Caring work asks a lot of the people who do it — emotionally, relationally, and over time. At PLAN, we are deeply aware that the work of walking alongside families, holding complexity, and supporting long-term planning is meaningful, demanding, and often unseen.
That awareness shapes how we think about care — not only for the families and communities we support, but for the people who show up every day to do this work.
As part of our ongoing commitment to staff well-being, PLAN is moving to a Health Care Spending Account model for all team members.
This shift reflects a simple but important belief: people know best what supports their own health and wellness.
Traditional benefit models are often built around fixed categories and assumptions that don’t always match real lives. A Health Care Spending Account offers a more flexible and responsive approach, allowing staff to use wellness supports in ways that reflect their own needs — whether physical, emotional, preventative, or restorative. It recognizes that wellness is personal, that needs change over time, and that meaningful support looks different for different people.
Much of PLAN’s work is carried by part-time staff. These roles are essential to our mission and often involve significant emotional labour, responsibility, and care. This change was made intentionally to ensure that all staff — regardless of hours worked — have access to meaningful support for their health and well-being. Providing flexible wellness support across the entire team is one way we try to live our values internally, not just through the programs we offer externally.
We also recognize that there are moments in this work — including periods of grief, loss, or heightened stress — when additional care may be needed. In these situations, further wellness support may be considered thoughtfully and on a case-by-case basis, always approached with care, confidentiality, and discretion.
This shift is not just about benefits. It is part of a broader commitment to building a workplace grounded in trust, dignity, and compassion — one that recognizes the realities of caring work and responds with flexibility rather than rigid structures. It reflects PLAN’s belief in respecting autonomy and individual needs, supporting dignity and choice, taking a holistic view of health and wellness, and trusting people to make informed decisions.
We share this not as a finished answer, but as part of an ongoing commitment — and an ongoing conversation — about how organizations can care well for the people who carry caring work. If this resonates, or if you are grappling with similar questions in your own organization or role, we would welcome hearing your reflections and learning alongside others.