A Douglas provider of international insurance and investment solutions has announced a major enhancement to its employee benefits offering, introducing company-funded emergency care and additional paid leave to support colleagues during significant life events.

From January 1 this year, Canada Life International’s employees are now able to access up to five days of company-funded emergency care each year through a new partnership with UK care provider Bright Horizons. The move marks the first time Bright Horizons has extended its ‘Back-Up Care’ service to the island.

The Back-Up Care benefit is designed to help employees manage unexpected caring responsibilities, whether for children or adult dependants. The service provides up to five days of emergency care annually when planned arrangements fall through or unforeseen circumstances arise.

Support available through the scheme includes companionship services when employees cannot be present themselves, a check-in visit to ensure a loved one is safe and well at home, and subsidised emergency assistance to cover last-minute changes in care arrangements.

In addition to emergency care provision, Canada Life has introduced a new ‘Being There Leave’ policy. Under the initiative, employees can take up to 10 days of additional paid leave each year to attend important life events or support those closest to them.

The leave is intended to give colleagues flexibility to be present for milestone occasions such as weddings, graduations, a child’s sports day, a first day at school, moving to university, or welcoming a new grandchild.

It can also be used in more challenging circumstances, including accompanying a loved one or pet to a medical appointment, assisting family members through difficult life events, or arranging emergency childcare.

The new measures build on a series of enhancements introduced in 2025 to strengthen the company’s overall benefits package.

These improvements included increasing paid annual leave to 30 days plus bank holidays, extending maternity leave to 26 weeks, and expanding paternity and partner leave to 16 weeks. Canada Life also introduced 10 days of paid fertility treatment leave for employees and their partners, alongside additional time off for those experiencing pregnancy loss.

Nick Harding, chief people officer at Canada Life UK, said the latest developments reflect the organisation’s commitment to fostering a flexible and compassionate working environment. He said: ‘We’re proud to be the first employer in the Isle of Man to bring Back-Up Care through Bright Horizons to our colleagues.

‘The introduction of Back-Up Care, alongside Being There Leave, supports Canada Life’s belief that creating a flexible, compassionate workplace helps our colleagues be at their best and deliver for our customers.

’Supporting the growth of care services on the Isle of Man also reflects our ambition, as an employer, to invest in the communities that our colleagues call home.’

The initiative positions Canada Life among a growing number of employers seeking to address the increasing pressures faced by working families, while reinforcing its commitment to employee wellbeing and community investment in the island.