Simon Fraser University
At Simon Fraser, employees get four weeks of paid vacation time and have access to extensive healthcare facilities in one of Canada’s unique campuses, located atop Burnaby Mountain. It features a swimming pool, indoor soccer, racquetball courts, fitness consultations, a climbing wall and instructor-led courses for yoga, dance and martial arts.
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal offers hybrid work options for those who want to work in the office as well as from home, extensive health benefits which include nutrition planning, no waiting periods for coverage and strong mental health coverage. Additionally, it boasts an extensive online skills inventory, in-house training programs and mentoring as part of its extensive skill-building options. Tuition subsidies are also available for courses related or not related to the employee’s job.
Work Abroad Options
For newcomers, they prefer employers that offer a work-life balance, which means the flexibility to work remotely or even abroad. The winners for this year’s competition include employers with progressive work abroad options. The top scorers include:
British Columbia Investment Management Corp. (BCI)
BCI’s hybrid work option features a “Work from Anywhere” policy, allowing employees to work remotely for up to one month a year. They can also divide this into smaller segments. The company also offers a “Talking to Strangers” program, ensuring employees stay connected even while working remotely.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) Canada
Procter & Gamble (P&G) Canada implements “work-ways”, encouraging employees to work with their managers to design remote work options meeting their needs and the business demands. This arrangement also includes an opportunity to work abroad and a work-from-home allowance.
Bank of Canada (BoC)
BoC’s remote work options include a “work from away” policy, allowing employees to work up to six weeks per year at an approved international or Canadian location. This program is designed to alleviate community or family pressures.
Fowler Bauld & Mitchell Ltd. (FBM)
FBM offers extensive remote work options including hybrid, flexible work hours and compressed work week. The latter offers extended weekends and four-day work weeks.
Unique Perks and Work Environments
Below are three employers that top this category:
Binder Dijker Otte (BDO) Canada offers the “Do What You Love” program, which will reimburse an employee for their personal undertakings, including sporting event tickets, travel-related expenses, cooking classes and recreational admissions. The company can reimburse up to $1,350 CAD.
Harper Collins Canada Ltd. and Harlequin Enterprises ULC offer an immersive work environment featuring sit-stand workstations, multiple author events and a bookshop where employees borrow books for free.
Mars Canada’s head office in Toronto features an extensive work set-up that includes a community garden, volleyball, indoor and outdoor dog parks, basketball courts, a maple syrup bush, hockey rink and a host of other amenities.
