At Vancouver-based marine services firm Seaspan, employee benefits that cater to a diverse workforce are key to creating an inclusive environment where workers feel respected and empowered to be their best.

“It ensures everyone can contribute fully while advancing equitable access to opportunities and embedding inclusion across all aspects of the employee experience,” says Paola Arboleda, the organization’s total rewards specialist.

An inclusive approach

From a total rewards perspective, one of Seaspan’s biggest priorities is to evolve its policies and programs to better reflect the needs of its diverse workforce.

Read: Expert panel: How employers can align their benefits plan and DEI strategy

For employees who want to build their families, the organization offers $10,000 in fertility drug coverage and, as of Jan. 1, 2026, $10,000 for surrogacy-related expenses. In 2024, it introduced a $500 wellness account (which it calls a personal spending account) for salaried workers that can cover a range of expenses that fit employees’ diverse needs. In 2025, more than 80 per cent of employees spent the full amount on eligible expenses such as home-office supplies, Indigenous medicine, personal fitness and tuition.

This approach extends to Seaspan’s compensation practices. In compliance with B.C.’s Pay Transparency Act, it conducts ongoing gender pay gap analyses to ensure equity in pay practices, with a long-term goal of increasing female representation in leadership roles. Moving forward, the analyses inform managers when making equitable pay decisions.

The organization is also supporting the next generation of workers through its DEI strategy. As part of its scholarship program, it offers a diversity and inclusion category, which is awarded to employees’ children and grandchildren from historically underrepresented groups, such as gender........

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