Beyond Digital Wellness: Why Every HR Leader Should Add Cyber Security to Employee Benefits

Why HR & Benefits Leaders Should Care About Cyber Risks 

The ripple effects of cyber threats land squarely in the workplace, undermining employees’ financial security, mental health, productivity and ultimately shaping how they feel about their employer. 

The Financial Burden 

In 2024 alone, Canadians lost more than $640 million to cyber crime with one in two falling victim to email, text, phishing, impersonation or ID theft scams.  

“In just the past 12 months, one in four Canadian banking customers experienced a cyber incident,” says Hand, adding more than three quarters of Canadians are worried that fraud attempts could impact their financial health and wellbeing. 

For employees, the financial impact of a stolen identity, drained bank account or fraudulent credit card charges can be devastating – a reality they’ll bring with them to work every day. 

The Mental Health Toll 

Victims of cyber crime often experience anxiety and depression, shame and social withdrawal, trauma and relationship strain. 

Over 80% of Canadians say they’re worried about being hacked or defrauded online. 

They’re increasingly targeted by online ID Theft and fraud, including romance scams, cyber extortion and blackmail, and AI-driven voice cloning and deepfake scams. The psychological trauma can linger for months or even years, undermining employees’ sense of safety and wellbeing in the long term. 

“Employees are already worried about this,” Hand says. “If they haven’t already been a victim of cyber crime, most know someone who’s had an incident or lost money. They just don’t know what to do about it. That’s where employers can step in.” 

Mental health resources tailored to support cyber crime victims and employees facing ongoing cyber security stress can go a long way in driving employee well-being and impacting greater organizational engagement metrics like employee attraction and retention.

The Culture & Retention Challenge 

A strong workplace culture depends on employees feeling safe, supported and valued.  

When employees face digital threats without adequate support, the impact on engagement and morale is significant. Stress spills over into daily work, disengagement rises and turnover risk grows. 

Research shows cyber security fatigue, which is the constant stress of dealing with suspicious emails, messages and alerts. It is a growing factor in employee burnout and disengagement. And burnt-out employees are 2.6 times more likely to leave for a less stressful workplace.

From an organisational perspective, cyber incidents can disrupt operations, drain resources and harm your company’s reputation, which in turn can damage workplace culture and stakeholder trust. 

By adding a prevention-first, comprehensive suite of cyber security tools and services to their benefits programs, like BOXX’s innovative Cyberboxx® Assist, HR and Benefits leaders can help ensure their employees are protected from the mental, social and financial tolls that cyber threats can have on their workforce. 

Beyond Digital Wellness: The Next Frontier in Employee Benefits 

Most HR leaders are already familiar with digital wellness initiatives, including programs that encourage employees to unplug, reduce screen time or balance work and home life. Those remain important, but they’re no longer enough, says Hand. 

“As services and people are online, cyber criminals grow stealthier and more sophisticated, leaving employees increasingly vulnerable to exploitation. Protecting their health and safety in a digital world now means going beyond balance with technology to actively defending against the real threats that can destabilize their lives at home and at work,” Hand says. 

While the concept of adding cyber safety to the employee value proposition is gaining traction in Europe, it’s still a largely untapped opportunity in Canada. HR and Benefits leaders can pioneer this benefit which employees instantly recognize as relevant and valuable, says Hand. 

Why 24/7 Cyber Safety Benefits Differentiate Your Employer Brand 

Adding cyber protection to your benefits program isn’t just about reducing risk. It’s a chance to strengthen your value as an HR or Benefits leader, positioning yourself as someone who brings fresh, high-impact ideas to the table to differentiate your company’s brand. 

The Benefits for Employers 

• Reduce Costs and Organizational Risk: Lower the frequency and impact of incidents that could lead to costly data breaches and operational disruptions.
• Boost Employee Engagement and Wellbeing: Help decrease stress levels and improve focus and productivity that positively impacts culture and morale. 
• Seamless Integration and Low Implementation Burden: Easily add cyber safety benefits to existing plans with minimal cost and disruption. 
• Empower a Culture of Cyber Awareness: Foster employee vigilance and strengthen cyber security defences with comprehensive education and resources. 

 The Benefits for Employees 

• Protection from scams and identity theft – Reduce the financial and emotional toll of cyber crime. 
• Lower stress levels – Support for managing the anxiety that comes with living in a high-risk digital world. 
• Personalized education – Practical, accessible resources to improve cyber hygiene. 
• 24/7 support – A trusted cyber security expert to call when something goes wrong, whether it’s a suspicious email or a stolen identity.

“Once people get this benefit, they highly value it,” says Hand. “It’s affordable, it’s accessible and it makes innovators out of HR leaders, who get to be the first to bring something new and meaningful into the benefits package.”

How to Foster Employee Cyber Wellbeing 

Cyberboxx® Assist is designed to give employees peace of mind and employers the confidence that they support it. 

It’s a comprehensive suite of cyber security tools and services that helps employees predict, prevent and respond to cyber threats, through risk assessments, compliance tools and 24/7 expert support. 

Here’s how Cyberboxx® Assist supports employee wellbeing within a complete employee benefits package: 

 24/7 Breach Response Services 

Employees get immediate guidance from BOXX Hackbusters® experts when something goes wrong, whether it’s a ransomware scare, online scam or concern over a stolen identity keeping them up at night – Hackbusters helps prevent stressful cyber incidents and financial losses. “Think of this as roadside assistance for cyber,” Hand says. 

Identity & Dark Web Monitoring 

Continuous scanning and real-time alerts if professional, personal or family data surfaces in risky places online. 

Cyber Risk Awareness & Education 

Access to a resource hub with engaging webinars, bite-sized online training and comprehensive cyber resources hat give employees practical tools to stay safe online. 

Personalized Digital Risk Assessments 

Actionable snapshots of each employee’s digital footprint, with clear steps to fix weak spots and strengthen defenses. 

Guided Assistance for Everyday Issues
Easy-to-follow solutions to resolve common tech and cyber security headaches before they become major problems. 

Be the Cyber Safety and Wellbeing Innovator 

Cyber threats and digital fraud have become top concerns for Canadians, impacting their lives at home and at work. Your employees are already worried about it. Many have already been victims. Yet very few benefits programs address it. 

By adding Cyberboxx Assist to your benefits program, you can go beyond traditional wellness to protect employees’ digital health, safety and peace of mind. 

“We give employees tools to make them a harder target for cyber criminals, from education and proactive monitoring to alerts they can action to take back control. A little goes a long way,” Hand says. “And most importantly, if something does happen, your employees don’t have to lose sleep over it. They can just call us – day or night – and we’ll help. Knowing your employer supports you so you don’t have to face cyber threats alone, is a benefit that employees instantly recognize as valuable. It’s a win for them and a win for you. This is a modern benefit that strengthens culture, reduces risk and sets your organization apart.”