The top 25 family-friendly employers in Canada

With so much economic gloom and doom in the air, you might think that employers are cutting back on family-friendly benefits. But that thinking would be wrong. “The spread is continuing unabated,” says Richard Yerema, managing editor of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, the annual guide from which we derive our family-friendly employers. “We’re not seeing any pullback.” In fact, an increasing number of employers are adding even more options — like telecommuting or flexible hours. “It’s less of a unique thing because the technology and cost are not prohibitive,” says Yerema. Read on to discover what makes this year’s top 25 among Canada’s most family-friendly.

Agriculture Financial Services Corporation
Lacombe, Alta.
• parental leave top-up to 95% of salary for 17 weeks for moms, and to 95% of salary for 12 weeks for dads
• alternative work options include shortened workweeks, reduced summer hours and telecommuting

BC Public Service
Victoria
• alternative work options include telecommuting, reduced summer hours, variable scheduling and a full-pay 35-hour workweek
• on-site daycare at some locations
• offers 60 academic scholarships to children of employees

British Columbia Safety Authority
New Westminster, BC
• parental leave top-up to 85% of salary for 52 weeks for new moms, and to 85% of salary for 35 weeks for dads and adoptive parents
• covers child care costs for employees attending company events or on business trips

Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto
Toronto
• new moms can extend maternity leave for up to three years
• offers compassionate leave top-up to 70% of salary for six weeks

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
Toronto
• maternity leave top-up to 100% of salary for the first two weeks for moms, followed by a top-up to 75% for 26 weeks
• parental leave top-up payments for new dads and adoptive parents

Ericsson Canada Inc.
Mont-Royal, Que.
• on-site daycare with 54 spaces
• on-site fitness facility
• parental leave top-up to 65% of salary for 17 weeks for new moms and adoptive parents

George Brown College
Toronto
• parental leave top-up to 93% of salary for 52 weeks for moms, and to 93% of salary for 35 weeks for dads and adoptive parents
• alternative work options include telecommuting, reduced summer hours and a 35-hour workweek
• all employees start with three weeks’ paid vacation and five days off during the Christmas holidays

Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan
Regina
• maternity leave top-up to 95% of salary for 17 weeks for new moms
• parental leave top-up payments for fathers and adoptive parents
• alternative work options include telecommuting, flexible hours, plus a formal earned days-off program

Johnson Incorporated
St. John’s
• parental leave top-up to 100% of salary for 17 weeks for new moms, dads and adoptive parents
• alternative work options include a 35-hour workweek, telecommuting

KPMG LLP
Toronto
• parental leave top-up payments for adoptive parents and up to $20,000 for adoption expenses
• parental leave top-up to 100% of salary for 17 weeks for new moms, and to 100% of salary for 4 weeks for dads
• new employees start with three weeks’ paid vacation and seven paid personal days off each year

L’Oréal Canada, Inc.
Montreal
• parental leave top-up to 100% of salary for 17 weeks for moms and adoptive parents
• early Friday closings

McGill University
Montreal
• on-site daycare
• maternity leave top-up to 95% of salary for 20 weeks
• alternative work options include flexible hours, telecommuting, shortened workweeks

Monsanto Canada Inc.
Winnipeg
• parental leave top-up to 90% of salary for 26 weeks for new moms, dads and adoptive parents
• alternative work options include telecommuting and reduced summer hours
• all employees start with three weeks’ holidays, plus three personal days off per year

Mountain Equipment Co-op
Montreal
• parental leave top-up to 75% of salary for 11 weeks for new moms, dads and adoptive parents
• offers a matching RSP plan and referral bonuses

NB Power
Fredericton
• parental leave top-up to 93% of salary for 15 weeks for new and adoptive moms
• company’s head office location has on-site daycare
• earned time-off program lets employees take leaves of absence (up to two months) with pay

Next Level Games Inc.
Vancouver
• parental leave top-up to 80% of salary for 27 weeks for new and adoptive moms
• three weeks’ vacation, five personal days off and time off at Christmas
• alternative work options include flexible hours and telecommuting

Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Ottawa
• maternity leave top-up to 93% of salary for 52 weeks for moms, and 93% of salary for 35 weeks for dads
• alternative work options include flexible hours and telecommuting

Saskatchewan Government Insurance
Regina
• parental leave top-up to 100% of salary for 26 weeks for moms, dads and adoptive parents

Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, BC
• summer day camp programs for children of employees
• on-site daycare
• parental leave top-up to 100% of salary for 37 weeks for new moms, dads and adoptive parents

Statistics Canada
Ottawa
• maternity leave top-up to 93% of salary for 52 weeks
• parental leave top-up to 93% of salary for 37 weeks for fathers and adoptive parents
• on-site daycare also offers short-term emergency service

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto
• on-site daycare with 70 spaces and more than 20 caregivers
• maternity leave top-up to 93% of salary for 26 weeks for new moms
• parental leave top-up to 93% of salary for 10 weeks for fathers and adoptive parents

Toronto Community Housing Corporation
Toronto
• maternity leave top-up to 93% of salary for 52 weeks for new and adoptive moms
• parental leave top-up to 93% of salary for 37 weeks for dads
• compassionate leave top-up to 93% of salary for eight weeks

Toronto Hydro Corporation
Toronto
• parental leave top-up to 95% of salary for 52 weeks for new and adoptive moms
• parental leave top-up to 95% for 37 weeks for dads

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc.
Cambridge, Ont.
• maternity leave top-up to 65% of salary for 52 weeks for moms, and to 65% for 37 weeks for dads
• offers $1,000 off the lease or purchase of a new vehicle for employees and their families

Trican Well Service
Calgary
• parental top-up to 100% for 52 weeks for new moms, and to 100% for 36 weeks for dads and adoptive parents
• alternative work options include flexible hours and telecommuting