Canada's Top 100

Bombardier Aerospace

1. Why they were chosen - lets employees share in the company's success through a share purchase plan available to all employees as well as offering a defined benefit pension plan
2. Background - Bombardier Aerospace is one of the world's largest civil aircraft manufacturers with manufacturing, engineering and services facilities in 29 countries. Established in 1942, the publicly-traded company is one of the world's largest civil aircraft manufacturers operating in 22 countries and with over 28,000 employees. Bombardier Aerospace maintains engineering and manufacturing sites in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.
3. Physical Workplace - Bombardier Aerospace's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Bombardier Aerospace's head office is a custom-built nine storey building, situated adjacent to their major onsite plants. The main building is connected to the airport runway, from which company owned shuttles travel between Montreal and their primary North American sites, Toronto and Kansas. Located in a suburban environment, the head office features an Employee Service Center where employees can drop in or call to inquire and receive information pertaining to human resource practices.
4. Work Atmosphere - Bombardier Aerospace's work atmosphere is rated as very good. Employees have varying dress restrictions based on their position, but most dress in business casual attire with "dress-down Fridays" on an ad hoc basis. Employees may also listen to music while working and participate in employee sports teams.
5. Financial - Bombardier Aerospace's financial benefits are rated as above-average. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. In addition to ensuring competitive compensation rates, Bombardier provides signing bonuses for some employees; share-purchase plan for all employees; defined benefit pension plan; and life and disability insurance.
6. Health - Bombardier Aerospace's health and family benefits are rated as very good. Bombardier operates three health benefit modules which correspond to increasing levels of coverage. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 95% of the premiums. The waiting period for new employees is 90 days. There is no waiting period before coverage begins. Employees receive full family coverage on the health benefits plan. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; eyecare ($250 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; medical equipment and supplies; homecare; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance.
7. Employee Engagement - Bombardier Aerospace's employee engagement program is rated as above-average. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months. Managers receive training in how to conduct effective performance reviews. Performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work.
8. Training - Bombardier Aerospace's training and skills development program is rated as exceptional. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. In addition to tuition subsidies, Bombardier also provides subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house apprenticeship and skilled trades internships.
9. Community Involvement - Community Involvement
   Bombardier Aerospace's community involvement program is rated as very good. Bombardier Aerospace and its employees support a variety of local, national, and international charities. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. Each year, employees organize multiple fundraising activities to benefit Centraide/United Way, and are involved in numerous other community initiatives.

BC Hydro

1. Why they were chosen - encourages employees' ongoing development with generous tuition subsidies, in-house and online training programs, and subsidies for professional accreditation
2. Background - BC Hydro generates and distributes electricity to residents in British Columbia. The provincial Crown corporation is one of Canada's largest public utilities, operating 30 hydroelectric facilities (which produce 80 percent of the province's electricity), two gas-fired thermal plants and one combustion fuel turbine station. In addition to its primary offices in Vancouver and Burnaby, BC Hydro has offices and facilities located in communities across the province.
3. Physical Workplace - BC Hydro's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Employees are located at generating facilities and field offices in communities across the province. Employees living in the Greater Vancouver Area work from major offices in Vancouver and Burnaby close to public transit options, restaurants, shopping areas and parkland (including Stanley Park). The public utility is planning to build all new office facilities to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard.
4. Work Atmosphere - BC Hydro's work atmosphere is rated as very good. Head office employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams. Social gatherings are organized by individual departments, and include holiday parties and other team recognition events.
5. Financial - BC Hydro's financial benefits are rated as above-average. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. BC Hydro provides signing bonuses for some employees; year-end bonuses for all employees; defined benefit pension with employer contributions (up to 10.7% of salary); life & disability insurance.
6. Health - BC Hydro's health and family benefits are rated as very good. The public utility has separate health benefits plans for its union (COPE and IBEW) and non-union personnel. All plans offer flexibility through varying levels of coverage, from no coverage to extended levels of coverage for employees and their families. There is no waiting period before coverage begins.
7. Employee Engagement - BC Hydro's employee engagement program is rated as average. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months. Managers receive training in how to conduct effective performance reviews. Performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work.
8. Training -BC Hydro's training and skills development program is rated as exceptional. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. (Employers cover up to 100% of tuition). Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. (Employers cover up to 100% of non-related tuition). BC Hydro supports employees' career development with subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house apprenticeship and skilled trades internships; in-house training programs.
9. Community Involvement -  BC Hydro's community involvement program is rated as very good. BC Hydro supports local and national charitable organizations. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. The public utility and its employees volunteer and support organizations such as the Vancouver YWCA, Habitat for Humanity and the BC-based Minerva Foundation, to name a few.

Goldcorp Inc.

1. Why they were chosen - encourages its employees to save for retirement with generous matching RSP contributions and lets its head office and senior management employees share in the fruits of their labours through a share-purchase plan
2. Background - Goldcorp Inc. is one of the world's largest gold mining companies, with operations in Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Guatemala and the United States. In addition to mining, the publicly-traded company is also active in exploration, extraction, processing and reclamation activities.
3. Physical Workplace - Goldcorp's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Located in the heart of Vancouver's Financial District, Goldcorp's head office occupies the top two floors of the 35-storey Park Place office tower. Within easy walking distance of a Skytrain station and Stanley Park, the head office features an onsite fitness facility (with subsidized memberships, treadmills, stationary bikes and shower facilities); self-serve lunchroom (with lunch deliveries, free fresh fruit, coffee and tea); concierge services available; transit subsidies.
4. Work Atmosphere - Goldcorp's work atmosphere is rated as very good. On-the-job, employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working. Throughout the year employees gather for a variety of fun social events, including an annual Christmas party and luncheon, a family Christmas party hosted at the Vancouver Aquarium, golf tournament and dinner and the "Bard on the Beach" outdoor dinner theatre.
5. Financial Benefits - Goldcorp's financial benefits are rated as very good. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. Employees may also recieve signing bonuses for some employees; year-end bonuses for all employees; year-end bonuses (to $28,000); share-purchase plan for all employees; matching RSP contributions (up to 9% of salary); life & disability insurance.
6. Health - Goldcorp's health and family benefits are rated as above-average. Goldcorp's health benefits plan is managed by Great West Life. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. Employees who work 20 hours per week receive coverage
7. Employee Engagement - Goldcorp's employee engagement program is rated as very good. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months. As part of the review process employees can provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance. Exit interview provided for departing employees; Goldcorp sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey.
8. Training - Goldcorp's training and skills development program is rated as very good. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. (Employers cover up to 100% of tuition). In addition to tuition subsidies, the company also supports ongoing career development with subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house apprenticeship and skilled trades internships; in-house training programs; online training programs; formal mangement training program
9. Community Involvement -
   Goldcorp's community involvement program is rated as average. Employees at Goldcorp are invited to make suggestions regarding what charitable organizations they would like to support. The requests are reviewed by a sponsorship committee that decides if the initiative aligns with the the company's community initiatives. Employees also receive 2 paid days off to volunteer.