For second consecutive year Loblaw earns distinction as one of the Best Employers For New Canadians

BRAMPTON, ON, March 14, 2012 /CNW/ - (TSX: L) - For the second year in a row, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) has been named one of the Best Employers for New Canadians by Mediacorp Canada Inc. This award commends Loblaw for its efforts in creating a great place to work for newcomers to Canada that is inclusive and respectful of ethnic diversity. This recognition reflects positively the Company's commitment to Reflect our Nation's Diversity, one of five Corporate Social Responsibility principles that shape the way Loblaw does business.

"Loblaw is honoured to be recognized as one of the Best Employers for New Canadians. We are proud of the impact that our recruitment and orientation approach and processes have had in enabling and  supporting a workplace culture that contributes to successful integration of our new colleagues," said Judy McCrie, executive vice president, Human Resources and Labour Relations, Loblaw Companies Limited.

Some of the initiatives that helped Loblaw earn its place on the Best Employers for New Canadians list:

• International Credentials: Loblaw is committed to reducing the employment barriers for recent immigrants and understands the importance of recognizing foreign credentials.  In addition to the Inclusion Toolkit that provides resources for the assessment of international qualifications, additional programs have been developed to ensure that international talent is fairly recognized. For eligible colleagues across the organization, Loblaw offers financial assistance to those wishing to upgrade their international credentials and professional accreditations. Loblaw also partners with the University of Toronto to offer a Pharmacy Graduate Program, including a 6 month internship at a Loblaw pharmacy, to international students with validated foreign credentials. And, the grad@loblaw program welcomes recent international graduates who meet the equivalent Canadian educational requirements.
  
  
• Workplace Culture: Loblaw is committed to ensuring that cultural, religious and language needs of new Canadians are recognized and respected.
• An online training course offered through the Loblaw Inclusion Toolkit introduces managers and colleagues to resources and information related to cross-cultural issues and inclusiveness to ensure a welcoming environment.
• The Loblaw buddy program pairs all new hires with a colleague to assist with transition into the workplace. Whenever possible, buddies are assigned based on a shared second-language or other similarities.
• At the store and store support offices, Loblaw has implemented various diversity initiatives to ensure a multi-cultural and multi-faith workplace. Some examples of these include access to Reflection / Quiet rooms, diverse food options in cafeterias, and opportunities to educate colleagues about religious observances and their importance.
• Loblaw's diversity efforts are spearheaded by its Inclusion Council, made up of senior leaders from across the organization. The mandate of the Inclusion Council is to ensure that Loblaw's commitment to creating an inclusive and respectful workplace is met. This group meets on a quarterly basis to identify goals and opportunities, and monitor programs.
  
  
• Recruitment: Loblaw continues to strive to reflect the community that it serves by working with external organizations who are experts in diversity. Loblaw works with various community organizations including ACCES Employment and Career Edge Organization to match the resumes of new Canadian jobseekers with available job opportunities within the Company. To ensure that new Canadians who apply for positions are considered fairly, Loblaw's Inclusion Toolkit equips recruitment personnel with resources so that they can better understand foreign credentials, as well as important cultural competencies and differences.

Now in its fifth year, the Best Employers for New Canadians award is a national award that recognizes Canada's best employers for recent immigrants. These employers offer programs that assist new Canadians in transitioning to a new workplace - and a new life in Canada.

About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ more than 135,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President's Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial® services and offers the PC® points loyalty program.

Public Relations Department, Loblaw Companies Limited
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