Benefits & Services

 

Accident & Sickness Insurance Benefits

All Equity members in good standing are eligible for some level of insurance and health benefits under the Association's insurance plan. It is important that members ensure their Equity membership status is up to date in order to qualify for applicable benefits.

As of January 1, 2022, Equity's member insurance plan is administered by insurance provider, Crawford & Company.

Members may confirm their off-contract insurance eligibility for the current year on the members-only My Profile page.

Important note: Members must be in good standing at the time of making an insurance claim or risk having their claim denied.

Worked a Minimum of Eight Weeks in Previous Year
Members who were insured (worked under contract*) for a minimum of eight weeks in the previous year are eligible for off-contract accident and sickness insurance benefits (as described in Equity's insurance plan), during the present calendar year. Essentially this means that up to 50% of the cost of eligible medical supplies and services required in the case of accident and sickness will be reimbursed, off-contract, subject to annual limits.

In addition, when working, both accident and sickness benefits will apply to members when working under contract and the coverage increases. Please review Equity's insurance plan for more policy details and coverage maximums.

Did Not Work a Minimum of Eight Weeks in Previous Year
Members who were not insured (worked under contract*) for a minimum of eight weeks in the previous year are eligible for off-contract accident insurance benefits only (as described in Equity's insurance plan), during the present calendar year. Essentially this means that up to 50% per cent of the cost of eligible medical supplies and services required in the case of accident will be reimbursed, off-contract, subject to annual limits.

In addition, when working, both accident and sickness benefits will apply to members under contract, and the coverage increases. Please review Equity's insurance plan for more policy details and coverage maximums.

*Note: Members working under Amateur, Festival or Collective policies pay the lowest insurance premium. Work weeks under such contracts do not count towards eligibility for Sickness Coverage.

As of January 1, 2022, send medical claim and income replacement documents (including scanned receipts) to: equity@crawco.ca

FILE ONLINE

Submitting a claim to Crawford & Company under Equity’s insurance plan is easier than ever. Simply visit the Claim Submission Portal for Canadian Actors’ Equity Association and create your account now to submit your claim digitally.

SAVE

Fillable claim forms are available that may be completed online. These forms allow the use of a digital or image signature (open the "Fill & Sign > Place Signature" feature in Adobe Reader for more information). Make sure to save the completed fillable claim form to your files. Members may also email an insurance form without a signature provided it is sent from the member's email address on file with Equity.

SCAN

Include all necessary receipts and required documents. A clear photograph of receipts is also acceptable.

EMAIL

Review the claim form checklist before emailing your claim to avoid any unnecessary processing delays.

RETAIN

Keep all original receipts for one year.

Questions about Equity's insurance plan or an individual member's coverage or claims should be directed to:

 

Crawford & Company
100 Milverton Blvd - Suite 300
Mississauga, ON L5R 4H1
Phone: 1-888-688-4344
Email: equity@crawco.ca

 

 

Complaints about disqualified claims may be sent to:

Marion (Maz) Magoris, CPA, CMA.
Director of Finance & Administration
maz@caea.com
TF: 1-800-387-1856 (416-867-9165 in Toronto) Ext. 228

Chubb Life Insurance Company of Canada continues to be the provider for Equity members' Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Plan. Access the AD&D information at the bottom of the page here.

 

Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)

Equity members benefit from mandatory participation in a group RRSP.

Generally, most Equity contracts require the engager to deduct 6% per cent of each eligible member's fee at source, which is forwarded to Equity in trust and deposited directly into a member's RRSP account. Members may make voluntary contributions to their RRSP account at anytime.

canada-life-logo Canada Life Assurance Company, a leader in the group retirement marketplace in Canada, is Equity's retirement savings plans provider.

Canada Life's GRS Access portal provides Equity members with a full complement of information and assistance services required to manage their group retirement and savings plan and will also provide investment advice to Equity members upon request. Members may register online to access or check their balance, make account changes, create a retirement plan and more. Canada Life provides RRSP quarterly updates to Equity members and mails annual statements for tax purposes.

Please note: To make a withdrawal from a RRSP account, please contact Canada Life directly. They have trained representatives on hand to assist you. It is important to note that RRSP withdrawals are subject to withholding tax and administrative fees when you request an early withdrawal from your RRSP funds.

Canada Life

Access Line: 1-800-724-3402, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
TTY machine: 1-800-942-6147, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Email: grsnet@gwl.ca
(Include full name plus one of the following: plan/policy number, plan sponsor/employer name, date of birth in email)

Every Equity member must open an RRSP. New members receive a form authorizing Equity to open an RRSP account in their name which must be completed and returned to Equity. RRSP deposits cannot be made without receipt of this document.

 

Advocacy

Equity regularly undertakes advocacy efforts at the federal level on a number issues including stable and sustainable arts and culture funding, input on federal budgets, diverse identities on and offstage, zero tolerance on bullying and harassment, and, increasingly, on trade.

 

Contract Support

Equity supports the creative efforts of its members by working to improve their working conditions and access to work opportunities. Equity negotiates strong agreements and administers fair policies for its members. There are a number of staff resources and support available to Equity members.

Administration and enforcement of Equity’s agreements and policies are the responsibility of the Business Representatives. They are responsible for the interpretation and application of Equity’s agreements and policies. They ensure that the minimum terms of each member’s contract, including minimum fees, working conditions and protection from harassment and discrimination, meet the requirements of the specific agreement in force. When issues arise, a Business Representative will represent members’ concerns with engagers.

Members should never hesitate to contact a Business Representative at any time with any question or concern. Emergency situations may be reported 24/7.

 

Member Meetings

When possible, member information meetings and National AGMs are recorded and archived for future playback. If you missed a member meeting, you can search this page for the video recording and any applicable presentation materials. Some member meetings may not be recorded due to privacy, confidentiality, or the subject matter of the meeting / presentation.

 

Members' Advantage Program

MembersAdvantageProgramLogoThe Members' Advantage Program (MAP) offers members an array of discounts through Union Savings, a year's free membership with CultureBrew.Art for Equity’s BIPOC members, reduced membership in the Spencer Health Network and GoodLife Fitness, and mental wellness support through the LifeWorks platform. Learn more about your exclusive member discounts here.

Special Initiatives

The health and safety of Equity members during the COVID-19 global pandemic continues is a paramount priority for Equity. The current COVID-19 Workplace Guidelines & Protocols (version 2) reflecting recent changes the work landscape in Canada is available for download.

In 2020, Ryerson University's Centre for Free Expression collaborated with Equity on a "Whistleblower" survey of our membership about the extent of harassment (including bullying) and discrimination in the live performance industry in Canada. The survey also examined how these incidents are being addressed by Equity and lessons that can be learned to provide effective whistleblower protection and create safer and healthier workplaces. The final report Harassment and Discrimination in Canada's Live Entertainment Industry: Report of the Survey of Canadian Actors' Equity Association Members is available to read.

Not In OUR Space! is a national anti-harassment and respectful workplace collaborative campaign developed by Equity which seeks to ensure healthy and productive working conditions for all professionals working in live performance across the country.

Building on the work of The Equity Census, Everybody Counts is a five-question survey collecting and securely storing basic demographic information. This information will allow Equity to measure the impact of member diversity on engagement patterns and to lobby more effectively.

The ground-breaking 2015 Equity Census was developed to better understand the demographic composition of Equity's membership and to identify potential barriers to employment experienced by members in Equity’s jurisdiction. The Equity Census Executive Summary and complete Final Report are available for download.

TIn 2019, Equity’s launched the Mental Health & Wellness Survey giving members the opportunity to speak their minds on mental health issues relating to live performance work on and offstage, insurance coverage and more. This initiative to help Equity establish support strategies for artists to sustain healthy lives in healthy careers.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, professional development monies will not be available for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 years.