Equitable Life of Canada announced June 29 that it is launching a new group benefits solution designed for small businesses – those with up to 25 employees.

Called Equitable EZBenefits, the program options include a mix of group life, health and dental coverage in bronze, silver, gold and platinum plans. Extended health care co-insurance ranges from 70 per cent to 100 per cent, depending on the level chosen, annual drug maximum payments range from $5,000 a year up to $100,000 a year, and professional services coverages range from no coverage, up to $500 per practitioner, each year. Long term disability and health care spending accounts are optional coverages employers can choose to include or not, as are additional wellness services, including a second opinion service and online mental health assistance tools. All plans include Dialogue virtual health care, an employee and family assistance program and access to a wellness portal by Homewood Health.

Additionally, the program includes human resources support tools, thanks to a partnership forged with HRdownloads. Employers can access up to 25 free downloads from a library of more than 3,000 human resources documents and templates. The program also includes free workplace diversity and inclusion training and one free human resources advice call with an expert.

“Due to their size, small businesses often don’t have in-house HR departments or expertise to handle the day-to-day needs of their people and the personnel issues that can arise,” says Equitable Life’s director of group marketing, Don Bisch. “We wanted to help take the heavy lifting out of common human resources tasks and provide small businesses with extra HR advice and support.”