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JOHNSTON GROUP So, how do people want to be taken care of at work? The answer to this question is simple: In a way that makes their whole life better. LOCAL BUSINESS BENEFITS ENTIRE COMMUNITY J ohnston Group's story starts with and continues to be guided by a simple question: "How do people want to be taken care of at work?" This may seem like an obvious question for a benefits provider to ask, but it wasn't always the case. It wasn't until the 1980s that some industries started making a shift. They no longer expected the customer to conform to their offering and instead began building their business around what was best for their customers. It was a simple philosophy, yet it didn't take hold in employee benefits. For something as personal as benefits, the industry remained awfully impersonal. Johnston Group decided to change that. Johnston Group got its start with the Chambers Plan. Whether you're a one-person start-up or a 50-person operation, you have a right to feel secure in the health and well- being of your employees. That's why in the early 1980s, Johnston Group teamed up with local Chambers of Commerce to bring fair- priced health and dental benefits to small businesses across Canada. It was a natural partnership as both organizations shared the same belief: When local businesses are healthy and vibrant, the communities we all call home are healthy and vibrant too. Johnston Group takes pride in Winnipeg and chooses to lead by example with regards to support. They believe in putting people first and helping everyone to live in a thriving community. They are heavily involved in large charitable organizations like United Way and Habitat for Humanity, but they also are staunch supporters of the smaller, more targeted groups, like the Bear Clan Patrol and Graffiti Art Gallery. They support youth programs, cultural organizations, sports teams, the arts, education – a seemingly endless list of organizations that enrich the community. Today, Johnston Group administers group health and dental benefits, critical illness, disability and life insurance to more than 30,000 small businesses, 300 larger companies and 350 Indigenous organizations across Canada through the Chambers Plan, Maximum Benefit, and CINUP programs. It's not easy to administer employee benefits to more than 30,000 small- and mid-sized businesses across Canada. There are a lot of cases to evaluate, claims to process, policyholders to check in with and customers to educate. But as David Johnston explains "We do it with a smile because we respect and appreciate Canada's small and family-owned businesses. After all, we share the same roots and enterprising spirit." Workplaces look a lot different today than they did 30 years ago, and the pace of change is only getting faster. As employee benefit needs evolve, so will Johnston Group. Small businesses have just as great a need to hire and retain top talent as anyone else, and Johnston Group is committed to offering the programs and support owners need to take care of their employees in the best way possible. So, how do people want to be taken care of at work? The answer to this question is simple: In a way that makes their whole life better. There are a lot of companies out there that feel this way. They believe that when a person is taken care of at work, it improves their entire life. It's our mission to give these companies everything they need to take care of their employees in the best way possible. ■

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