HomEquity Bank named one of best workplaces in Canada

TORONTO, April 19, 2012 /CNW/ - HomEquity Bank, a subsidiary of HOMEQ Corporation, announced today that it is being recognized as one of this year's Best Workplaces in Canada. The list of leading Canadian employers will appear in a special national report on Thursday April 19^th, 2012.

"We are very excited about being recognized as one of the Canadian leaders in employee satisfaction and organizational culture," said Steven Ranson, President and CEO, HomEquity Bank. "At HomEquity Bank, we believe our people are a key strategic advantage.  We strive to consistently maintain an open and communicative environment that honours and respects every employee and their contributions".

This list of "Best Workplaces in Canada" is compiled by Great Place to Work^® Institute Canada.  The competition process is based on two criteria: a survey completed by a random selection of employees and an in-depth review of the organization's culture. This offers a rigorous representation of the organization from an employee perspective, and an overall portrait of the workplace culture. Together, they provide crucial data relative to the five trust-building dimensions of a great place to work^®: credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie.

As HomEquity Bank's Vice President Human Resources, Lori Sone-Cooper, noted, "Participation in the survey, not only validated our corporate philosophy of putting our employees first, but has also been an invaluable experience that provided us with additional ideas on how we can make our company even better."

This year's list received over 230 nominations and over 49,000 employees participated in the 2012 "Best Workplaces in Canada" survey.

About HomEquity Bank

HomEquity Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of HOMEQ Corporation, is the only national provider of reverse mortgages to homeowners aged 55 and over, Canada's fastest growing demographic segment. HomEquity Bank originates and administers Canada's largest portfolio of reverse mortgages under the CHIP Home Income Plan brand. HomEquity Bank has been the main underwriter of reverse mortgages in Canada since its predecessor, Canadian Home Income Plan, pioneered the concept in 1986.

For more information, visit www.homequitybank.ca

About Great Place to Work® Institute

Great Place to Work® Institute is a global research and management consultancy with expertise on workplace transformation and a presence in 46 countries worldwide. Our mission is to improve society by creating better workplaces. We are best-known for our global Best Workplaces Programme, which we produce in conjunction with prestigious media partners such as the Globe and Mail, the Financial Times and Fortune. With more than 5,500 organizations surveyed every year across the globe, the programme is the world's largest of its kind. We believe passionately that any company or organization can become a great place to work. Our mission is to help you do it.

For information on how to participate in next year's "Best Workplaces in Canada" list or on how to create a Great Place to Work^®, please contact the Institute at [email protected] or visit www.greatplacetowork.ca.

Lori Sone-Cooper
Vice President, Human Resources
HomEquity Bank
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]

Arthur Krzycki
Director, Public Relations
HomEquity Bank
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]