Markham companies among Greater Toronto’s Top Employers
Aviva Canada, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., LEA Consulting Ltd. and York Regional Police (YRP) are among this year’s winners of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers 2025 competition.
The winners were announced by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. “The individuals working at this year’s winners mirror the diversity of the population in the region,” says Richard Yerema, executive editor of the project.
“To retain employees over the long term, employers need to offer benefits and programs that encourage their people to grow with the organization. The best employers constantly raise the bar by making these benefits flexible, so employees can really customize them to suit their needs.”
This is the fourth consecutive year Aviva has won the award. The accolade highlights its comprehensive benefits plan, which supports the mental, physical and financial wellbeing of its people. A personal spending account of $200 can be used to offset such expenses as a gym membership. Employees enjoy free access to a meditation app and four weeks of starting vacation allowance.
Aviva Canada provides tuition subsidies with no maximum, financial bonuses for designation completions, dedicated development programs for women in leadership, top talent and emerging leaders, along with various student programs to invest in a talent pipeline. It prioritizes diversity and inclusion throughout the organization. A share purchase plan fosters an ownership mentality.
Hyundai starts new employees with three weeks of vacation allowance and offering 10 wellness days annually, which can be used for illness, injury, personal wellness or mental health, or supporting a dependent’s needs.
It also offers a reward for employees who successfully refer candidates, providing a $500 referral bonus and an additional $500 donation to a charity of their choice. Employees can take advantage of a reduced lease rate program for up to two vehicles per year, including family members at the same address, with coverage for winter tires, insurance and maintenance.
LEA Consulting supports all new parents with maternity and parental leave top-ups to 75 per cent of salary for 16 weeks. It encourages an ownership culture through share purchase and profit-sharing plans for all employees and helps employees save for the future with matching Retirement Savings Plan contributions. It also confers with employees to provide feedback on their favourite charities to receive support and encourages employees to donate their time with one paid day to volunteer annually.
YRP helps employees plan for their futures with retirement planning assistance services, along with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan. It also provides retiree health benefits with premium coverage up to the age of 65, which is then followed by a health spending account available up to the age of 75. In addition to long-term savings, YRP offers helpful financial perks throughout an employee’s career, including low-interest home loans, and discounted home and auto insurance.
YRP maintains an employee-led sports committee that organizes employee softball, hockey, soccer and beach volleyball leagues, and helps to arrange a variety of competitive recreational and charity sporting events. The organization also supports a formal wellness program that promotes spiritual and mental health initiatives.
Now in its 19th year, Greater Toronto’s Top Employers is an editorial project that 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: Workplace; Work Atmosphere & Social; Health, Financial & Family Benefits; Vacation & Time Off; Employee Communications; Performance Management; Training & Skills Development; and Community Involvement.
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. Visit www.canadastop100.com/toronto/ to learn more.
Photo of Aviva Canada’s 2024 Multicultural Expo event at its Markham office courtesy of Aviva Canada.