Why virtual care benefits? 5 reasons top employers invest

Executive summary

High-quality, integrated virtual care means employees can access a range of clinicians and multidisciplinary practitioners quickly, receive evidence-based health and well-being support, and benefit from continuity of care across every program they use. For employers, the returns are measurable: reduced absenteeism, lower benefits spending, and higher retention. But not just any program will move the needle. This article explains why Canadian organizations are prioritizing virtual care and what to consider in their decision-making.

Last updated on September 29, 2026

Employee expectations are on the rise. It’s no longer enough for organizations to solely focus on competitive salaries or distracting perks. And benefits without measurable outcomes (like your HSA) might be missing the mark.

Canadians now look to their workplaces to provide a sense of belonging, community, and purpose. But, increasingly, also well-being support.

In fact, job-seekers and employees agree that organizations have a critical role to play in protecting and improving team well-being. With many struggling to find the time or resources to put health first, employers are urged to take the torch.

Learn why top employers in Canada set their sights on virtual care benefits for their team’s well-being. 

1. Virtual care reduces costs related to absenteeism

Employee absenteeism and presenteeism cost Canadian employers $645 million annually, with over 500,000 employees missing work for mental health reasons alone. For HR leaders, balancing budgets and boosting well-being means walking a fine line. But investing in a high-quality virtual care solution can make a real difference. With a comprehensive well-being program, you're arming your workforce with the power of prevention and early intervention.

When you proactively address potential employee health concerns, you effectively prevent them from escalating into financial burdens for your organization. At the same time, you can foster higher levels of employee engagement and productivity – reducing costs related to absenteeism and turnover.

Industries across the board are seeing an increase in health-related absences post-pandemic. This trend extends beyond traditionally high-absenteeism sectors like education and now includes unexpected sectors like construction and manufacturing.

What does this mean for organizations? Taking into account the average Canadian salary, an estimated 10 days of absenteeism can cost your company around $2,000 per employee annually (and could be much more if your workforce is highly paid).

How employers can reduce absenteeism with the right mix of health resources. 

1. Focus on prevention to reduce future costs

Up to 80% of chronic conditions can be eliminated with early intervention from timely primary care support. 

When faced with long wait times to see a physician, 20% of Canadians report stress, anxiety, pain, lost income, delays in diagnosis and treatment, redundant testing, and worsening health conditions.

Delayed care has also been documented to increase future hospital visits and increase related costs for employers. 

2. Improve access to mental health services

The Canadian economy loses $50 billion annually due to mental health issues. And, for employers, mental health disability leave costs twice as much as physical illness leave.

Research shows that clinically effective virtual mental health care can treat issues before they get worse and reduce costs.

3. Provide family care

Employers face an annual loss of at least $2.7 billion due to family-related issues. Plus, employees with children under age 5 take nearly twice as many days off, compared to those without children.

Almost 60% of children are sent home from child care services unnecessarily due to symptoms of illness. With virtual care, parents seeking rapid medical consults for their child can avoid days lost waiting in clinics, reducing employee absenteeism.

See how Dialogue helped VIA Rail Canada save on these costs by minimizing time away from work, with 3.8 hours saved per employee health episode.

2. Virtual care lowers spending on employee benefits plans

According to Benefits Canada, Canadians face major health risk factors:

• Poor stress management

• Lack of health screening

• Physical inactivity

• Poor nutrition

The good news is that many of these risks can be mitigated through preventive care measures.

Employers are well aware of this. In fact, large companies typically allocate up to 30% of payroll for group insurance, which can include access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and paramedical services, specifically to address these concerns. And, it has become common practice to increase these benefit dollar amounts to make employees feel supported.

But instead of providing real value, HR leaders may be unwittingly just checking a box. 

Even with care options available, employees often face barriers when trying to access the right support. Long wait times, and limited sessions, follow-ups, and measurable outcomes are far too common.

On the other hand, employees with Dialogue’s Primary Care, EAP, Mental Health+, and Wellness programs enjoy prompt access to care practitioners and clinical well-being support – benefiting from close guidance until functional remission. This helps treat health concerns fast and delays the onset of chronic conditions. And, in turn, could help employers reduce paramedical and HSA spending.

3. Virtual care increases workplace productivity

Research shows that, unsurprisingly, healthy employees are more productive than peers with health issues.

What does this mean?

• Employees with depression are three times more likely to experience lost productivity.

• Teams of four to eight members experience a 22% drop in productivity when one of them is absent due to illness.

• For every 1,000 employees, employers can face $380,000 of productivity losses yearly (in addition to health care costs).

With high-quality virtual care options, employees are more likely to get hands-on support to prevent, treat, and recover from well-being issues fast.

That’s exactly what Ubisoft did by granting its teams access to Dialogue's primary care, mental health, and employee assistance programs. This initiative relieved health-related concerns, allowing employees to focus on their passions and priorities.

4. Virtual care delivers 24/7 access to practitioners

With many employers operating remote or hybrid workplaces, the WHO stresses that virtual care gives all workers timely access to medical care.

Employees using Dialogue benefit from secure and reliable care from anywhere, and their health history is easily retrieved for more comprehensive support. Plus, with the appropriate level of intervention based on their unique needs, members are more likely to return to function quickly.

If multiple consultations are needed, Dialogue prioritizes continuity of care by enabling members to connect with the same practitioner or smoothly transition to a new one – even across different programs.

5. Virtual care boosts job satisfaction, retention, and work-life balance

Healthcare benefits are the most attractive workplace factor. One study found over 90% of millennials worldwide consider work-life balance as a crucial component in their job search.

We also know that healthier employees have increased job satisfaction, which is a top factor for retaining employees.

So, it's a no-brainer for organizations to offer solid health benefits.

But Canadian employees continue to have high expectations of virtual care. This means that employers should choose platforms and providers that meet their workforce's preferred criteria.

Dialogue members reap the benefits of their employers' investment. In fact, internal data shows that 50% of employees who have access to Dialogue's health and wellness program report better job satisfaction. Another 30% report better work-life balance, and 33% say they're less likely to miss work for health reasons.

And client organizations also report feeling less worried about employee productivity, innovation, absenteeism, and retention when they choose Dialogue.

So, what do good virtual care benefits look like in Canada?

Canadian employers evaluating a virtual care provider should assess three things: how the provider balances safety and speed, whether the member experience drives sustained use, and what support looks like after implementation.

Safety and speed have to work together

Safety with speed means employees get fast, convenient access to care that is also clinically governed: licensed practitioners, standardized care pathways, and defined escalation processes for every case. Speed without this governance means faster access to inconsistent care.

The Dialogue difference:

• Only virtual care provider in Canada with Accreditation Canada Exemplary Standing
• 100% compliance across 700+ safety standards
• Over 98% triage accuracy across 3 million+ consultations
• Primary Care within 60 minutes; Mental Health+ and EAP within 24 hours

Five-star member experience

A five-star member experience means employees trust the care enough to return, follow through on treatment plans, and recommend it to their teams, rather than trying it once and letting it go unused.

The Dialogue difference:

• Fully in-house care team with a 4.7/5 consultation score
• 100% follow-up after every consultation
• Member experience function led by a VP reporting directly to the CEO
• 4.8/5 app store rating
• Backed by a utilization guarantee

White-glove customer success

White-glove customer success means a provider's support extends past go-live. Rolling out a new benefit is its own undertaking. Employers need a provider that manages change management, drives adoption, and helps demonstrate ROI to leadership, rather than leaving that work to HR.

The Dialogue difference:

• 9.4/10 onboarding satisfaction score
• Dedicated change management support
• Satisfaction guarantees scaled to organization size
• Next-generation reporting for demonstrating ROI

Frequently asked questions

Can virtual care provide the same quality as in-person visits?

Yes, when done right. High-quality virtual care means employees can access clinicians quickly, receive evidence-based treatment, and benefit from continuity of care — such as with Dialogue's Integrated Health Platform™. Dialogue provides in-house salaried practitioners who prioritize member outcomes over volume — with 4.7/5 consultation scores and 100% follow-up on every case. Dialogue is the only virtual care provider with Accreditation Canada Exemplary Standing.

What should employers look for when choosing a virtual care provider?

Three things matter most: clinical quality, access speed, and integration. On quality, look for accreditation — Dialogue is the only virtual care provider in Canada with Accreditation Canada Exemplary Standing, meaning 100% compliance across 700+ safety standards. On speed, employees should have access to care when they need it most (e.g., at Dialogue, Primary Care is available in under 60 minutes and mental health support within 24 hours) to protect health outcomes and business savings. On integration, a single platform covering Primary Care, Mental Health+, EAP, and Wellness eliminates the fragmentation that drives low utilization.

Will my employees actually use virtual care benefits?

Yes, virtual care removes the most common barriers to benefits utilization: long wait times, inconvenient scheduling, and outdated access methods. When employees have a positive experience — easy access, compassionate support, visible outcomes — they're more likely to use benefits and engage with preventive care.

Does virtual care actually reduce employee absenteeism?

Yes, and the data is significant. Dialogue members accessing our Primary Care offering save an average of 4.2 hours of absenteeism per care episode, according to internal data. Our solutions reduce short-term mental health disability to under 6 weeks in 70% of cases, compared to a 30% Canadian average. The key is early intervention: up to 80% of chronic conditions can be prevented with timely primary care support, before a health issue becomes an absence.

How do virtual care benefits affect employee retention?

Healthcare benefits are consistently ranked as the most attractive workplace factor. Among Dialogue members, 50% report better job satisfaction, 30% report better work-life balance, and 33% say they're less likely to miss work for health reasons, according to internal data. Organizations that invest in high-quality care also report feeling less worried about absenteeism, innovation, and retention.

Want to learn what high-quality virtual care could do for your organization?