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October 6, 2025

October Wellness: Understanding Depression & the Blues

As autumn settles in, many of us notice subtle shifts — in the weather, in our routines, and sometimes, in our mood. October is a powerful time to reflect on mental health, especially with World Mental Health Day observed globally on October 10th. This year’s theme reminds us that mental health is a universal human right, and that includes every one of us.

World Mental Health Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a global movement to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and promote access to mental health support. Whether you're thriving, struggling, or somewhere in between, this day is a reminder: your mental health matters.

 What’s the Difference?

  • The Blues: Feeling down, unmotivated, or emotionally flat for a few days is common. These feelings often pass with rest, connection, or a change of scenery.
  • Depression: When those feelings persist for weeks or interfere with daily life, it may be something more. Depression is a medical condition, and it deserves attention and care.

Signs to Look Out For

  • Persistent sadness or emptiness
  • Loss of interest in things once enjoyed
  • Fatigue or sleep changes
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness

If these symptoms resonate with you or someone you know, know that you're not alone. Support is available through our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), which offers confidential support, counseling, and referrals.

Let’s Normalize the Conversation

Discover how to harness your strengths, express your needs, and build pathways to success by joining Canada Life’s upcoming webinar: Neurodiversity Works – Unlocking the Power of Different Minds in the Workplace. You’ll gain practical tips and strategies to help create inclusive workplaces that support neurodivergent colleagues—either for yourself or your team. The event will be recorded so it can be accessed after the live event on the Workplace Strategies for Mental Health YouTube channel.

Date: October 9, 2025
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EDT

Mental health conversations belong in every workplace. By speaking openly, we help create a culture where vulnerability is met with empathy, and seeking help is seen as a strength. Let’s honor World Mental Health Day by continuing to build a workplace where mental health is prioritized, and kindness is part of our culture.

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September 1, 2025

September Wellness: Back to School, Back to You

September is here and the back-to-school season begins. Some of us are adjusting to new routines, shifting schedules, and the changing pace of fall–post General Council! If you're a parent managing school drop-offs or simply feeling the seasonal shift, September is a great time to refocus.

Reboot Your Routine

The structure of the school year can help you build healthy habits that support your work-life balance:

  • Plan ahead: Prep meals, outfits, and to-do lists to reduce daily stress.
  • Prioritize sleep: A consistent sleep schedule improves focus and mood.
  • Stay active: Take advantage of cooler weather with walks, bike rides, or outdoor breaks.
  • Limit screen time: Set boundaries to help your mind rest and reset.

Working Parents

Balancing work and family during back-to-school season can be challenging. Here are a few tips to support your well-being:

  • Create calm mornings: Prep the night before to reduce morning chaos.
  • Set realistic expectations: Progress over perfection, especially during transitions.
  • Build in “you” time: Even short breaks can help recharge your energy.
  • Talk openly: Encourage conversations with your kids about how they’re feeling.
  • Lean on your support network: Share responsibilities with your partner, family, or community.

Just like learning, wellness is a journey, not a destination, so let’s remember to treat ourselves with the same care and encouragement we give to students starting a new year.

 

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July 16, 2025

2024 Pension Statement - No beneficiaries listed

You should have received your 2024 Pension Statement in the mail these last few weeks. If you have not received your statement and are paid through ADP, please contact them directly to ensure the address on file is correct, then contact pension@united-church.ca to request a duplicate statement.

You will notice that your beneficiaries are not shown on your Annual Pension Statement. Please read the insert provided with your statement that explains why your beneficiaries are not listed. You can also read it here.

This is a standard practice in a transition to a new system. As part of the portal launch process, we will require all members to update their beneficiary information for both the pension and benefit plans (as applicable). Rest assured, the beneficiary information that you have previously provided is in place until such time as the new tool is live and you have confirmed your existing designation(s) or have designated new beneficiaries.

If you have any further questions, please email pension@united-church.ca.

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June 1, 2025

Celebrating June: A Month of Diversity, Pride, and Planetary Care

As we step into June, we embrace a month rich with meaning, reflection, and celebration. It’s a time to honor our differences, uplift voices that have been marginalized, and recommit to building a more equitable, and sustainable world.

This month is a reminder of the importance of diversity in all its forms. It’s a time to reflect on how we can create spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Equity is not just a goal—it’s a practice we must embed in our everyday actions and decisions.

Pride 2025

June is also a celebration of the 2S and LGBTQIA+ community’s resilience, creativity, and contributions to society. It’s a time to honor the history of the Pride movement, recognize the ongoing struggles for equality, and stand in solidarity with those advocating for love, dignity, and justice.

World Environment Day

Don’t forget to mark your calendars on June 5 for World Environment Day – a global call to action to protect our planet. This year’s theme emphasizes the urgent need to restore ecosystems and combat climate change. As we celebrate our human diversity, let’s also remember our shared responsibility to care for the Earth, our common home.

Whether it’s attending a Pride event, participating in a sustainability initiative, or learning more about the United Church’s practices (Disability, Accessibility and Inclusion, Gender, Sexuality, and Orientation, and Equity, Accessibility and Privacy) there’s a place for everyone in this journey. Let’s celebrate love in all its forms and continue to push for a world where everyone can live authentically and safely.

Here are a few articles you can check out on GreenShield+:

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December 11, 2024

Pension Increase Effective January 1, 2025

Good news! Pension plan members will receive a pension increase effective January 1, 2025. Due to the Canada Post strike, you will receive the letter from Pension Board Chair, Anne Soh, once the strike has been resolved. You can access the letter electronically here:

Active Members Letter

Pensioners Letter

Deferred Members Letter

Pensioners and Deferred Members
Current pensioners and deferred members will receive a 2.7 percent* increase to their pension amount effective January 1, 2025.

* The Income Tax Act and regulations and the Plan, limit pension increases to the cumulative growth in Consumer Price Index since the pension commenced. For this reason, recently retired pensioners and deferred members who terminated active membership recently may see a lesser increase.

Active Members
For active members, the accrual rate will stay at 1.85 percent in 2025, up from the base rate of 1.4 percent. In 2026 the accrual rate is scheduled to return to 1.4 percent.

What Does “Accrual Rate” Mean?
The accrual rate is the rate at which you earn your pension. In 2025, you earn your pension at the rate of 1.85 percent of your pensionable earnings.

How Does This Work?
You earn a piece of pension every year that you work and contribute to the plan—like building blocks.

For example, let’s assume that a member’s pensionable earnings stayed constant at $60,000 every year, (for easy figuring). From 2019, that member would earn

Year

Accrual Rate Formula

Pension Credit Earned

2019

1.4% 1.4% of $60,000 $   840

2020

1.85% 1.85% of $60,000 $  1,110

2021

1.625% 1.625% of $60,000

$    975

2022 1.85% 1.85% of $60,000

$  1,110

2023 1.85% 1.85% of $60,000

$   1,110

2024 1.85% 1.85% of $60,000

$   1,110

2025 1.85% 1.85% of $60,000

$   1,110

2026 1.4% 1.4% of $60,000

$   840

At the end of your career, the annual pension amounts earned each year will add up to the total annual pension you will receive every year for the rest of your life. So, the higher amount earned in 2025 will continue to benefit you for the rest of your retired life.

What about Future Increases?
There is no automatic indexing in our plan. The Pension Board and Pension Plan Advisory Committee annually assess the resources available and determine whether there are surplus funds that can be used to increase benefits.

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June 4, 2024

Group Benefits – Change to Fertility Coverage

The process of building a family through adoption, fertility treatments, or surrogacy can be challenging and costly. GreenShield’s family-building offering allows active members to access benefits coverage that supports them in reaching the goal of growing their family.

The United Church’s group benefits plan covered fertility drugs (80% coverage up to the lifetime maximum of $3,500 per person), and now have been expanded to include:

  • Surrogacy medical services
  • Adoption fees:
    • Member’s legal fees
    • The adoption agency fees
    • Travel fees for the member and their spouse for necessary travel during an international adoption

An updated version of the Benefits for Active Members: Summary of Coverage will be posted to reflect these additions in the upcoming months. If you have any questions, please contact the Benefits Centre at Benefits@united-church.ca

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March 6, 2024

Canadian Dental Care Plan

These are early days for the federal plan, so stay tuned for any changes. We’ve just recently been advised that people who opted out of an employer’s retiree health and dental benefit plan before December 11, 2023, and cannot opt back in under the plan rules, are eligible for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). Anyone who chooses to opt out after this date will not be eligible.

The following is the eligibility criteria of the Canadian Dental Care Plan that was updated on March 4, 2024 on the Government of Canada website.

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for the CDCP, you must:

    • not have access to dental insurance
      What does not having access to dental insurance mean?
      This means you do not have access to any type of dental insurance or coverage through:
      • your employment benefits or a family member’s employment benefits, including health and wellness accounts
      • a professional or student organization
        Note: If you’re eligible for dental coverage through your employment benefits or through a professional or student organization, you’re not eligible for CDCP. This is true even if:
        • you decide not to take it
        • you have to pay a premium for it
        • you don’t use it
      • your pension benefits or a family member’s pension benefits
        • this includes federal, provincial and territorial government employer pension plans
        • Exception: You may be eligible for the CDCP if you’re retired and:
          • you opted out of pension benefits before December 11, 2023, and
          • you can’t opt back in under the pension rules
      • coverage purchased by you or a family member or through a group plan from an insurance or benefits company
        • if you purchased your current dental insurance policy privately (and not as part of any of the coverage described above), you’re not eligible for the CDCP while that coverage is in effect.
    • have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
    • be a Canadian resident for tax purposes
    • have filed your tax return in the previous year

You need to meet all the eligibility criteria to qualify for the CDCP.

If you have any questions about eligibility for the Canadian Dental Care Plan, please email benefits@united-church.ca or call the Benefits Centre at 1-855-647-8222.

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February 1, 2024

GreenShield: Preferred Products for Adalimumab Biosimilars

With new biologics entering the market rapidly, the overall cost of biologic drugs continues to significantly impact the sustainability of drug plans, including ours. GreenShield’s evidence-based biosimilar strategy combines innovative programs and approaches to ensure the best value for treatment, while optimizing resources, supporting the uptake of biosimilars, and improving access to medications for all plan members.

The originator biologic, Humira (adalimumab), continues to be one of the world’s top-selling drugs for more than two decades, treating a range of inflammatory conditions. Currently, eight approved adalimumab biosimilars in the Canadian market have all demonstrated similar safety and efficacy profiles to the originator, Humira.

Effective January 15, 2024, the following biosimilar products will be split into two categories: preferred and non-preferred products, as outlined in the table below. This means, anyone starting adalimumab therapy, effective January 15, 2024, must use a Category 1 (preferred product) below.

The choice of preferred products was evaluated based on several criteria including the formulation and format of the product, the robustness of the manufacturer’s patient co-pay assistance program, the quality of the patient support program, and the manufacturer’s track record of drug shortages. All three preferred products demonstrated excellence in these areas and maintain the opportunity for plan member choice.

Category 1 (preferred products)               Abrilada, Hyrimoz, and Hadlima

Category 2 (non-preferred products)*    Amgevita, Hulio, Idacio, Simlandi, and Yuflyma

The preferential listing applies to all Health Canada approved indications including:**

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Juvenile Arthritis
  • Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Plaque Psoriasis
  • Uveitis (adult and pediatric)
  • Crohn's Disease (adult and pediatric)
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Hidradenitis Suppurativa

If a member under this program chooses to transition to an adalimumab biosimilar, they must select a Category 1 (preferred product) unless an exception applies.* 

* Products listed as Category 2 agents will be non-preferred products and will only be available to patients in exceptional circumstances (e.g., documented intolerance or adverse events to 2 preferred products).

** Preferential listing does not apply in Quebec and will only apply where GreenShield is the primary payor.

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December 12, 2023

Pension Increase Effective January 1, 2024

Good news! As announced in a recent letter from Pension Board Chair, Anne Soh, pension plan members will receive a pension increase effective January 1, 2024.

Pensioners and Deferred Members
Current pensioners and deferred members will receive a 4 percent* increase to their pension amount effective January 1, 2024.

* The Income Tax Act and regulations limit pension increases to the cumulative growth in Consumer Price Index since the pension commenced. For this reason, recently retired pensioners and deferred members who terminated membership recently will see a lesser increase.

Active Members
For active members, the accrual rate will stay at 1.85 percent in 2024 from the base rate of 1.4 percent. In 2025 the accrual rate is scheduled to return to 1.4 percent.

What Does “Accrual Rate” Mean?
The accrual rate is the rate at which you earn your pension. In 2024, you earn your pension at the rate of 1.85 percent of your pensionable earnings.

How Does This Work?
You earn a piece of pension every year that you work and contribute to the plan—like building blocks.

For example, let’s assume that a member’s pensionable earnings stayed constant at $60,000 every year, (for easy figuring). From 2019, that member would earn

Year

Accrual Rate Formula

Pension Credit Earned

2019

1.4% 1.4% of $60,000 $   840

2020

1.85% 1.85% of $60,000 $  1,110

2021

1.625% 1.625% of $60,000

$    975

2022 1.85% 1.85% of $60,000

$  1,110

2023 1.85% 1.85% of $60,000

$   1,110

2024 1.85% 1.85% of $60,000

$   1,110

2025 1.4% 1.4% of $60,000

$   840

At the end of your career, the annual pension amounts earned each year will add up to the total annual pension you will receive every year for the rest of your life. So, the higher amount earned in 2024 will continue to benefit you for the rest of your retired life.

What about Future Increases?
There is no automatic indexing of our plan. The Pension Board and Pension Plan Advisory Committee annually assess the resources available and determine whether there are surplus funds that can be used to increase benefits.

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May 25, 2022

Pensioner payroll change to LifeWorks

An initial communication from the Benefits Centre was mailed the week of May 23, informing pensioners of the upcoming change to how pension payments are processed. One important thing to note is that there is nothing for you, as a pensioner, to do on your end. More information about the change will be mailed in June providing contact details.

A copy of the letter is posted on the Retirement page, under Communications. If you have not received this communication by the end of the month, please e-mail pension@united-church.ca or phone the Benefits Centre at 1-855-647-8222 to ensure they have the correct address on file.

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