TORONTO, Oct. 2 /CNW/ – The authors of the annual list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers have released their 2009 winners and this year’s results are remarkable. “Even amid the market uncertainties we’ve seen over the past year,” says Managing Editor Richard Yerema, “forward-thinking employers are redoubling their efforts to improve working conditions for employees who help them weather these economic storms.” The result is an exceptional list (shown below) of employers that lead their industries in attracting and retaining top talent.\

Now in its 9th year, the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition recognizes employers that are industry leaders at attracting and retaining employees. The competition is organized by Mediacorp Canada Inc., the nation’s largest publisher of employment-related periodicals and online directories.

To develop this year’s Top 100 list, Mediacorp examined the recruitment histories of over 75,000 employers across Canada that it tracks for its popular job search site, Eluta.ca. From this initial group, Mediacorp invited 10,000 of the fastest-growing employers, plus 6,000 other companies and organizations in industries that Mediacorp editors wanted to examine more closely, to apply for this year’s competition. Employers were asked to complete an extensive application process that included a detailed review of their operations and HR practices. Over 2,000 employers started this year’s application process.

In reviewing each employer’s application, Yerema and his editorial team reviewed eight key areas: (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. These criteria have remained consistent throughout the nine years of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.

The editors’ internal grades for each of these eight areas – with supporting reasons – are now published on Mediacorp’s popular job search site, Eluta.ca. “Publishing detailed reasons for selection,” says Publisher Anthony Meehan, “is a distinguishing feature of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition. Besides providing transparency, it allows other employers to discover what these special organizations are doing – and to emulate these best practices.”

In choosing the finalists, Yerema and the editorial team considered how each employer compared to others in its industry and region. This year’s list includes large and small employers from a range of industries, offering varying benefits and working conditions. What is common to all winners is that each is an industry leader: from architectural firms to community housing agencies, the employers chosen this year are leaders in their industry in attracting and retaining quality employees.

“This year was the most competitive since starting the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project almost a decade ago,” says Yerema. “We received a record number of applications from employers and our benchmarks for the areas we consider have increased in all industries and regions. These employers are leading the nation.”

2009 WINNERS – CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS

• Adobe Systems Canada Inc., Ottawa ON
• Aecon Group Inc., Toronto ON
• Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc., Boyle AB
• AMAPCEO, Toronto ON BD Canada Inc.,
• Oakville ON Bayer Inc.,
• Toronto ON Blake,
• Cassels & Graydon LLP, Toronto ON
• Boeing Canada Technology Ltd., Winnipeg MB
• Business Development Bank of Canada, Montréal QC
• CAE Inc., Saint-Laurent QC
• CH2M HILL Canada Ltd., Toronto ON
• Canada Post Corp., Ottawa ON
• Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., Calgary AB
• Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Ottawa ON
• Canadian Tire Financial Services Ltd., Welland ON
• Carswell, div. Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd., Toronto ON
• Cascades Inc., Kingsey Falls QC
• Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Toronto ON
• Cementation Canada Inc., North Bay ON
• Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto ON
• Ceridian Canada Ltd., Winnipeg MB
• Certified General Accountants Assoc. Canada, Burnaby BC
• Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Chatham-Kent ON
• College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario, Toronto ON
• Compass Group Canada, Mississauga ON
• DeltaWare Systems Inc., Charlottetown PE
• Durham Regional Police Service, Whitby ON
• EPCOR Utilities Inc., Edmonton AB
• Enbridge Inc., Calgary AB
• Export Development Canada, Ottawa ON
• FSC Architects & Engineers, Yellowknife NT
• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto ON
• Farm Credit Canada, Regina SK
• Gamma-Dynacare Medical Laboratories Inc., Brampton ON
• George Brown College, Toronto ON
• Golder Associates Ltd., Burnaby BC
• The Great Little Box Company Ltd., Vancouver BC
• HSBC Bank Canada, Vancouver BC
• The Halifax Herald Ltd., Halifax NS
• Hamilton Health Sciences Corp., Hamilton ON
• Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Co., Mississauga ON
• Hill & Knowlton Canada, Toronto ON
• HOK/Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Toronto ON
• Honeywell Ltd., Mississauga ON
• IKEA Canada LP, Burlington ON
• Jacques Whitford Ltd., Dartmouth NS
• KPMG LLP, Toronto ON
• Kodak Graphic Communications Canada Co., Burnaby BC
• L’Oréal Canada Inc., Montréal QC
• Laurentide Controls Ltd., Kirkland QC
• Manitoba Liquor Control Commission, Winnipeg MB
• Mars Canada Inc., Bolton ON
• Marsh Canada Ltd., Toronto ON
• McGill University, Montréal QC
• Meridian Credit Union, St. Catharines ON
• Monsanto Canada Inc., Winnipeg MB
• NB Power Holding Corp., Fredericton NB
• National Energy Board, Calgary AB
• New Flyer Industries Canada, Winnipeg MB
• Next Level Games Inc., Vancouver BC
• Nycomed Canada Inc., Oakville ON
• OPSEU Pension Trust, Toronto ON
• Office of the Auditor General of Canada, Ottawa ON
• Ontario Power Generation Inc., Toronto ON
• Ontario Public Service, Toronto ON
• PCL Construction Group Inc., Edmonton AB
• Patient News Publishing Inc., Haliburton ON
• PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Toronto ON
• Procter & Gamble Inc., Toronto ON
• Research In Motion Ltd., Waterloo ON
• RBC/Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto ON
• Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa ON
• Russell Investments Canada Ltd., Toronto ON
• SAS Institute Canada, Inc., Toronto ON
• Sapient Canada, Inc., Toronto ON
• SaskEnergy Inc., Regina SK
• SaskTel, Regina SK
• Saskatchewan Gaming Corp., Regina SK
• Saskatchewan Government Insurance, Regina SK
• Shell Canada Ltd., Calgary AB
• Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC
• Sophos Inc., Vancouver BC
• Spruceland Millworks Inc., Acheson AB
• Stikeman Elliott LLP, Toronto ON
• Suncor Energy Inc., Calgary AB
• TD Bank Financial Group, Toronto ON
• Tamm Communications Inc., Toronto ON
• Toronto Community Housing Corp., Toronto ON
• Toronto Hydro Corp., Toronto ON
• Toronto International Film Festival Group, Toronto ON
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc., Cambridge ON
• Trican Well Service Ltd., Calgary AB
• University Health Network, Toronto ON
• University of Alberta, Edmonton AB
• Upside Software Inc., Edmonton AB
• City of Vancouver, Vancouver BC
• Wardrop Engineering Inc., Winnipeg MB
• County of Wellington, Guelph ON
• WorkSafeBC, Vancouver BC
• Yellow Pages Group, Verdun QC

1. Be a good neighbour-at-work. Fill the stapler. Pour tea for a friend. Make the coffee if you are the first person in that morning. Make more coffee if you use the last cup and it’s before 2:00. Add paper to the photocopier if you use the last sheet.
2. Use headphones if you like to listen to the radio, while you work, but keep the volume low so you don’t damage your hearing. And, remind your kids that long term exposure to noise, including music from portable players, can have irreversible damage.
3. Make sure your desk and chair are set up right for you. Call for an appointment with Human Resources to make sure your desk, chair and equipment is set up right for you.
4. Use a phone headset if you are on long calls. Holding the phone handset between your shoulder and your ear is a sure way to strain something. In general, good body position is important when you are sitting.
5. Use your vacation days. You have earned them, so make sure you use them. It’s a small step but along with some of the other initiatives we are introducing, we are working towards good work-life balance.
6. Speak up—if you have a conflict. Whether you are having difficulties with a co-worker, a client or just have too much on your plate, nothing will get resolved if you don’t say something.
7. Let’s get moving! Employees can take an extra 30-minute lunch twice a week to participate in fitness activities (power walking, swimming, fitness class, gym, etc.) We can also begin by taking the stairs. New Year, new approach to work.
8. Stretch. Sitting all day can be hard on your body. The lack of movement while sitting at your computer, for example, can lead to muscle strain and pain. Take time change your body position and stretch.
9. Eat well at work. We have made some changes to the vending machine. No, we didn’t eliminate our favourite chocolate bars and chips, but we added some healthy alternatives to help you keep your personal resolutions.
10. Set a work schedule that matches the needs of your family. You can now start your workday at any time between 7:45 and 9:30, as long as you keep a regular pattern and let you supervisor know. Flexible hours are part of maintaining a healthy work life balance.

Click to download – New Year, New Approach to Work ( PDF 419 KB)

Cry of a Tiny Babe ~Bruce Cockburn

Mary grows a child without the help of a man
Joseph get upset because he doesn’t understand
Angel comes to Joseph in a powerful dream
Says “God did this and you’re part of his scheme”
Joseph comes to Mary with his hat in his hand
Says “forgive me I thought you’d been with some other man”
She says “what if I had been – but I wasn’t anyway and guess what
I felt the baby kick today”

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

The child is born in the fullness of time
Three wise astrologers take note of the signs
Come to pay their respects to the fragile little king
Get pretty close to wrecking everything
‘Cause the governing body of the Holy land
Is that of Herod, a paranoid man
Who when he hears there’s a baby born King of the Jews
Sends death squads to kill all male children under two
But that same bright angel warns the parents in a dream
And they head out for the border and get away clean

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

There are others who know about this miracle birth
The humblest of people catch a glimpse of their worth
For it isn’t to the palace that the Christ child comes
But to shepherds and street people, hookers and bums
And the message is clear if you have ears to hear
That forgiveness is given for your guilt and your fear
It’s a Christmas gift that you don’t have to buy
There’s a future shining in a baby’s eyes

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

From the ATSU Bargaining Bulleting #10:

Today CUPE’s three staff unions counted their strike ballots, and we are pleased to report a combined total strike mandate of 96%.

The separate bargaining unit figures follow here.

In favour of taking job action, up to and including strike:

COPE: 98%
ATSU: 92%
CSU: 99%

We are pleased to report that there was extremely high voter turnout in all three bargaining units. 

Bulletin 10, December 9, 2006

See you sometime next week.

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