Making it Work

WEB EXCLUSIVE

Making it Work

What are some of Canada’s top rated employers are doing to keep their employees happy? Balance seems to be key. Many workers are looking for employers who recognize they have a life outside of the four walls of the workplace.

Balance seems to be key. Many workers are looking for employers who recognize they have a life outside of the four walls of the workplace. They want more vacation time and better parental benefits. The majority the 100 employers featured on 2007’s Top 100 Employers (a list compiled every year by MacLeans magazine and Mediacorp) top up maternity leave payments, while about half of the employers featured on the list offer additional parental leave assistance.

Flexibility in work schedule and workplace also seems to be a common thread with the top 100 employers. While just 64 per cent of employers allowed their employees to work from home in 2004, now more than 80 per cent of the employers on the list allow their staff to do some work from home.

Canada’s top employers also recognize how important time off is to today’s worker; most of those featured on the list off their workers three weeks vacation from the very beginning, while some in more competitive fields offer as many as four weeks vacation to start.

And since immigrants are now one the largest pools to draw from when looking for employees, many of Canada’s top 100 workplaces have implemented programs to help employees adapt to their new world and even so far as to help their employees’ spouses find work.

To see the full list of 100 employers, click here.