Your most precious resource and a changing workplace: this year's 'BC's Top Employers' are announced

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 8, 2022 /CNW/ - The pandemic has made employees more aware of that their most precious resource is time – and employers in British Columbia are responding with innovative programs and workplace models that help employees make the most of their time. The best of these initiatives were recognized today as this year's BC's Top Employers was announced by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada's Top 100 Employers project.

"There is a grounded, balanced approach to work in general, and this is reflected in the policies of British Columbia employers," says Kristina Leung, Senior Editor at Mediacorp. "Time is the most precious resource, and this year's winners have made it a priority to offer flexible and generous time off policies to help ensure that employees take time for themselves – whether it's spending quality time with friends and family, engaging in physical activity, or pursuing personal interests and passions."

"Since the pandemic, the need for employees to balance their work commitments with personal time has never been greater," adds Richard Yerema, Managing Editor at Mediacorp. "Employers are navigating permanent changes to the workplace – and hybrid workplaces that focus on flexibility are very much front-and-centre at forward-thinking employers."

Some of the initiatives recognized at this year's winners include:

• BC Centre for Ability has introduced online communications initiatives to keep employees updated and seek their feedback, from mental health conversations to discussions on the future of work and culture – including a special staff survey, "Working in a World Post-Pandemic."
  
  
• Calabrio has a special staff committee ("Calabrio Balance") that organizes a range of wellness initiatives, from sports clubs to mental health resources – the committee also organizes wellness events, such as flu shots and virtual wellness clinics.
  
  
• During the pandemic, Burnaby-based Clio moved employees to work-from-home arrangements and offered a $150 monthly benefit that can be spent on anything that improves wellness, from enhanced Internet access to gym memberships and office supplies.
  
  
• Kabam Games in Vancouver offers a flexible benefits plan that lets employees transfer unused coverage to a health spending account, a personal spending account, a TFSA or an RRSP – the plan also provides excellent coverage for mental health services (to $1,000 annually).
  
  
• Vancouver-based construction firm Ledcor offers employees a unique program ("Savings Time Annual Reward") that gives employees with five years of service the choice of taking an extra 40 hours of paid vacation or receiving an equivalent dollar amount deposited into their Ledcor RRSP account.
  
  
• Engineering firm Mott MacDonald introduced a new well-being portal to encourage employees to assess and develop actions to improve their well-being and health – the portal features online resources, the ability to connect with like-minded colleagues as well as organize personal fitness challenges, local fitness competitions and inter-office competitions.
  
  
• Providence Health Care offers progressive time off policies that allow employees to take time for themselves, providing four weeks of starting vacation allowance, up to five paid personal days for most employees, and up to 18 paid sick days annually.
  
  
• During the pandemic, TELUS expanded its online care offerings to ensure employees could access physical and mental health care services virtually, and introduced a special subsidy (to $1,000) to help staff offset the expense of setting up a home office.
  
  
• Through an annual campaign ("Thrive Week"), UBC aims to improve employees' mental well-being through dialogue, awareness, healthy choices, social support and normalizing mental health challenges – the university offers generous coverage for mental health practitioners (to $2,500 annually).
  
  
• At the City of Vancouver, a special fitness initiative ("Fit City") encourages staff to lead healthy and active lifestyles through in-house programming, monthly newsletters, online resources, discounted fitness club memberships, and a rewards program to recognize healthy behaviours.
  
  
• WorkSafeBC encourages employees to put their health and wellness first, providing a generous mental health practitioner benefit (to $2,400 per year) and organizing in-house initiatives such as a 30-day mindfulness challenge, stretch break programs, as well as a lunch-and-learn series on health and personal finance.

Published annually since 2006, BC's Top Employers is an editorial competition that recognizes employers in British Columbia that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Employers throughout the province were evaluated by the editors at Canada's Top 100 Employers using the same criteria as the national competition: (1) Physical 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. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. The annual competition is open to any employer with its head office in British Columbia; employers of any size may apply, whether private or public sector.

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, including The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, one of Canada's largest job search engines, which reaches millions of job-seekers annually and features editorial reviews from the Canada's Top 100 Employers project.

The full list of BC's Top Employers for 2022 was announced today in a special magazine co-published with the Vancouver Sun. Detailed reasons for selection for each of the winners, with hundreds of stories and photos, were released by the editors today and are accessible via the competition homepage: https://www.canadastop100.com/bc

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Stephanie Leung, Assistant Editor, 416-964-6069 x1477