A quarter century of change: 'Canada's Top 100 Employers' celebrates a milestone anniversary with the announcement of its 2025 winners

TORONTO, Nov. 15, 2024 /CNW/ - After 25 years, you might wonder whether there is anything new under the sun that the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers haven't seen at organizations that take part in the annual competition. The project's editors publish over one million words annually explaining why the winners were chosen for the national competition, along with a series of regional and special-interest projects. Tolstoy managed to complete War and Peace in a spartan 587,000 words, so what is it about the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, organized by Mediacorp Canada Inc., that manages to capture readers' interest and inspire employers year after year?

"Twenty-five years ago, it wasn't easy for readers to find information on best practices in the workplace," says Richard Yerema, executive editor. "The idea behind the competition was to create more transparency about what employers offered in terms of their benefits and culture, so we could start a conversation about work and workplaces."

"We see the competition winners adapting to reflect how Canada is changing," says Kristina Leung, managing editor of the project. "The best employers recognize that traditional benefits – such as paid time off for religious holidays, medical and health benefits, or even cultural events organized for employees – need to reflect the nation as it is today, not how it might have been when these programs were created."

At times in the project's 25-year history, events like the pandemic bring about wholesale changes in workplace programs at speed, such as the adoption of remote or hybrid work policies by employers. This area continues to evolve, with employers and employees both keeping a close eye on the effectiveness and benefits of such policies.

"Year after year, the effect of publishing what the nation's best employers offer is that other organizations take note and start raising the bar on their own in fields that are important to Canadians," says Anthony Meehan, publisher at Mediacorp. "Each year, the competition becomes more challenging for employers and earning a place on the list isn't easy."

To see how this principle has guided the project, consider a few key metrics that have steadily improved over the years. For example, in the competition's first edition – 25 years ago – only eight winners offered paid vacation allowance of four weeks or more to start. Today, a remarkable 31 winners are at this level and the number continues to grow.

Or take a moment to reflect on the steady improvements in maternity top-up pay, a benefit the competition has followed closely.  In the past 15 years, among applicants to the competition, the number of organizations offering some kind of maternity top-up has increased by nearly 40%.  This year, almost three-quarters of the employers that applied for the 2025 competition offer this important workplace benefit – a singular achievement that has changed the face of Canadian workplaces.

Similar improvements can be seen across dozens of other workplace benefits and workplace policies evaluated by the editors, from assisting with retirement planning to making it easier for employees to volunteer at local charities.

Now celebrating its 25^th year, Canada's Top 100 Employers is an editorial competition that recognizes employers with exceptional human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies. Editors at Mediacorp review employers on eight criteria, which have remained consistent since the project's inception: (1) Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement. The editors publish detailed 'reasons for selection' for these criteria, providing transparency in the selection of winners and a catalogue of best practices for employers and job-seekers alike.  The competition is open to any employer, private or public, with its principal place of business in Canada.

Founded in 1992, Mediacorp Canada Inc. is the nation's largest publisher of employment periodicals. Since 1999, the Toronto-based publisher has managed the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which includes 19 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach millions of Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners, including The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, one of Canada's largest job search engines, used by millions of job-seekers annually to find new job postings and discover what the nation's best employers are offering.

The full list of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025) was announced today in a special magazine published by Mediacorp Canada Inc. and distributed nationally in The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp editors also released their detailed reasons for selecting each of this year's winners, as well as stories and photos of their initiatives, which are accessible via the competition homepage.

Join the discussion about today's announcement on social media:
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3a11Fkf
Instagram & Facebook: @topemployers
X/Twitter: @top_employers
Hashtags: #CanadasTop100Employers, #topemployers2025

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Further information: Chantel Watkins, Assistant Editor, [email protected]