By Craille Maguire Gillies/Duncan Kinney
From an on-site beach volleyball court to ski passes, the perks of these innovative companies go beyond your usual employee benefits. It’s the attention to detail paid to health and wellness that sets these Canadian based organizations apart from other employers.
1. Free breakie
What it does: They manufacture and market organic breakfast cereal in Richmond, BC.
Why it’s on the list: Its employees get to dip into their line of hot and cold cereals and toaster pastries for a free and healthy breakfast. It also encourage enrolment in a wellness program and provide employees with an on-site fitness club.
2. Nap time
What it does: Retailer of outdoor recreation gear and clothing.
Why it’s on the list: Along with yoga classes and showers for employees who commute to work by bicycle, Mountain Equipment Co-op’s Toronto headquarters come complete with a nap room for some quick break-time shut-eye.
3. Participaction
What it does: Candy makers. They’re the people behind Snickers, M&Ms, Twix, Starburst, Skittles and much more.
Why it’s on the list: Even if employees indulge in the company’s own products a little too much, they can always work it off at the on-site fitness facility. It includes instructor-led classes, regular visits by a wellness coordinator, outdoor beach volleyball courts and an outdoor running trail. Mars Canada is rated as one of Canada’s top employers.
4. Not just fun and games
What it does: One of the most recognizable brands in the video game industry, this firm produces classic titles like the Madden franchise and The Sims.
Why it’s on the list: Their Burnaby-based studio is filled with games, a DJ setup (complete with disco ball), a basketball court, a yoga studio, a stellar gym and a subsidized cafeteria. Their fringe benefits include discounted lift tickets to Whistler, free and discounted games, RRSP match and employee stock purchase programs that let any employees buy discounted stock, with EA matching up to 10 per cent of base salary.
5. Instant vacation time
What it does: A “customer experience innovation firm” that specializes in designing unique online experiences for leading global brands.
Why it’s on the list: All employees start with three weeks of paid vacation and get a one-month sabbatical after four years of service. Performance rewards are also tailored to each employee to ensure that everyone gets what they want.
6. The air up there
What it does: A world leader in resort and adventure travel, known most for owning Whistler Blackcomb (and Vancouver.com).
Why it’s on the list: Vancouver-based staff are rewarded with free season’s passes to Whistler (good for spouses, too) Other perks include discount travel to many of its resorts and a better-than-average flex benefit program that gives each employee a say in what kind of coverage he or she gets.
7. Hail to the bus driver
What it does: Manufacturer of heavy duty transit buses.
Why it’s on the list: The Winnipeg-based company takes care of its employees with an annual staff wellness week that includes everything from flu shots to nutrition classes. They’re the only bus company certified in the OHSAS 18001 safety management system and as a result have seen a 57 per cent decrease in lost-time accidents over the past three years.
8. Play to your strengths
What it does: One of the top players in video game design field, they’ve produced award-winning games like The Hulk and The Simpson’s: Hit & Run.
Why it’s on the list: The Vancouver-based video game company, expectedly, sports a well appointed games room. Quite unexpectedly, it also has an indoor log cabin. On top of hardcore HR initiatives like well-designed career paths and leadership training for top performers, Radical also offers free passes to local ski hills, a state-of-the-art gym and on-site shiatsu massage.
9. Sporty Spice
What it does: They succinctly sum up what they do on their website with the tagline “We Build Mines.” Put another way, Cementation is an underground mine contracting and engineering company.
Why it’s on the list: Cementation’s dedication to internal sporting events puts them here. They host curling and golfing tournaments as well as weekly volleyball games for employees and their spouses.
10. Free fruit
What it does: They make a little mobile communication device called the BlackBerry
Why it’s on the list: RIM provides the now standard (for this list anyway) on-site massage services, flu shot clinics and discounted gym memberships to help employees stay healthy. It also gives new employees a free BlackBerry – on their first day – and covers usage and service fees.
Category: Management, Work
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Great artcile! Nice to see so many companies and Employers implementing innovative and creative practices! I know that Critical Mass, Calgary Office has a long history of developing a healthy and happy workplace! Disappointed that they weren’t mentioned in this article!