Welcome to your Benefits at a Glance. From the list on the left, select a Benefit to view a brief summary.
Ambulance
Covers transportation to the nearest hospital where treatment facilities are available.
Benefit Costs
Some benefit costs are completely covered by Western, and others require you to pay a portion. The cost for some optional benefits, such as Optional Life Insurance and Optional Accident Insurance are covered fully by those who opt to purchase them. Read more.
Chiropractor
Pays up to $15 a visit after the 15th visit per calendar year. Includes X-rays ($35 a person per calendar year).
Dental Plan
Covers 85% of basic and major expenses such as charges for exams (every nine months), and major dental services such as crowns and dentures with a yearly combined maximum paid by you of $450 for singles and $900 for family coverage. Current Fee Guide for General Practitioners and Specialists. If treatment is expected to cost more than $500, have your dentist prepare a pre-treatment plan for approval.
Give your dentist your Manulife card, and in most cases the dentist can submit the claim on your behalf. You may use your Health Care Spending Account to cover the balance you would normally be required to pay yourself.
Dependent Tuition Scholarship Plan
Provides support for higher education for dependents of full-time employees. Currently a scholarship of $2,500 per academic year is awarded to eligible dependents enrolled full time in an accredited university program who maintain a minimum academic average of 70%. Students registered at colleges affiliated with the University are eligible for this benefit. See the SAGE Dependents' Tuition Scholarship Plan website for more details.
Emergency Travel Assistance
Covers up to $200,000 per person per trip for health care expenses incurred as a resultpen of a sudden unexpected illness or injury outside the employee's province of residence in Canada or outside Canada. Be sure to carry your benefits card with you containing the plan and certificate numbers and the toll free Emergency Travel Assistance telephone number.
Flex Credits
Effective January 1, 2025, eligible SAGE members have $1,100 in credits that may be allocated annually (in $100 increments) to your Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) or Professional Expense Reimbursement (PER) Account. In November of each year, you will be asked to make your Flex Credit allocation for the following calendar year. If you do not actively choose where Flex Credits will go by the deadline, the default allocation will be $1,100 to your PER with no allocation to your HCSA. Read more.
Health Care Spending Account
Can be used to pay for many medical and dental expenses that are not covered or only partially covered by your Extended Health and Dental plans. Starting in 2025, there will no longer be a base amount in your Health Care Spending Account. You will need to allocate Flex Credits if you would like to utilize this account.
To see what’s available to in your Health Care Spending Account, sign in to the Manulife Financial website. You will need information from your Manulife card (Plan Contract and Member Certificate number) as well as your Manulife password. Once logged in, click on "My benefits”. You may also call Manulife Financial directly at 1-866-896-8515. Read more about Flex Credits.
Hospitalization
In addition to basic ward accommodation and any hospital services and supplies paid by provincial health care, Western will pay the difference between the basic ward accommodation and semi-private or private accommodation.
Income Replacement
Protects against loss of income during periods of medically supported absences due to either injury or illness. Includes a Sick Leave-Salary Continuance Plan for up to 15 weeks, and a Long-Term Disability Insurance Plan paying a monthly benefit equal to 70% of your normal basic monthly salary. The maximum benefit is $5,000 per month. Details can be found in the SAGE Policies.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) provides insurance benefits to workers who have a work-related injury or illness.
Leaves
Members may take advantage of various leaves during their career at Western including Compassionate/Bereavement Leave, Pregnancy, Adoption and Parental Leave and Leave of Absence. Details can be found in the SAGE policies.
Life Insurance
Provides for insurance benefits upon the death of the individual covered. In addition to Basic Life Insurance, you may choose additional life insurance on your life and/or on the life of your family members. If you choose to increase a life insurance benefit at a date later than 31 days after enrolling, or 31 days after a dependent becomes eligible for coverage (example, a marriage, or birth of a child), a health questionnaire may be required.
Basic Life
- Life insurance on your life at two times your annual basic salary (rounded to the next higher $1,000). Western pays for the premium for the first $50,000 of coverage.
Optional Life:
- Additional life insurance on your life, at 1/2, 1, 1½ or 2 times your annual basic salary. Premiums are dependent on your age, gender and smoking habits. Maximum combined coverage for Basic & Optional Life is $500,000.
Dependent Life:
- Life insurance on your spouse’s life at $40,000 and $10,000 for each of your eligible dependent children.
Accident Insurance
Two optional plans – one for your life only or one that covers your life and your eligible family members. You may purchase any amount in multiples of $10,000 subject to a maximum of $500,000. Plan covers accidental death, loss of limb, eye and a variety of other consequences of accident. No Evidence of Good Health required.
For more details on the life insurance plans see your benefit booklet. Read more about the cost of optional coverage.
Medical Supplies and Assistive Devices
Covers custom made orthotics ($400 per year), orthopaedic shoes, hearing aids, surgical bandages, hospital bed and wheelchair rental, equipment for diabetes, etc. limits apply and coverage may require a written recommendation of a physician Please note some supplies, may be eligible under the Assistive Devices Program through the Ontario Government.
Read more in your UWOSA benefit booklet.
Pension Plan
Western’s Administrative Staff Pension Plan is a defined contribution plan, a form of capital accumulation plan in which contributions are made by the employer and you. The Plan, along with government benefits, your personal savings and other sources of income are important elements of your journey to a financially secure retirement. The Plan provides retirement income which is based on the total amount contributed by you and Western plus returns on the investments you have chosen. Western contributes a percentage of your pensionable earnings into the Administrative Staff Pension Plan on your behalf based on your years of service. Under 10 years, 7.5%, 10 to 19 years, 8.0% and 20 or more years, 8.5%. As a member your contribution is 2.5% of earnings. You direct the investments of all contributions to the plan. The Administrative Staff Pension Board has selected funds for you to choose from across three asset classes, and in some cases have grouped funds into portfolios. Details on the investments are available from Sun Life. In addition to your required contribution, you may make voluntary contributions to your account up to the limit set by CRA.
Pension services for Western plan members are provided by Sun Life. To review the terms of the plan, sign in to your Sun Life account and select Manage plan and My Plan, or see the Western Pension Plans website and the Pension Plan Summary.
Post-retirement Benefits
Early retirement is permitted any time within 10 years of your Normal Retirement Date. Eligible Members hired on or after January 1, 2009 who have a minimum of ten years of service or for those individuals who were hired prior to January 1, 2009 and who have five years seniority are eligible for Post-retirement Benefits including Extended Health and Dental Plans, Emergency Travel Assistance ($200,000 per person per trip of 180 days or less) and a life insurance benefit of $15,000. Upon retirement, you may also convert your life insurance to a plan with our carrier at your cost. To check on costs, use ASK HR to contact Human Resources or call 519-661-2194. Read more.
Practitioner Services
Note: In addition to the coverage noted below, you may use your Health Care Spending Account to cover the remaining cost of the services outlined.
- Acupuncturist: $15 a visit
- Osteopath: $15 a visit
- Podiatrist/Chiropodist: $15 a visit
- Massage Therapist: $15 a visit
- Physiotherapist: $15 a visit
- Naturopath: $15 a visit
- Speech Pathologist: $15 a visit
Pregnancy, Parental and Adoption
Western provides Supplemental Employment Insurance Benefits (SEIB) - additional funds to “top up” EI benefits while on leave. More information on planning your leave is available on the Western Pregnancy, Parental and Adoption Leave website.
Prescription Drugs
Covers 85% of the cost of eligible prescription drugs legally requiring a prescription and some drugs not legally requiring a prescription, but which are in an injectable format, or are life sustaining. You would pay 15%, but the maximum amount you would pay in any given year would be $450 for singles and $900 for those with family coverage. This does not apply to any internal maximums already defined in the Extended Health and Dental Plans. You may also use your Health Care Spending Account to cover the 15% you would normally pay.
The maximum reimbursement for a dispensing fee is $6.11 per prescription. Read additional information regarding dispensing fees.
Professional Expense Reimbursement Account (PER)
Can be used to pay for professional expenses including conference registration and related travel and accommodation, membership fees for professional and/or learned societies, journal subscriptions, to purchase a computer or software, and for other eligible expenses. See "Flex Credits" if you wish to deposit some or all of your flex credits into your PER account or Read more.
Prosthetic Appliances & Supplies
Covers items such as artificial limbs, splints, braces, tracheotomy supplies, wigs, surgical stockings and more.
Psychologist
Covers group therapy ($6 per hour per person), family therapy ($18 per half hour), individual therapy and testing ($15 per half hour). All other visits limited to $15 per visit.
Safety Shoe Reimbursement
Where an employee is required by Western to wear safety shoes in the course of their work, Western will have a shoe allowance of $120 processed annually on each January paycheque.
Smoking Cessation Aids
Includes natural health products, such as transdermal patches and nicotine gum, up to a lifetime maximum of $500 per person.
Visioncare
Eye glasses/contact lenses:
- $150 annually per person or an accumulated maximum of $300 for any single claim per person within a two-year period.
- Eye exams may be claimed under the visioncare benefit.
- Laser eye surgery may be claimed under the visioncare benefit.
Eye exams:
