The holiday season is a time of celebration, but it can also bring added stress and pressure. Between year-end deadlines, family commitments, and financial strain, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. In December, we’re focusing on two powerful tools to help you navigate the season: gratitude and stress management.
Why Gratitude Matters
Practicing gratitude isn’t just about saying “thank you”—it’s about shifting your perspective. Research shows that gratitude can:
Quick Tip: Start a gratitude list. Each day, write down three things you’re thankful for—big or small. It’s a simple habit that can make a big difference!
Managing Holiday Stress
The holidays can be joyful, but they can also be hectic. Here are a few strategies to keep your stress from sleigh-ing you this season!
The season is about connection and kindness, toward others and yourself, so let’s make space for gratitude and well-being as we close out the year.
Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
Just a reminder, if you want to access services such as online appointment booking and live chat, you will need to create a personal account. Follow these steps to set up your account.
Website: one.telushealth.com
Username: unitedchurch
Password: eap
November is a time to reflect on the importance of your mental and physical health. Prioritizing regular screenings, staying active, and taking time to check in with yourself can make a significant difference in your overall wellbeing and vitality. On November 16, it is the International Day for Tolerance. Tolerance begins with listening and creating safe spaces for honest conversations, so let’s embrace empathy, understanding, and support for one another.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, yet many men face unique challenges when it comes to seeking support. Societal expectations and stigma can make it harder to talk about emotional struggles, stress, or anxiety. Mental health affects everything—from your relationships and work performance to your physical health and quality of life.
Ignoring mental health concerns can lead to serious consequences, including increased risk of chronic illness, substance use, and eating disorders. Taking care of your mental wellbeing is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Movember
Movember is dedicated to raising awareness about men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health. It’s a reminder to take action, support one another, and speak openly about health concerns.
Take the First Step
Our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
We’re excited to share updated access details for our EFAP—a confidential, 24/7 support resource for you and your family. Whether you're navigating personal challenges, seeking financial guidance, or looking for wellness tools, the EFAP is here to support you.
New Access Link: one.telushealth.com
Username: unitedchurch
Password: eap
To access services such as online appointment booking and live chat, you will need to create a personal account. Follow these steps to set up your account. Visit the EFAP portal anytime to explore services, book appointments, or access helpful articles and tools.
Your health matters. Let’s make November a month of action, awareness, and support.
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?
Signs to Look Out For
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.
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:
Working Parents
Balancing work and family during back-to-school season can be challenging. Here are a few tips to support your well-being:
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.
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.
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+:
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:
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.
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:
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
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:
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.
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:**
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.
