National Capital Region’s Top Employers: 2023 Winners

Article content

The following organizations have been chosen as National Capital Region’s Top Employers for 2023 (employee count refers to full-time staff):

Article content

Adobe Systems Canada Inc., Ottawa. Software publishers; 342 employees. Manages a sabbatical program of up to six weeks for employees celebrating anniversary milestones in five-year increments.

Algonquin College of Applied Arts & Technology, Nepean. Post-secondary education; 1,421 employees. Provides subsidized access to on-campus fitness facilities, with personal trainers, an indoor running track, a bouldering and climbing wall, and registered massage therapist services.

Article content

Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited, Ottawa. Credit unions; 584 employees. Enhanced its coverage for mental health care from $500 to $2,500 per year and expanded the group of practitioners covered.

Assembly of First Nations, Ottawa. Indigenous government; 147 employees. Provides generous maternity and parental leave top-up for new mothers, to 93 per cent of salary for up to 50 weeks.

Article content

Bank of Canada, Ottawa. Central bank; 2,035 employees. Offers the option to purchase up to five additional vacation days as part of its flexible benefits plan.

Canada Post Corporation, Ottawa. Postal service; 49,624 employees. Launched its mental health strategy in the past year and maintains wellness and safety programs to foster a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.

Canada Revenue Agency / CRA, Ottawa. Federal government, general economic programs; 55,588 employees. Offers family-related leave with pay for up to 45 hours per year, which can be used to care for a sick family member, to accompany family members to appointments, or to provide temporary child care.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa. Federal government, food inspection and regulation; 6,838 employees. Facilitated discussions with BIPOC employees to better understand their experiences with systemic racism and discrimination.

Article content

Canadian Internet Registration Authority / CIRA, Ottawa. Information technology services; 110 employees. Celebrates exceptional performance through a number of aptly themed awards, such as the Canada Goose Award for an employee who leads the gaggle.

Carleton University, Ottawa. Post-secondary education; 2,516 employees. Provides unlimited coverage for psychologist services, massage and physiotherapy as part of its benefits plan.

CBC / Radio-Canada, Ottawa. Broadcasting; 8,209 employees. Maintains a special assistance fund to help employees and their eligible dependents claim necessary medical expenses not covered by other sources, to a lifetime maximum of $12,500.

Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa / CASO, Gloucester. Children and youth support services; 402 employees. Supports lifelong learning with tuition subsidies for courses taken externally, to $2,500 per year.

Article content

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario / CHEO, Ottawa. Hospitals; 2,325 employees. Manages the Shining Star peer recognition program and honours award recipients at an annual evening gala.

Colleges and Institutes Canada / CICan, Ottawa. Professional organizations; 134 employees. Introduced a hybrid work policy in 2022 to provide more flexibility to work at home and in-office, in whatever combination employees choose.

Communications Security Establishment / CSE, Ottawa. Federal government, national security; 3,236 employees. Manages a unique Legacy Talks series where soon-to-be retired employees share their corporate, operational and personal knowledge, gained after long and productive careers.

Article content

Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, Ottawa. Co-operative housing; 30 employees. Moves employees to four weeks of annual vacation allowance after only four years on the job.

CPCS Transcom Limited, Ottawa. Transportation consulting services; 79 employees. Cultivates an ownership culture through share purchase and profit-sharing plans, available to all employees.

Dairy Farmers of Canada / Les Producteurs laitiers du Canada, Ottawa. Business associations; 76 employees. Encourages employee volunteerism with paid time off to volunteer, up to three days annually.

Department of Finance Canada, Ottawa. Federal government, general economic programs; 796 employees. Organizes FIN Ideas Hub, informal sessions that bring employees together from various branches to broaden thinking on prominent policy questions, encourage collaboration and share ideas.

Article content

Department of Justice Canada, Ottawa. Federal government, legal system administration; 4,896 employees. Fosters connection through regular social events and activities, including weekly coffee breaks, with work excluded from conversations, and virtual “5 à 7” events.

Egg Farmers of Canada, Ottawa. Business associations; 60 employees. Manages the annual Get Cracking Award to honour employees for their volunteerism, also making a donation to a charity of the recipient’s choice.

Employment and Social Development Canada, Gatineau. Federal government, social development, employment insurance, passport services; 37,334 employees. Helps employees plan for the future with pre-retirement workshops on topics including financial planning, health and nutrition, and psychological aspects of retirement.

Article content

Engineers Canada, Ottawa. Professional organizations; 50 employees. Encourages staff to engage in healthy habits at home and at work through a variety of initiatives, including step challenges and healthy eating lunch and learns.

Evolugen, Gatineau. Renewable energy generation and services; 238 employees. Maintains a charitable focus on initiatives related to health and safety, environmental initiatives, education and research, community services, and Indigenous communities.

Export Development Canada, Ottawa. International trade financing and support services; 2,019 employees. Employees may allocate their flexible benefits credits to RRSP, TFSA or RESP accounts, or distribute credits as a donation to the United Way.

Article content

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard, Ottawa. Federal government, administration of conservation programs; 13,705 employees. Extends health benefits to retirees, with no age limit and up to 69 per cent of premium coverage.

Health Canada / Santé Canada, Ottawa. Federal government, administration of public health programs; 9,987 employees. Maintains a longstanding mental health and wellness strategy to build a healthy, respectful and inclusive workplace and offers coverage for mental health services, to $2,000 per year.

Health Standards Organization / HSO, Gloucester. Professional organizations; 219 employees. Encourages employees to take the time they need to rest and recharge with up to 15 paid sick days annually.

Article content

Hydro Ottawa, Gloucester. Electric power distribution; 687 employees. Supports employees who want to start a family with subsidies for fertility treatments and fertility drugs if needed, to a lifetime maximum of $15,000.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / IRCC, Ottawa. Federal government, immigration services; 10,347 employees. Hosted a virtual mental health and wellness fair featuring a TED Talk Series, yoga, guest speakers and presentations.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Ottawa. Federal government, industry and economic development programs; 6,160 employees. Provides long-term peace of mind with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan and retirement planning assistance.

Article content

Invest Ottawa, Ottawa. Administration of general economic programs; 102 employees. Helps employees balance work and their personal lives with flexible work hours, eight days of “life leave” and has introduced hybrid work options.

Kinaxis Inc., Kanata. Software developers; 670 employees. Has continued the pandemic-era policy of offering employees the last Friday of every month off, providing a shared mental break along with an additional long weekend.

La Cité, Ottawa. Post-secondary education; 541 employees. Introduced a formal hybrid work program to supplement its existing flex work options and adapted onsite physical workspaces to accommodate a return to work.

Library of Parliament, Ottawa. Federal government, library; 413 employees. Starts new employees with four weeks of paid vacation and considers previous work when setting vacation entitlements for more experienced new candidates.

Article content

Lumentum Ottawa Inc., Nepean. Specialty manufacturing; 345 employees. Lets new parents extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence as well as offering phased-in work options when they are ready to return to work.

National Capital Commission, Ottawa. Federal government, land and building management; 523 employees. Introduced new hybrid work arrangements to accompany existing flex options, offering ergonomic assessments for employees’ home offices.

Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP, Ottawa. Law firms; 110 employees. Encourages its employees to take the time to support local charitable initiatives with one paid day off to volunteer.

Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions of Canada, Ottawa. Federal government, regulation of financial institutions; 948 employees. Supports ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current position.

Article content

Ottawa, City of, Ottawa. Municipal governments; 12,899 employees. Helps employees plan for a secure future with retirement planning assistance services and contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.

Ottawa Community Housing Corporation, Ottawa. Administration of housing programs; 409 employees. Supports its new moms, dads and adoptive parents with maternity and parental leave top-up payments, up to 95 per cent of salary for 25 weeks.

Parliamentary Protective Service, Ottawa. Police service. Starts its new employees with four weeks of paid vacation and considers previous work when setting vacation entitlements for experienced candidates.

Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP / s.r.l., Ottawa. Law firms; 110 employees. Encourages employee wellness through seminars on a range of relevant topics, from nutrition to sleep therapy to mindful meditation and yoga.

Article content

Public Services and Procurement Canada, Gatineau. Federal government, procurement services; 17,710 employees. Along with in-house training programs and tuition subsidies, employees can apply for an educational leave of absence, ranging up to 16 weeks in duration.

Pythian Services Inc., Ottawa. Computer systems design and support services; 123 employees. Encourages ongoing employee development through generous tuition subsidies for courses and related and not directly related to their current position, to $5,000 annually.

QlikTech Corporation, Kanata. Computer software; 186 employees. Offers an unlimited vacation policy for all of its employees.

Ross Video Ltd., Nepean. Audio and video communications technology; 825 employees. Lets employees design a suitable work schedule with their managers and select from one of four work style options.

Article content

Royal Canadian Mint, The, Ottawa. Minting and coin distribution; 1,188 employees. Offers generous coverage for mental health practitioner services through its health benefits plan, up to $2,000 annually.

Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, Ottawa. Specialty hospitals; 937 employees. Supports its new moms, dads and adoptive parents with maternity and parental leave top-up payments, along with the option to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence.

Shopify Inc., Ottawa. Multi-channel commerce platform; 7,538 employees. Manages the unique Hack Days program that offers three full days annually for employees to “step out of their day jobs and tackle a new problem”.

Statistics Canada / Statistique Canada, Ottawa. Federal government, statistical agency; 6,506 employees. Established a workplace wellness committee that is managed by employee volunteers who manage programs and initiatives in support of their colleagues.

Article content

Tehama Inc., Ottawa. Computer software; 65 employees. Offers all employees a flexible paid vacation program that features a 30-day flexible “bucket of time” that is available for employees to use as they need during the year.

Tomlinson Group, Nepean. Construction services; 1,408 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm with generous new employee referral bonuses, from $500 to $1,000 depending on the position.

Universities Canada / Universités Canada, Ottawa. Professional organizations; 84 employees. Introduced a formal hybrid work program that includes generous home office allowances and new flex work stations that employees can book online when coming to the office.

University of Ottawa, Ottawa. Post-secondary education; 5,210 employees. Offers a generous mental health practitioner benefit as part of their health benefits plan, to $3,000 annually.

-Richard Yerema & Kristina Leung

This story was produced by Mediacorp in partnership with Postmedia, on behalf of Alberta’s Top Employers.