EllisDon Celebrates Ten Years as One of Canada's Top Employers

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 28 /CNW/ - EllisDon has been named, for the tenth consecutive year, as one of Canada's top employers. The list of the 2011 Best Employers in Canada, compiled from a study conducted by Aon Hewitt (previously Hewitt Associates), will appear in the November 8th issue of Maclean's magazine. News of the 2011 Best Employers in Canada win comes on the heels of EllisDon having been named, for the second consecutive year, as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, based on the editorial project managed by Mediacorp Canada, Inc.

Organizations that made the list of the Best Employers in Canada represent a wide range of employers from software, banking, hospitality, retail, pharmaceutical and 25 other industries. EllisDon, however, is one of only a few construction companies that made the list.

The Best Employers in Canada study is unique in that the study measures employee engagement, so it really is the employees that decide which organizations make the lists. Although there is an independent panel that is set up to judge and although there are other factors, the primary requirement to be named a Best Employer is a high employee engagement score. Employee engagement is defined as a measure of how positively employees feel about their employer, how likely they are to stay, and how committed they are to doing their best to help the business succeed. Study findings indicate that organizations with high employee engagement enjoy tangible benefits, including a greater ability to attract and retain key talent.

According to Neil Crawford, Aon Hewitt's national Best Employers studies leader, the end of the economic downturn over the last year seems to have brought employee engagement back to the top of the priority list for many Canadian organizations. "These employers didn't waiver in their commitment to sustaining and improving high employee engagement, even during tough economic times. They weathered the recession thanks in large part to a highly productive workforce focused on organizational success. The fact that these employers appear again on the 2011 lists indicates that their employees are still very committed to the organization, despite having more options available to them in a post-recession economy."

Janine Szczepanowski, EllisDon's V.P. of Leadership & Entrepreneurial Development, echoes Crawford's opinion, stating: "Staying true to our culture and our belief that we exist to create a great place for employees to have their best career is what keeps us strong and the people at EllisDon engaged in our collective success, regardless of the economic times."

About EllisDon
EllisDon is an employee-owned company delivering construction expertise and services to clients throughout the world. Completing in excess of $2 billion in new construction annually, EllisDon employs approximately 1,000 people and has a presence in North America, as well as offices in the West Indies and the United Arab Emirates. Incorporated in 1951, EllisDon has distinguished itself through its people and its innovative practices. Offering not only construction and project management but now a growing range of construction consulting services in risk management and technology, EllisDon is behind some of the most exciting and innovative projects in the world. For more information, please visit www.ellisdon.com.

About Aon Hewitt
Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human capital consulting and outsourcing solutions. The company partners with organizations to solve their most complex benefits, talent and related financial challenges, and improve business performance. Aon Hewitt designs, implements, communicates and administers a wide range of human capital, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation and talent management strategies. With more than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries, Aon Hewitt makes the world a better place to work for clients and their employees. For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.

For further information:

Rishma Mangat				89 Queensway Ave West
EllisDon Corporation				Suite 800
Phone: [phone]				Mississauga, Ontario L5B 2V2
Fax: [phone]				www.ellisdon.com