2008 Public Accountability Statement Great-West Life | London Life | Canada Life Leading by example Y032 Pas_Eng.kpcs4.indd 01 21/04/09 3:00 PM Leading by example YY032032 PPas_Eng.kpcs4.inddas_Eng.kpcs4.indd 0022 221/04/091/04/09 33:00:00 PPMM 2008 Public Accountability Statement Table of Contents Corporate profi le ..............................................................................................................................................2 Leading by example .........................................................................................................................................3 Stronger Communities Together .....................................................................................................................4 At a glance: 2008 Highlights .....................................................................................................................5 Major highlights of 2008 ...................................................................................................................... 6 Lifting the veil on mental health ..............................................................................................................6 Case Study: Helping employers safeguard mental health in the workplace .........................................8 Innovative, inclusive approaches to education .....................................................................................10 A compassionate response during a challenging holiday season ........................................................13 Supporting greener communities ..........................................................................................................13 Special events, special people ................................................................................................................14 Teaming up for stronger communities ..................................................................................................14 Case Study: People, planning and purpose ...........................................................................................16 Ongoing areas of focus ....................................................................................................................... 19 Supporting practical paths to improved health and wellness ..............................................................19 Sharing insights, knowledge and expertise ...........................................................................................19 Children’s health and rehabilitation ......................................................................................................21 A proactive approach to wellness ..........................................................................................................21 Building community connections and commitment ............................................................................22 A responsive approach to unique social needs......................................................................................26 Nourishing the roots of our culture .......................................................................................................26 Case Study: Pulling together, coast to coast for United Way ................................................................30 Committed to excellence .................................................................................................................... 32 Employment in Canada 2008 .................................................................................................................32 A vibrant work environment ..................................................................................................................33 Employee health and wellness ...............................................................................................................33 Education and professional development .............................................................................................33 Policies, guidelines, practices and standards ........................................................................................33 Reducing our environmental footprint .................................................................................................34 Responsible investment practices ..........................................................................................................35 Case Study: Exploring new frontiers in sustainability .........................................................................36 Contributing to the economy .................................................................................................................38 Appendix.............................................................................................................................................. 39 YY032032 PPas_Eng.kpcs4.inddas_Eng.kpcs4.indd 0033 221/04/091/04/09 33:00:00 PPMM Corporate profi le Great-West Life is a leading Canadian insurer, with interests in the life and health insurance, investment, retirement savings and reinsurance businesses, primarily in Canada and Europe. In Canada, Great-West Life and its subsidiaries, London Life and Canada Life, offer a broad portfolio of fi nancial and benefi t plan solutions and serve the fi nancial security needs of more than 12 million people. Great-West Life’s products include a wide range of investment, retirement savings and income plans, as well as life, disability, critical illness and health insurance for individuals and families. These products and services are distributed through a diverse network: fi nancial security advisors and brokers associated with Great-West Life; fi nancial security advisors associated with London Life’s Freedom 55 Financial™ division and the Wealth & Estate Planning Group; and advisors, managing general agencies and national accounts associated with Canada Life. For large and small businesses and organizations, Great-West Life offers a variety of benefi t plan solutions featuring options such as group life, healthcare, dentalcare, wellness and group disability, critical illness and international benefi ts plans, plus convenient online services. We also offer group retirement and savings plans that are tailored to the unique needs of businesses and organizations. We distribute these products and services through fi nancial security advisors associated with our companies, as well as independent advisors, brokers and consultants. Great-West Life has operations in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man, Ireland and Germany through Canada Life. The Company participates in international reinsurance markets through Canada Life Reinsurance and London Reinsurance Group, providing life and property and casualty reinsurance in the United States and in international markets. Great-West Life has more than $162 billion* in assets under administration and is a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc., a member of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies. * as of December 31, 2008 This report is the consolidated public accountability statement for The Great-West Life Assurance Company, London Life Insurance Company, Canada Life Financial Corporation and The Canada Life Assurance Company operations in Canada. 2 CORPORATE PROFILE YY032032 PPas_Eng.kpcs4.inddas_Eng.kpcs4.indd 2 221/04/091/04/09 33:00:00 PPMM Leading by example Our commitment to building Stronger Communities Together™ Accountability is a key element of our ongoing efforts to meet the expectations of our clients and to strengthen the communities where we live and work. As an organization, we have developed standards of conduct and an ethical approach to all we do. We strive to create a vibrant work environment in which our staff can develop to their fullest potential. And we work hard to minimize our environmental footprint by continuing to embrace new and sustainable approaches to business. In communities large and small throughout Canada, our approach to corporate citizenship, The Key to Giving™, continues to be an effective and recognized tool for facilitating strong links with – and between – non-profi t, charitable and community organizations sharing our goal of building Stronger Communities Together™. The fact that contributions made through The Key to Giving in 2008 totaled more than $12.3 million tells only part of the story. As many community organizations have discovered, The Key to Giving offers more than funding. It is the strategic framework through which we help people and organizations collaborate, share knowledge and best practices, and build their collective capacity to address issues of concern to Canadians. The Key to Giving is also the means through which we support our staff and fi nancial security advisors in their efforts to help identify and address needs in their communities across Canada – something at which they once again excelled in 2008. Through their energy, commitment, creative leadership and resourcefulness they found many ways to help us lead by example in making a positive and lasting impact in our communities. Allen Loney President and Chief Executive Offi cer As an Imagine Caring Company supporting the principles of corporate citizenship and benchmarks for community investment established by Imagine Canada, we donate a minimum of one per cent of average pre-tax profi ts to non-profi t, charitable and community organizations each year. LEADING BY EXAMPLE 3 YY032032 PPas_Eng.kpcs4.inddas_Eng.kpcs4.indd 3 221/04/091/04/09 33:00:00 PPMM Stronger Communities