Empire Life Insurance Company has announced the national launch of its Group Retirement Savings (GRS) platform.
After a phased rollout to selected customers over the past year, the platform is now available to businesses across Canada, the company siad.
Designed specifically for small and mid-sized companies, the Empire Life GRS platform offers a fully digital experience that streamlines plan setup, enrolment, and administration. Advanced technology enables advisors to enrol plan sponsors in minutes through real-time plan creation, with immediate activation for both employer and employee accounts.
The platform allows flexible plan design, enabling employers to tailor contribution structures based on company and employee needs. There is no minimum contribution required, though many employers choose to match employee contributions.
Advisors, employers, and plan members can access dedicated portals through a single sign-on, allowing for easy management of both group benefits and retirement savings if provided through Empire Life. Simplified investment options help employees create portfolios that align with their financial goals, while the company’s long-standing presence in the Canadian insurance and investment market provides confidence for users.
Andrew Noble, managing director of Group Savings at benefitsConnect Canada and an early adopter of the platform, said the GRS system is “well-designed, flexible and easy.” He added that simplicity and speed are especially important for smaller companies without large HR departments, noting that client setup typically takes less than 10 minutes.
Empire Life said the new platform supports employers seeking to attract and retain staff in a competitive labour market. According to the 2025 Canadian Retirement Survey by HOOPP and Abacus Data, saving for retirement is a top financial priority for Canadians, second only to managing daily expenses.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Lycos, vice-president of Group Product and Marketing at Empire Life, said that as financial stress increases, more Canadians are turning to their employers for support. She noted that a group retirement savings plan can be a cost-effective way for employers to help employees meet their savings goals through automatic payroll contributions.
Christine Wyatt, vice-president of Group Distribution, said offering a GRS plan can enhance an employer’s benefits offering, helping to attract and retain talent by addressing employees’ long-term financial wellbeing.
With its national rollout, the Empire Life GRS platform positions the insurer to compete more strongly in the growing market for digital retirement solutions catering to small and medium-sized enterprises across Canada.
