An insurance company that offers flexible benefit credits so employees can customize levels of medical and dental coverage is among numerous Markham-based companies crowned one of the Greater Toronto Area’s (GTA) Top 100 Employers 2022.
Aviva Canada Inc. also allows employees to take excess credits as taxable cash, transfer them to an RRSP or allocate them to a health spending account. It encourages employees to adopt an ownership mentality through a share purchase plan.
The Greater Toronto’s Top 100 Employers competition is an editorial project by Mediacorp Canada Inc., the nation’s largest publisher of employment periodicals. Its annual list of top employers is chosen based on several criteria, including training and skills development, community involvement and forward-thinking workplace policies. Other Markham companies recognized this year and some of the reasons why they were selected include:
AMD/Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. This computer technology manufacturing company encourages employee innovation through its annual Innovation Showcase, allowing employees to share ideas for new products, enhanced performance or optimization. It pivoted its physical fitness centre to virtual programming this past year, organizing nearly 830 fitness classes.
BDO Canada LLP. This accounting firm maintains an internal wellness resource centre featuring resources to support physical, mental and financial well-being. Employees can claim up to 75 per cent of their wellness expenses each year, including personal fitness or wellness activities, memberships, home office equipment and mental wellness apps.
Ceridian HCM Inc. This human resources software and services company maintains an in-house Live Well, Work Well program to support employees’ career, emotional, financial, physical and social well-being. It offers training opportunities for various stages of career development, including paid internships and co-op placements for early-career individuals as well as mentoring and leadership training for more experienced employees.
CGI Inc. Over the past year, this information technology organized a variety of virtual events, including a movie night (with employees receiving home deliveries of theatre treats), an outdoor scavenger walk and a bake-off that allowed employees’ children to showcase their culinary skills. A share purchase plan lets everyone share in the fruits of their labour.
Hatch Ltd. This engineering services company implemented an office reimbursement program over this past year to help employees outfit their home offices with furniture or supplies. It recognizes employee dedication and accomplishments through an annual global awards program.
Philips Canada. This company offers healthcare, lighting and consumer products. It offered with virtual self-care programs and kept employees connected through exercise challenges, trivia events and other activities. A health benefits plan features an annual allotment of flex dollars that can be allocated to a health spending account for additional coverage, a personal spending account for wellness-related expenses or a group RRSP.
Seneca College. Opportunities available to employees include one-year paid professional development leaves, a tuition assistance program and learning modules in leadership, technology, health and wellness and communications through the a leadership and employee development program.
Techtronic Industries Canada Inc. expanded its dedicated health and wellness subsidy to include all sports equipment as well as fitness and sports membership fees. It helped keep employees working from home amid the pandemic connected through a number of virtual social events, including virtual coffee chats, a virtual marathon run and a TikTok dancing video challenge.
York Regional Police established a dedicated pandemic information page on the corporate intranet as well as a hotline and support email to receive and respond to employee questions in a timely fashion.
Photo: Employees taking part in a teaching and learning day. Photo courtesy of Seneca College.
