Celebrating excellence in the nation's most dynamic and multicultural urban area, Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2026) marks its 20th edition

Recognizing the workplace innovators that best reflect the talent, culture and community of Canada's most vibrant urban region

TORONTO, Dec. 2, 2025 /CNW/ - As Canada's economic powerhouse, the Greater Toronto Area is used to setting the pace for much of the country. So it's no surprise that employers in the GTA set a high bar when it comes to handling the twin challenges of making their workplaces reflect the community around them and managing the return to in-office work. The best of these stories are highlighted at this year's Greater Toronto's Top Employers winners, announced this morning by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada's Top 100 Employers project.

"The Greater Toronto Area is one of the world's most dynamic and multicultural urban centres," says Stephanie Leung, editor at Mediacorp. "There's a unique vibrancy here that shows up not just in the employers chosen as Greater Toronto's Top Employers, but in the composition of their workforces. None of these employers needs to be persuaded of the merits of workplace diversity or inclusion – it's in their DNA because their organizations need to attract the best and brightest of those who live and work here."

GTA winners also expanded the number of initiatives to help employees with the return to more in-office presence. From social events to in-person professional development sessions and investments in re-imagined workplaces, GTA employers are making in-office work more social and something that helps employees – especially new recruits – advance in their careers. The results can be seen in increased foot traffic in business districts across the GTA, but especially downtown, which is starting to feel more like pre-pandemic days in terms of dynamism and bustling crowds.

"While there's no 'one-size-fits-all' when it comes to return in-office work," notes Kristina Leung, managing editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, "employers in the GTA are finding the policy that works best for their industry, making sure employees have the tools and support needed to make the transition. Competition for talent in the GTA is still acute, but so is competition for a company's products or services in the marketplace. The 'right' return-to-office policy is the one that balances these two competing interests in a sensitive way."

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the Greater Toronto's Top Employers competition, which recognizes employers with exceptional human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies. 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' around these criteria, providing transparency in the selection of winners and a catalogue of best practices for employers and job-seekers alike. The competition is open to any employer, public or private sector, with its head office or principal place of business in the Greater Toronto Area.

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 19 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach millions of Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners, including The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, a large job search engine that draws postings directly from employer websites. Last year, 2.2 million Canadians used Mediacorp's online sites to discover new job opportunities and learn from leading employers.

The full list of Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2026) was announced this morning in an extended magazine published online in The Globe and Mail and on Eluta.ca. Detailed "Reasons for Selection," along with hundreds of stories and photos highlighting winning initiatives, were released this morning on the competition homepage.

Join the discussion about today's announcement on social media:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/canada's-top-100-employers/
X/Twitter: @top_employers
Instagram & Facebook: @topemployers
Hashtags: #GTATopEmployers #TopEmployers2026

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Further information: Anthony Meehan, Publisher, [email protected]