How Employers Can Support Foreign Workers Beyond Insurance
If you’re a Canadian employer or organization working with foreign workers, you know that providing comprehensive healthcare matters. Quality healthcare options are not only essential to protect the lives and livelihoods of your workers, but offering the right care is part of your legal responsibility.
But here’s what many employers miss: insurance alone isn’t enough to help foreign workers thrive in their roles.
Companies want to hire and retain skilled workers and build long-term, cohesive teams, but doing so requires a bit more than the status quo.
Foreign workers arrive in Canada with valuable skills. But they also arrive facing language barriers, unfamiliar workplace cultures, and the reality of life in a new country.
When you can address many of these obstacles proactively, you don’t just help your foreign workers succeed – you strengthen your entire operation.
Starting On the Right Foot
Proper integration for foreign workers starts before day one.
What does this look like? Providing orientation materials in your workers' first language immediately is a simple step that can drastically reduce anxiety and help them feel prepared.
Your materials should cover the practical details:
What are the workplace expectations?
Are there any health and safety protocols?
How does Canadian workplace communication differ from what they may be used to?
What will their first week look like?
Don't overlook the logistical challenges that can derail even the most motivated worker. Where will they live? How do they open a bank account or get a SIN card? What transportation options exist in your area?
When you can connect workers with settlement resources and community information centres early, these basics don't become overwhelming barriers. That proactive preparation can pay dividends down the road.
Creating an Inclusive Workplace
You likely spend time thinking about how best to integrate your foreign workers into your existing workplace culture. But what about how to integrate your existing staff with your new hires?
Cultural sensitivity training shouldn't be reserved just for managers. This is essential training that should be standard for your entire team.
Why? Because when everyone understands different communication styles and cultural expectations, you create an environment where foreign workers can contribute fully without constantly second-guessing themselves.
A quick way to start thinking through this process is to implement a mentor or buddy system. Even the simple step of pairing new international hires with experienced team members gives them a go-to person for questions that may pop up.
A trusted partner can become a key resource on workplace norms, local customs, and the unwritten rules every workplace has.
Supporting Life Outside Work
Remember that your foreign workers didn't just relocate their employment. They’ve relocated their entire lives (and potentially their family!)
Offering practical support with housing and transportation can end up making an enormous difference.
Create a plan for how you will help your new hires find safe, affordable housing near your workplace. Provide clear information about local transportation or organize carpooling among your team.
Don’t forget about social connections. Strong social bonds have been shown to drastically increase the success of foreign workers in a new context.
Create opportunities for your workers to participate in company social events and connect with local community groups or cultural associations.
Investing in Professional Growth
Want to show your foreign workers that you appreciate them beyond the skills they were hired for? Show them you're invested in their success by supporting professional development.
Some options for professional growth can include subsidizing language training (ESL or FSL courses make a real difference) or offering industry-specific certifications.
But don’t forget about internal success – provide clear pathways for advancement within your organization.
When workers see opportunities to grow with your company, their engagement and loyalty increase dramatically. You benefit from their expanding skills, and your employer brand will rise as workers see themselves as valued within the organization.
Prioritizing Mental Health
Make sure that your consideration of foreign worker health coverage includes mental healthcare.
The stress of adapting to a new country compounds the normal pressures of any job. Clarify the mental health resources available to employees – including any multicultural counseling services or employee assistance programs you offer.
One of the most significant investments you can make in your workplace culture is creating a safe space to discuss mental wellness and ask for support.
Clarifying Rights and Pathways
The reality is that many foreign workers don't fully understand their Canadian employment rights or the available benefits.
As part of your orientation and throughout the first several months, take the time to explain workplace protections clearly. This includes factors such as Employment Insurance eligibility, parental leave options, and other entitlements.
Most importantly, support their immigration goals. If you want to retain valuable workers long-term, provide workers with guidance and resources on permanent residency pathways. Offer strong reference letters. Explore employer-driven immigration streams.
Taking the time to invest in your workers’ lives beyond healthcare coverage can create ripple effects, such as reduced turnover and employee loyalty.
Taking Proactive Steps Matters for Your Business
Supporting foreign workers comprehensively isn't charity. When you begin to look at the benefits, you’ll see that this support is strategic.
When international hires integrate successfully, you see reduced turnover, improved team dynamics, higher productivity, and a stronger employer reputation in what is quickly becoming a competitive labor market.
At People Corporation, we’ve seen the results firsthand. The Canadian businesses that will thrive as our workforce continues to evolve are those that view foreign workers as long-term investments, not temporary fixes.
By addressing their real needs – including the cultural, professional, social, and practical – you create conditions where everyone on your team can perform at their best.
The Foreign Workers Canada Health Plan provides the essential insurance coverage your temporary foreign workers need. Ready to explore how comprehensive support can strengthen your team? Learn more about our programs and resources at FWCHP.
Looking to provide your foreign workers with the necessary healthcare coverage?
Click through the video below to learn about the FWCHP.
