Building your benefits house: Creating a strong foundation for employee wellbeing

When you’re designing a home, you don’t start with the shutters and garden. You start with a solid foundation — the part that supports everything else. Building a strong benefits plan follows the same principle. Without a well-designed base, the lack of strength won't hold up in the long term.

At Blendable, we like to think of group benefits as a house. Every component serves a purpose — from the concrete foundation to the cozy finishing touches — and when built intentionally, your benefits house becomes a place your employees truly want to live in that stands the test of time. 

Step 1: Pour the foundation – Health and Dental 

This is what people see, what they think supports them day-to-day, and what can cause your plan to crumble if not planned properly – it's the solid foundation for our build. 

Strength comes from that foundation if it controls costs, is transparent, repeatable, and can sustain the weathering of whatever life throws at it.  

How that foundation is poured long-term is up to you!  

It’s the part of the plan (or structure if we’re speaking in construction terms) that acknowledges everyone’s differences: one team member might need new glasses, another might prioritize physiotherapy, and someone else might be looking for coverage for fertility treatments or mental health support. 

If you try to build a benefits house without this as the focus of your foundation, you risk ending up with a structure that looks sturdy and to suit but doesn’t meet the everyday needs of your people and crumbles under the pressures of time and change. 

Ask yourself how it’ll best fit your team, whether that’s our Enhanced Health Blend, our HSA Classic, or our Rollback. Whatever your team needs, we can mold to them. 

If you want to read about the different types of foundations you can pour, check out our article hereunder to see how costs, usage, and efficiency play a role in the construction of your benefits plan. 

Step 2: Frame the structure – Core Insurance Coverage 

Once the foundation is poured, it’s time to add the supports — the framing, walls, and roof that keep everything protected. 

That’s where our core Peace of Mind Insurance Benefits like Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), and Long-Term Disability (LTD) come in. These elements are less about everyday use and more about long-term protection and financial stability. 

Think of them as the beams and walls that give your house strength. They provide security and peace of mind — both for employees and their families — ensuring that when life happens, there’s structure to rely on. 

These coverages don’t need to be “one-size-fits-all.” Smart plan design means adjusting coverage levels to suit the realities of your workforce — balancing protection with cost in a way that makes sense. 

Step 3: Add the details – Travel, Excess Medical, and beyond 

Once your structure is solid, then it’s time to add the windows, doors, and landscaping — the things that make the house inviting, personal, and complete. 

Optional Accessory Benefits like Travel Insurance, Excess Medical, and other specialized coverages bring flexibility and value to those who want a little extra protection or peace of mind. These are the features that make your benefits house feel like home — personalized, attractive, and modern. 

It’s tempting to start here and get caught up because these add-ons look nice. But if you skip the earlier steps (aka adding your walls), they won’t have the support they need to deliver real value.  

What good is a window with no wall? 

Why this approach works 

Building your benefits house in the right order helps you: 

• Create stability first — a solid foundation (focused on health and dental) ensures your plan is flexible and future-proof. 
• Avoid overbuilding — You don’t need every coverage under the sun. You need the right structure for your team. 
• Enhance employee engagement — When employees can see and feel the thought behind the design, they value it more. 
• Control costs smartly — Layering benefits strategically keeps your budget sustainable while maximizing impact. 

It’s time to move in! 

Building a strong benefits plan isn’t about throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. It’s about designing intentionally — starting with a flexible, employee-centered foundation and adding layers of protection and value over time. 

We’re masters at building homes. With a retention rate of 95% we’ve moved businesses into a ton of happy homes. Let's be real, no one enjoys moving, not houses, or benefit plans. But with us, you don’t have to. 

When your benefits house is built right, it doesn’t just stand strong — it feels like home for everyone inside.

Got questions? Give us a shout! Our Growth Team is always ready to help at any point in your benefits journey.

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