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at the office are there now, working in a safe environment with proper physical distancing measures in place. Over the coming months, Canada Life will consider gradually transitioning more employees back to the office and their safety will remain of utmost importance. "In March, we asked our employees to be flexible, adaptable, creative and resilient in the face of great change, disruption and uncertainty," says Macoun. "Rewarding two paid days off to our employees is just one way we can thank them and help ensure their own mental health is a priority as they continue to improve the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians." Macoun says the company was well-prepared to respond quickly to employees' and customers' concerns. Canada Life moved to digital tools, enabling its advisors to help customers who were struggling financially, and regularly updated a 'volatility toolkit' so its advisors would have the latest market insights. It ramped up its contact centre teams, simplified application processes and approved several virtual paramedical programs to help customers with non-emergent issues. Customers who were laid off from their jobs were still able to access their Canada Life short- and long-term disability coverage on company plans for three months and other benefits for up to six months. Canada Life also waived the 'minimum hours worked' requirement for plan eligibility and offered up to six months for mortgage deferrals. Recognizing that small- and medium-sized businesses are an integral part of the Canadian economy, Canada Life refunded $35 million in health insurance premiums in April for employer- sponsored non-refundable group benefit plans. "Over 1 million Canadians were laid off in March alone. These premium reductions will give more than 26,000 of our business customers some much-needed financial relief, both to their business and to maintaining valued coverage for their employees. Unlike premium deferrals, these savings do not need to be repaid later," says Macoun. Canada Life was also integral to helping the Canadian Chamber of Commerce set up its Canadian Business Resilience Network. The website features videos, blog posts, tools and other information business owners can use to help navigate the business impact of COVID-19. The company, along with IGM Financial and Power Corporation of Canada, jointly contributed $1 million to support crisis relief efforts in our communities. Flexibility will be key once again to helping communities build back better and stronger. Helping Winnipeg come back stronger holds special meaning for Canada Life. "Since 1891, we've called Winnipeg home and it continues to be our headquarters. More than 3,300 employees live, work and play here and we're proud to continue our longstanding support of the community," adds Macoun. "We're very proud of how quickly our employees adapted to their new environment... customers experienced little to no impact during our short, unexpected transition to work from home." Jeff Macoun, President and Chief Operating Officer for Canada Life YES! WINNIPEG 27