rethinking your benefits plan is a great way to address many of these issues. It will help with employee retention and satisfaction and can serve as a distinguishing feature that can help you remain competitive in this difficult hiring environment.The BeniPlus Wallet is a simple, affordable, and flexible way to offer your employees benefits to fit their individual needs. Our Benefits Wallet allows your employees to decide where and on what they spend their benefits dollars. For more information or to get a quote, visit our website here.If you have any questions about navigating your employee benefits program or your options for simple, flexible and affordable benefits, please don’t hesitate to reach out.Sincerely,Stephen DeKuyperCo-founder and President[gravityform id="16" title="true" description="true"]