Beyond the Basics: Modern Employee Benefits Gaining Popularity

Here are some modern, non-traditional employee benefits that are gaining popularity as companies focus on enhancing employee well-being, satisfaction, and retention:

1. Financial Wellness Programs

  • Student Loan Repayment Assistance: Employers contribute directly to employees’ student loans, helping reduce their debt burden faster.
  • Emergency Savings Plans: Employers help employees build emergency funds through payroll deductions or matching contributions, often placed in savings accounts like a TFSA.
  • Financial Coaching: Personalized financial advice to help employees with budgeting, debt management, and financial planning for major life goals.

2. Employee Mortgage Assistance Programs

  • Programs that offer down payment assistance, mortgage counseling, or exclusive mortgage rate discounts to help employees purchase homes.
  • Homeownership workshops that focus on credit repair, saving for a down payment, and navigating the mortgage process.

3. Mental Health & Wellness Support

  • Unlimited Therapy Sessions: Offering free or subsidized access to mental health professionals with no session limits.
  • Mental Health Days: Separate from sick or vacation days, these are days specifically allotted for employees to focus on their mental well-being.
  • Meditation and Mindfulness Apps: Providing subscriptions to apps like Headspace or Calm to help employees manage stress.

4. Flexible Work Models

  • Remote-First Policies: Allowing employees to work remotely full-time, with offices becoming optional.
  • Four-Day Workweeks: Some companies are adopting four-day workweeks without a reduction in pay to promote better work-life balance.
  • Flexible Hours: Allowing employees to choose their own working hours outside of the traditional 9-to-5 schedule.

5. Caregiver Support

  • Elder Care Assistance: Providing resources, financial support, or paid time off for employees caring for aging parents or family members.
  • Backup Childcare Services: Offering access to emergency or short-term childcare solutions when regular care falls through.
  • Parental Leave Enhancements: Extending both maternity and paternity leave, including paid leave for non-birthing parents, and sometimes including adoption assistance.

6. Sabbaticals & Paid Time Off for Personal Development

  • Paid Sabbaticals: After a certain number of years with a company, employees can take an extended paid break for personal development, travel, or rest.
  • Volunteer Days: Offering paid time off for employees to volunteer for causes they care about, promoting community engagement.

7. Lifestyle Benefits

  • Pet Insurance and Pet-Friendly Offices: Subsidizing veterinary care or allowing employees to bring their pets to work.
  • Personal Enrichment Stipends: Offering allowances for activities like gym memberships, hobbies, or continuing education outside of professional development.
  • Travel Stipends: Providing financial support for vacations, including additional paid time off to encourage work-life balance.

8. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives

  • DEI Training and Workshops: Offering programs and courses to foster inclusive workplaces, cultural competence, and allyship.
  • Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Supporting groups based on common interests or identities to create communities and networking opportunities within the company.
  • Gender-Affirming Health Benefits: Offering support for transgender employees, including coverage for gender transition-related healthcare services.

9. Sustainability and Social Impact Benefits

  • Carbon Offsetting Programs: Helping employees reduce their carbon footprint by offering carbon credits for travel or everyday activities.
  • Green Commuting Incentives: Providing subsidies for eco-friendly commuting options such as biking, public transport, or electric vehicle purchases.
  • Sustainable Workplace Initiatives: Allowing employees to participate in company-sponsored sustainability efforts, such as environmental volunteerism or green office practices.

10. Career Growth and Upskilling Programs

  • Microlearning and On-Demand Training: Providing short, interactive learning modules that employees can access anytime to develop new skills.
  • Mentorship and Career Coaching: Structured mentorship programs that help employees navigate career development and growth.
  • Tuition Reimbursement for Non-Job-Related Courses: Expanding tuition assistance programs to cover personal enrichment or unrelated skill-building courses.

These benefits reflect the evolving priorities of modern employees, focusing on work-life balance, mental health, financial security, and personalized support. They provide innovative ways for employers to meet employee needs beyond traditional benefits.

Contact us today to learn how a Watafalls Benefits Optimization Consultant can revolutionize your benefits package!

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At Watafalls, we are enhancing the employee benefits landscape by expanding on ways to support employers and employees across Canada.

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use funds towards reducing:

Realtor Commission

Legal Services

Home Inspection / Appraisal

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The Mortgage Assistance Plan (MAP) is an Opt-in program designed to assist concerned employers looking for ways to support homebuying or homeowning employees with the high cost of borrowing. 

A dedicated specialist has been contracted to provide assistance with the mortgage financing process.  Staff will benefit from closing cost credits,reduced rates various service discounts along with mortgage education and training.

All employees of the company are entitled to the Infinity Program. Benefits include:

  • Cash Rebate
  • Reduced Interest Rate
  • Discounted services
    • Legals
    • Appraisals
    • House Inspections

Your employer may also chose to subsidize your mortgage costs they will reduce your cost of borrowing further by:
1. Buying down your lalready low interest rate; or
2. Gifting a portion of your down payment or
3. Providing additional monthly pre-payment installations to pay your mortgage down faster

First you must opt into this plan by completing a one minute registration. Please check your company email account for an invitation link to the registration page.

The Standard plan is non-taxable.


The subsidized portion from your employer is a taxable benefit which will be calculated and shared with you by your benefits team members prior to disbursement.

The Standard Program Rates are generally discounted a percentage below the banks posted rates.


The subsidized rates are further discounted at a basis points predetermined by your employer.

Quick answer: No.

You are responsible however for any lender costs associated with setting up a mortgage such as:

  • Discharge Fees 
  • Early payout penalities
  • Realtors
  • Appraisal
  • Legal
  • Home inspection and other applicable service fees

Benefits are intended for the direct enjoyment of the employee. You will however be able to rent a portion of your home at which point your mortgage interest becomes tax deductible.

A Cashback is directly tied to the mortgage amount, term and interest rate, which are typically half a percent greater or more than non-cashback rates.

The MAP Cash Rebate is still determined by the mortgage amount however, participants continue to benefit from the discounted rates, no matter the term.

For greater cash in hand, you may opt to select both.

Funds are typically dispersed within 30 days of closing.

The savings and low rate for the Standard program will remain in effect. Any subsidized benefits are effective for the length of your employment. Any portions not covering your  employment tenure must be repaid  on or before your last day of service. Please contact HR to discuss further.

The Mortgage Assistance Plan (MAP) is an Opt-in program designed to assist concerned employers looking for ways to support homebuying or homeowning employees with the high cost of borrowing. 

A dedicated specialist will provide assistance to new and existing with the mortgage financing process.  Staff will benefit from closing cost credits, reduced interest rates and various mortgage financing service discounts along with onsite and/or virtual financial education and training.

All employees will receive access to our Infinity Plan. Perks include:

  • Cash Rebate
  • Reduced Interest Rate
  • Discounted services
    • Legals
    • Appraisals
    • House Inspections
    • And more

You may also chose to reduce your staffs cost of borrowing further by:1. Buying down their already low interest rate; or
2. Gifting a portion of their down payment or
3. Providing additional monthly pre-payment installations help pay their mortgage down faster.

Spending budget is set by you. Should you choose to take advantage of our paid services, please see Subscription Model HERE To get an idea of how much it will cost to buydown an employee rate, please see Rate Buy Down Calculator.

Simple.

1. Click on the Get Started link.

2.Complete the 3 minute registration form.

3. Your account will be set up within hours of submitting your application and a notification email sent to the work address provided.

The Infinity plan is non-tax deductible as the rebates and savings are incurred at our end.

The subsidized portion of  your employee's interest rate or down payment is indeed tax deductible.

NOTE:  Please consult a licensed CPA for full details.

Rates received under the Infinity plan are generally discounted a percentage below the bank's posted rates.

Employers may choose to further discount all or select employees' interest rate or mortgage balance at a basis points predetermined by your benefits team.

NOTE:  The basis points or it's cash equivalent cannot fall below the CRA's precribed rate.  Please consult your company's CPA for more details.

Quick answer: No.

Employees are responsible however for the usual lender costs associated with setting up a mortgage:

  • Discharge Fees 
  • Early payout penalities
  • Lender fees
  • Realtor
  • Appraisal
  • Legals
  • Home inspection and other applicable service fees

A Cashback is directly tied to the mortgage amount, term and interest rate, which are typically half a percent greater or more than non-cashback rates.

The MAP Cash Rebate is still determined by the mortgage amount however, participants continue to benefit from the discounted rates, no matter the term.

For greater cash in hand, you may opt to select both.

Funds are typically dispersed within 30 days of closing.

The savings and low rate for the Infinity plan will remain in effect.

The subsidized benefit is effective for the length of their employment.

If an employee ceases employment with the organization within five years of receiving Mortgage Assistance Perk, you may request that they the entire or partial monetary amount of the subsidy is repaid.

Please contact HR to discuss further.