For the eighth consecutive year, York Regional Police (YRP) has been named one of Greater Toronto’s Top 100 Employers, a designation that recognizes employers who lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work.
“To be named one of Greater Toronto Area’s Top 100 Employers is an honour for York Regional Police,” says Chief Jim MacSween. “We work hard to ensure our members are supported, have access to health and wellness programs and feel welcome and included in a professional environment.”
The Greater Toronto’s Top 100 Employers competition is an editorial project by Mediacorp Canada Inc., the nation’s largest publisher of employment periodicals. The project recognizes employers with exceptional human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies. Now in its seventeenth year, the project grades employers are graded on eight criteria: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time-off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement.
Some of the benefits that distinguish YRP include health and welfare benefits that include top-up payments for employees who are new parents. YRP is one of the few police services in Canada that has licensed clinical psychologists and other mental health clinicians on staff to provide members with rapid access to consultation services and training programs related to mental health.
“It used to be the case that having onsite amenities like a gym or a dry cleaner near the workplace was considered convenient,” says Kristina Leung, managing editor of the project. “But convenience today means something different. For many employees, it means being able to take care of household chores during a break or having more personal time from not having to commute to work daily.”
The Top 100 2023 list also recognizes numerous businesses with major Canadian hiring locations that include Markham. AMD/Advanced Micro Devices, a computer technology manufacturing company, was recognized for initiatives that include encouraging employee innovation through its annual Innovation Showcase that allows employees to share ideas for new products, enhanced performance or optimization.
Aviva Canada Inc. provides insurance services. As part of its health benefits plan, it offers flexible benefit credits per year, allowing employees to customize levels of medical and dental coverage. Excess credits may also be taken as taxable cash, transferred to an RRSP or allocated to a health spending account.
Engineering services provider Hatch Ltd. launched a ‘Manifesto Driven Workplace Guideline’ to help employees find better work-life balance. Employees were asked to share feedback on their professional goals, personal wellness and goals, and where, when and how they would like to work in order to develop individual plans to suit each employee’s needs.
Hyundai Auto Canada was recognized for its thoughtful approach when employees are called upon to care for a loved one, offering compassionate leave top-up of 75 per cent of salary for up to 15 weeks. Philips Canada, which offers health-care and consumer products, offers several time-off programs that allow employees to rest and recharge, as well as pursue personal goals, such as a vacation purchase program as well as an inclusion and diversity day to observe an important event or celebration, such as a learning or allyship opportunity.
Seneca College, which has a Markham campus, offers a variety of opportunities for employees to pursue ongoing education and development, including paid professional development leave, in-house and online training options, and career growth and development learning streams. United Way of Greater Toronto, a charitable organization with an office in Markham, offers maternity leave top-ups for new moms and phased-in return-to-work options for new parents.
Photo: Seneca College, which has a Markham campus, offers a variety of opportunities for employees to pursue ongoing education and development, including paid professional development leave, in-house and online training options. (Seneca College supplied photo)
