Canadas Top 100

BC-BC Hydro
BC-University of British Columbia
National-BMO financial group.

BC Hydro


Why was this chosen?

• provides maternity leave top-up payments to employees who are new mothers (to 85% of salary for 17 weeks)
• offers employees up to 20 paid personal days off each year and provides them with the flexible options to 'cash-out' unused days
• manages a technologist-in-training program for candidates in the engineering, operations and electrical systems maintenance and repair fields and hosts in-house apprenticeship programs for graduates from a wide variety of technical fields
• also encourages employees' ongoing development with generous tuition subsidies, in-house and online training programs, and subsidies for professional accreditation
• offers a range of onsite amenities including a fitness facility with massage therapy and physiotherapy services, a quiet room for meditation or religious observance, and a cafeteria with subsidized meals
• helps employees prepare for retirement with generous contributions to a defined benefit pension plan and a phased-in retirement work option that allows employees to gradually decrease their hours.

     Employment Backround


-BC Hydro generates and distributes electricity to residents in British Columbia. The provincial Crown corporation is one of Canada's largest public utilities, operating 30 hydroelectric facilities (which produce 80 percent of the province's electricity), two gas-fired thermal plants and one combustion fuel turbine station. In addition to its primary offices in Vancouver and Burnaby, BC Hydro has offices and facilities located in communities across the province.

    Physical Workplace

-BC Hydro's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Employees are located at generating facilities and field offices in communities across the province. Employees living in the Greater Vancouver Area work from major offices in Vancouver and Burnaby close to public transit options, restaurants, shopping areas and parkland (including Stanley Park). The public utility is planning to build all new office facilities to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard. The Vancouver head office also features an onsite fitness facility (with subsidized memberships; on-site massage therapy and physiotherapy services; personal trainer); employee lounge; religious observance room; onsite cafeteria (with healthy menus and subsidized meals); secure bicycle parking; transit subsidies.

Work Atmosphere

-BC Hydro's work atmosphere is rated as very good. Head office employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams. Social gatherings are organized by individual departments, and include holiday parties and other team recognition events. BC Hydro keep employees up-to-date and gathers feedback through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; email suggestion box.

Financial Benefits.

-BC Hydro's financial benefits are rated as above-average. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. BC Hydro provides signing bonuses for some employees; year-end bonuses for all employees; defined benefit pension with employer contributions (up to 10.7% of salary); life & disability insurance.

Health Benefits

-BC Hydro's health and family benefits are rated as very good. The public utility has separate health benefits plans for its union (COPE and IBEW) and non-union personnel. All plans offer flexibility through varying levels of coverage, from no coverage to extended levels of coverage for employees and their families. There is no waiting period before coverage begins. The health plan also includes retiree coverage with no age limit. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; massage therapy; medical equipment and supplies; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. (As part of their flexible health plans, all employees can also select levels of coverage for routine, restorative and orthodontic services.). BC Hydro's family-friendly benefits include; fertility treatments; maternity top-up payments (to 85% of salary for 17 weeks); extended unpaid parental leave option (beyond the first year). Depending on their position within the utility, employee may also take advantage of a variety of alternative working options, including; flexible working hours; telecommuting; earned days off (EDO) program; phased-in retirement

Employee Engagement

-BC Hydro's employee engagement program is rated as average. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months. Managers receive training in how to conduct effective performance reviews. Performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work. As part of the review process employees can provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance. BC Hydro hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).


Deeley Harley-Davidson

Why was this chosen?

helps employees prepare for retirement with retirement planning assistance, a transitional work program that allows employees to gradually leave the workforce, and matching RSP contributions (from 5% to 9% of salary)

invests in employees' ongoing education with subsidies for professional accreditation and generous tuition subsidies for courses taken at outside institutions, with no annual maximum

Employer Backround

-Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada is the exclusive Canadian distributor for Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles, parts and accessories, branded products and related services. The company supplies merchandise to a wide network of more than 70 retailers across the country, from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Physical Workplace

-Deeley Harley-Davidson's physical workplace is rated as average. In addition to the Richmond head office, the company also has a state-of-the-art distribution centre and offices in Concord, Ontario (just north of Toronto). Back at the the head office, employees enjoy an employee lounge (with music, television and a Harley-Davidson decor); lunchroom areas; free coffee and tea; outdoor patio with barbecue; religious observance room; secure bicycle parking; free parking.

Work Atmosphere
-Deeley Harley-Davidson's work atmosphere is rated as above-average. On-the-job, employees enjoy casual dress daily; can listen to music while working; organized social events. The company-subsidized social committee organizes several social events every year (which mostly encompass a charitable fundraising component), including a golf tournament, an evening Christmas party for employees, a special Christmas party for employees children, Easter egg hunt, summer barbecues, Halloween costume lunch, and paintball and jousting matches

Financial Benefits
-Deeley Harley-Davidson's financial benefits are rated as very good. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. Deeley Harley- Davidson provides employees with year-end bonuses for all employees; matching RSP contributions (up to 9% of salary); life & disability insurance; retirement planning assistance; subsidized home Internet access; clothing allowance; and discounted company products.

Health Benefits
-Deeley Harley-Davidson's health and family benefits are rated as above-average. The company's health benefits plan is a self-insured plan. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. Employees who work 30 hours per week receive coverage. The waiting period for new employees is 90 days. Employees receive full family coverage on the health benefits plan.

Employee Engagement
-Deeley Harley-Davidson's employee engagement program is rated as very good. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 months. Managers receive training in how to conduct effective performance reviews. Performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work. Exit interview provided for departing employees

BMO Financial Group

Employer Backround

• supports employees' ongoing skills development by covering the full cost of tuition fees for courses at outside institutions (with no annual maximum) and through hundreds of courses through its impressive Institute for Learning in Toronto
• helps employees advance their careers at BMO with a formal mentoring program, career planning workshops, and other in-house/online training options
• offers parental leave top-up benefits to employees who are new mothers, fathers, or adoptive parents (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks)
• manages a flexible health benefits plan that includes fully-paid health coverage for retired employees (with no age limit)
• offers an enlightened sick-day policy through which employees can apply for personal days off (called People Care Days) that may be used for everything from moving to extended family responsibilities

   Physical Workplace

-BMO's physical workplace is rated as above-average. The bank's downtown head office is located in the landmark First Canadian Place tower, which has held the title of Canada's tallest office building since its completion in 1975. In addition to offering breathtaking views of the surrounding metropolis and Lake Ontario the building sits atop three levels of retail shops, services and restaurants and is connected to the city's extensive undergound PATH walking network, which offers all-weather access to public transit, major tourist attractions as well as hundreds of additional shops, services and restaurants. Inside, the head office features an impressive original art collection (with over 6,000 paintings, prints, sculptures and wall hangings dating back to the late nineteenth century) which is displayed throughout the office; an employee lounge (with comfortable seating, music and television); an adjacent third floor terrace that features a landscaped patio, outdoor running track and a unique putting green (which was established in memory of a colleague who lost his life in New York on September 11, 2001); a concierge and personal shopping service; nap room; religious observance room; onsite cafeteria (with subsidized meals and healthy menus items); secure bicycle parking; transit subsidies; valet parking and an after-hours escort service for employees working late. The bank also maintains a corporate university (called the Institute for Learning) which is located east of the downtown in Scarborough. The impressive facility offers classrooms, overnight accommodations, dining facilities, a lounge as well as an onsite fitness facility, complete with a lap pool, sauna and whirlpool.

Atmosphere

-BMO's work atmosphere is rated as very good. On the job, employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams; organized social events. As part of the bank's holiday celebration at Christmas, employees from across the GTA gather for BMO's Annual Open House at the head office. Employees enjoy food and are asked to bring non-perishable food items, toys and cash donations, which are donated to local social organizations. The bank also hosts a Christmas lunch party for employees' children, complete with face-painting, a tattoo parlour, cookie decorating, arts and craft and singing.l. Throughout the year, BMO Financial solicits feedback and keeps employees up-to-date about new developments through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; traditional suggestion box; email suggestion box.

Financial Benefits

-BMO's financial benefits are rated as exceptional. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. In addition to ensure pay levels remain competitive, the bank provides signing bonuses for some employees; year-end bonuses for all employees; share-purchase plan for all employees; defined benefit pension with employer contributions (up to 11% of salary); life & disability insurance; low interest home loans; discounted financial services and products; and employee referral bonuses for some positions.

Health Benefits.
-BMO's health and family benefits are rated as average. The health benefits plan is managed by Sun Life and Great West Life. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. The health plan is a flexible plan with adjustable premiums and coverage levels. Employees who work 7 hours per week receive coverage. There is no waiting period before coverage begins. Employees receive full family coverage on the health benefits plan. The health plan also includes retiree coverage with no age limit. The health plan also includes retiree coverage up to 80 years of age. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; eyecare ($200 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; medical equipment and supplies; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. BMO's family-friendly benefits include; maternity top-up payments (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks); pre-arranged emergency short-term daycare. Additional family-friendly benefits include; flexible working hours; telecommuting; shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); reduced summer hours program; compressed work week; job-sharing

Employee Engagement

-BMO's employee engagement program is rated as above-average. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 months. Managers receive training in how to conduct effective performance reviews. Performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work. As part of the review process employees can provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance. The bank maintains a formal employee recognition program that lets employees nominate their colleagues (and managers) for a job well done. The recognition provides recipients with points that can saved and traded for consumer products, travel and gift certificates. As part of the program, employees who receive the most recognition receive national recognition at the annual "Best-of-the-Best gala. The bank also celebrates employee milestones at one, three and five years of service (and every five years thereafter). BMO sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. (Surveys are conducted every 12 months); BMO hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).