Results-oriented with flexible work environments: this year's 'Montréal's Top Employers' are announced

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 15, 2022 /CNW/ - With much of the news focused on the end of the pandemic's second year, many employers in Montréal have responded by providing their employees with greater flexibility in where they work – and giving them the assistance needed to make it successful.  The best of these initiatives was recognized today as Montréal's Top Employers for 2022 was announced by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada's Top 100 Employers project.

"Employers in Montréal have shown a dynamic response to the stay-at-home orders during the pandemic," says Kristina Leung, Senior Editor at Mediacorp. "The employers selected for this year's list are moving to more results-oriented work environments.  Many are developing hybrid work models, which allow their employees more flexibility in choosing where they work."

"With increased flexibility, we're seeing also employers supplement the costs of home offices through subsidies and expenses allowances," adds Anthony Meehan, Publisher at Mediacorp. "Employers have also become proactive in protecting employee well-being, implementing company-wide shutdown days to help fatigue, burnout and stress from the pandemic."

Some of the notable initiatives recognized this year include:

• Compulsion Games ULC provided employees a $1,000 stipend to help offset the costs of home office set-up and has reimbursed 100 per cent of home internet costs since the start of the pandemic – the company also generously reimbursed 100 per cent of therapy costs for employees and their families from March 2020 to August 2021.
  
  
• GSoft maintains an unlimited time-off policy and recently implemented a flexible work policy, enabling eligible employees to work anywhere, including outside of Canada for a maximum of 150 days.
  
  
• BNP Paribas provided a $500 taxable benefit to help employees set up home offices at the outset of the pandemic and is developing a new flexible work model, which includes permanent options for remote work, digital tools for collaborative work, and a pilot "No Afternoon Meetings" program on Fridays.
  
  
• Nuance Communications introduced a new paid days-off program ("Nuance Holidays") for employees to take time away from work to look after family and personal matters during the pandemic.
  
  
• Insight Canada has helped employees foster positive social connections through virtual and in-person events, including quarterly ice cream socials, a celebration dinner to commemorate the company's largest acquisition, a talent competition ("Insight's Got Talent") and a special cookie delivery to employees' homes on Valentine's Day.
  
  
• L'Oréal Canada updated its flexible work policy to include up to four days of remote work each month and introduced a new "work from anywhere" policy, with supporting technology.

Now in its 17^th year, Montréal's Top Employers is a special designation that recognizes employers in Greater Montréal that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Employers were evaluated by the editors at Canada's Top 100 Employers using the same criteria as the national competition: (1) Physical 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. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. The annual competition is open to any employer with its head office in Greater Montréal; employers of any size may apply, whether private- or public-sector.

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 18 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, which reaches millions of job-seekers annually and features editorial reviews from the Canada's Top 100 Employers project.

The full list of Montréal's Top Employers for 2022 was announced today in a special magazine co-published with the Montreal Gazette. Detailed reasons for selection for each of the winners, with hundreds of stories and photos, were released by the editors today and are accessible via the competition homepage: https://www.canadastop100.com/montreal/

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Stephanie Leung, Assistant Editor, 416-964-6069 x1477