'Death is part of one's health journey and we need to support it,' says Sun Life's Marie-Chantal Côté
Losing a loved one is one of life’s most challenging experiences, emotionally, mentally, and administratively. And as workforces grow more diverse in age and differing life stages, benefits experts believe it’s time to broaden the definition of workplace support.
For many Canadians, the days and weeks after a death are not just a time of mourning, but also a period of intense logistical demands, emphasized Marie-Chantal Côté, senior vice president at Sun Life Health.
“It’s an unmet need,” she said. “This is a moment where there's a lot going on. There's emotional grief, there's more administrative things to pivot towards estate settlement, account settlement, probate, funeral arrangements, obituary to be written, people to be notified. So it’s a period where you're dealing with your own grief, and at the same time, you have to do a lot of administrative things. It's not a topic we talk a lot about.”
Côté underscored this is one of the many reasons why they partnered with Empathy, an estate planning and bereavement support provider.
She explained that the Empathy service is integrated into Sun Life’s group benefit plans and is offered specifically to life insurance beneficiaries. If a covered employee dies, the beneficiary gains access to support for both grief and estate settlement. While the beneficiary is often the person responsible for the administrative work, that’s not always the case.
She noted that for employers, the program complements existing employee assistance programs (EAPs).
“The EAP will help the employee in a particular situation, and our partnership with Empathy will help a particular beneficiary with the grief and the current situation… and all of the administrative activities that come with being a beneficiary of a life policy,” she said, noting that together, these tools should address both emotional and practical needs.
Côté described bereavement as a unique life moment where more could be done for both the emotional and administrative needs of beneficiaries. She also highlighted Sun Life’s updated mission over the past several years, one that reflected solely on financial security to now include a commitment to help plan members live healthier lives while achieving financial security.
She believes the Empathy partnership reflects that approach, offering both a digital platform and a 24/7 care team member to ensure accessibility across the country, including in areas with limited resources.
“We’re purposely not shying away from some topics that are less talked about, because we believe that’s what it means to be helping Canadians live healthier lives,” said Côté. “Death or passing away is part of one’s health journey, and we need to talk about it, and we need to support it.”
Still, Côté believes bereavement and related benefits “is probably not one size fits all. It’s probably best targeted in alignment with the needs and the demographic of the employee population,” she said, emphasizing plan sponsors will have to assess the workforce carefully and shape HR programs accordingly.
While she hasn’t gone through a loss herself, Côté personally tested the Empathy platform to understand the user experience. For beneficiaries of Sun Life group life insurance, access is automatic there’s no application process, as Côté explained, so if a relative passes away, the plan member doesn’t need to do anything. Instead, they will be notified that they have access to the platform.
Côté stressed that the Empathy platform was intentionally built to address both the emotional and administrative sides of loss in one place, adding that users can move between practical resources, such as paperwork guidance and grief support tools based on what they need at any moment.
She noted that grief is experienced differently by everyone, influenced by the nature of the relationship and other personal factors. Combining both types of support in a single platform helps ensure people can address emotional needs without neglecting necessary tasks. She believes this approach could help normalize and destigmatize conversations about mental health, particularly around bereavement.
The Empathy service is currently offered to plan members 18 and older, since it includes extensive administrative support related to estate management and funeral arrangements, noted Côté. While the aim is to help as many people as possible, she said the service is best suited for those managing these responsibilities.
Ultimately, Sun Life will continue to explore ways to meet evolving employee needs, added Côté, stressing that employers are increasingly focused on ensuring support is “meaningful to each specific plan member.”
