Benefits January 29, 2001

Best Canadian Employers Share Common Approaches

January 29, 2001 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Consultant Hewitt Associates has analyzed the "35 Best Companies to Work for in Canada" - and finds that the best have much in common in their approach to benefits.
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Employees at Best Companies are also more likely to highly recommend their company to a friend, feel more informed about the business, be inspired to do their best work and report a strong desire to stay with the company.

According to Hewitt, “Best Companies” have an average of 4,121 full-time employees, with more than half (57%) of the companies publicly traded, and with 46% of the employees owning company stock.

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Two-thirds of the Best Companies currently have a diversity program designed to increase employee awareness of, or appreciation for, diversity

Traits in Common

Other common traits of “Best Companies” include:

  • Over half (54%) share business goals and objectives daily, weekly or monthly.
  • Over three-fourths (77%) offer health/wellness benefits, and 67% offer stress reduction programs
  • Casual dress is offered every day at 89% of these firms
  • 60% partially subsidize meals or cafeteria expenses
  • 60% offer flextime

Hewitt notes that Best Companies get, on average, 77.6% more applications for employment than other companies, and have lower turnover (7%) than other companies (11.5%).

In addition, employees at Best Companies tend to feel more positively about their employers, with 74% rating their company an “8”

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