New family-building & inclusive benefits coverage supports Sun Life employees and their families

Sun Life deepens commitment to employee well-being with expanded benefits offerings

TORONTO, Dec. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Sun Life is enhancing its employee benefits in 2023 with more comprehensive and inclusive family planning and well-being coverage. Sun Life will be adding adoption and surrogate expense coverage, care days and an extended bereavement policy. This is on top of its existing family planning benefits, which include fertility services and an increased combined lifetime maximum coverage amount for fertility drugs and services of $15,000, and up to 14 weeks maternity, parental and adoptive leave top-up, regardless of the employee's path to parenting.

"People need flexibility and support for the moments in life that matter most – whether it's building a family, taking time for self-care, caring for others, or grieving a loss," says Helena Pagano, EVP, Chief People and Culture Officer, Sun Life. "We have a culture that is caring and values flexibility and inclusivity – and we know these are qualities people are increasingly seeking out when looking for new roles. Helping our people through life's big moments is essential to supporting their well-being journey."

As an extension of the company's focus on offering a flexible, hybrid work environment, Care Days will empower employees to take time off for self care, care of others, personal appointments, days of significance and more. The company's extended bereavement policy will now also include those who are grieving the loss of a pregnancy (miscarriage or stillbirth) or person of significance outside of family (roommate, close friend, etc.).

These enhancements build on the existing benefit offerings Sun Life provides their employees across Canada, including:

• No mandated days in office and support for work from home (guided by business and client needs).
• Partially-paid Sabbatical Leave program which offers employees the opportunity to take up to six weeks off every five years of service.
• Industry leading mental health coverage of $12,500 per year.
• Lumino Health Virtual Care for employees and their family to connect virtually with a doctor or nurse from home, and access support through the Employee & Family Assistance Program, providing holistic digital care.
• Virtual Mental Health Coach to help employees navigate the mental health resources available to them through their benefits plan, helping them create a personalized action plan and find the right ongoing support.

Sun Life has recently been recognized as a leading employer in the Top 50 Best Workplaces in Canada list by Great Place to Work, followed by Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness, Best Workplaces for Inclusion, Best Workplaces for Hybrid Work and Best Workplaces for Professional Development. In addition, Sun Life received the Canada Award for Excellence in Mental Health at Work from Excellence Canada.

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2022, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.27 trillion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com. 

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars

Media Relations Contact: 
Lyndsay Lonergan
Manager, Corporate Communications
416.275.9904 | lyndsay.lonergan@sunlife.com

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada