Hydro Ottawa leads the way in engaging older workers and retirees

Recipient of national employers' award for first time

OTTAWA, April 24, 2014 /CNW/ - Hydro Ottawa has been recognized with a Best Employers Award for 50-Plus Canadians from the Workplace Institute, one of only three Canadian organizations to receive this honour in 2014. Hydro Ottawa's efforts to engage experienced workers and retirees puts the company at the forefront of Canadian organizations working to address the anticipated challenges of an aging workforce.

The Workplace Institute granted the award in recognition of the utility's innovative Prime Time Program - an organizational roadmap launched last year to retain talent amid the expected large number of retirements over the next decade. Hydro Ottawa's initiative stood out for embracing the growing interest by older workers to redefine the latter stages of their careers, influence their experience of the transition to retirement, and identify ways they could continue to contribute to the organization upon retirement.

Quick facts

• Hydro Ottawa forecasts almost 42 per cent of its overall workforce - and almost 50 per cent of its trades and technical workforce - will retire within the next ten years. These numbers represent 8,015 years of skills and experience.
• Hydro Ottawa involved late-career workers and retirees in the development of its strategy, and leveraged the creativity of all employees in developing the program's brand. Hydro Ottawa was honoured in late 2013 by Electricity Human Resources Canada with the Employer's Award for Innovation in HR Practices for the design of the Prime Time Program.

Quotes

"Over the next decade, our industry, and specifically, our company, will be faced with an unprecedented wave of retirements. At Hydro Ottawa, we've introduced our Prime Time program to retain the critical talent, knowledge and experience that our aging workers and our retirees have to contribute to our customers and the community we serve."

- Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hydro Ottawa

About Hydro Ottawa

Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) owns and operates two subsidiary companies, Hydro Ottawa Limited and Energy Ottawa Inc. Hydro Ottawa Limited is the third-largest municipally owned electrical utility in Ontario serving more than 310,000 customers in the City of Ottawa and the Village of Casselman. Energy Ottawa Inc., Ottawa's largest producer of green power, generates renewable energy and provides commercial energy management services.

SOURCE: Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.

Laura Lauzon
Supervisor, Media and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa
Tel: [phone] ext. 145
[email protected]