Acts of service: 'Manitoba's Top Employers' for 2023 transform communities through local charitable initiatives

WINNIPEG, MB, March 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Employers in Manitoba have a special role to play in strengthening local communities and creating opportunities for their employees to make a difference at local charitable organizations. That's the message from this year's Manitoba's Top Employers, announced this morning by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada's Top 100 Employers project.

"Top employers in Manitoba are raising the bar in their support of local community groups to guarantee maximum impact," says Richard Yerema, executive editor at the Canada's Top 100 Employers project. "Through programs like matching charitable donations by employees and providing paid time off to volunteer (often with no formal maximums), this year's winners offer staff the ability to take action and really make a difference."

With deep connections to the community, this year's winners create opportunities for their employees to make a difference in the places where they live and work. These employers perform a valuable role by organizing programs and initiatives that make it easier for employees to volunteer at local charities and shape their communities for the better.

"Employees are contributing to the improvement of their own communities by participating in local charitable efforts, as well as gaining confidence and learning skills they can bring to work," Yerema adds. "This represents a remarkable return on investment for employers, which benefit from a better skilled and confident workforce."

Some of the initiatives singled out by the editors at this year's winners include: 

• True North Sports + Entertainment employees enjoy unique perks, such as discounts on sports items, contest prizes for casual events staff, free tickets to events held at the organization's facilities, discounted hockey tickets, staff intramural sports and hockey and even a 'learn-to-play hockey' program on the NHL ice.
• Westoba Credit Union manages a special donation fund ('Inspire') that provides funding for community initiatives and encourages employees to volunteer at local charities, with an unlimited number of volunteer days off.
• Roquette Canada Ltd. supports employee health through several initiatives, including weekly webinars ('Wellness Wednesdays'), unlimited use of an employee and family assistance plan covering mental health and wellness, a dedicated mental health practitioner's benefit, free access to an onsite fitness facility, and a free healthy snack program.
• With its focus on community development, Access Credit Union established a special investment committee responsible to review donation requests from local charities; the company also provides paid time off to volunteer in the community and matches employee donations to charitable organizations.
• Manitoba Hydro encourages employees to support charitable initiatives by asking them to provide feedback on which initiatives the company should support and offering matching donations to charities where employees volunteer.

Now in its 17th year, Manitoba's Top Employers is an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers. This special designation recognizes the Manitoba employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Editors at Mediacorp review employers on eight criteria, which have remained consistent since the project's inception: (1) Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement. The editors publish detailed 'reasons for selection' for these criteria, providing transparency in the selection of winners and a catalogue of best practices for employers and job-seekers alike.

Founded in 1992, Mediacorp Canada Inc. is the nation's largest publisher of employment periodicals. Since 1999, the Toronto-based publisher has managed the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which includes 18 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach millions of Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, one of Canada's largest job search engines, which reaches over two million job-seekers annually and features exclusive editorial reviews from the Canada's Top 100 Employers project.

The full list of Manitoba's Top Employers (2023) was announced today in a special magazine co-published with the Winnipeg Free Press. Detailed reasons for selection for each of this year's winners, as well as additional stories and photos, were released today by the editors and are accessible via the competition homepage.

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Stephanie Leung, [email protected]