Too Small to be Exceptional? Think Again, say Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers for 2014

TORONTO, Dec. 6, 2013 /CNW/ - If you think great workplace benefits and progressive working conditions are perks only large organizations offer, then you haven't met Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers for 2014.  The new list is being announced at a special presentation in Toronto today by the editors at the Canada's Top 100 Employers project.

"For several years, we've noticed a growing number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that provide their employees with great benefits and valuable workplace perks," says Richard Yerema, Managing Editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp Canada Inc.  "Not only are these SMEs matching many of the workplace policies previously found only at larger organizations, but their nimble size allows them to innovate and adapt new programs faster than larger employers."

Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers is a new competition organized by the editorial team at Canada's Top 100 Employers.  This project recognizes small and medium enterprises across Canada that lead the nation in creating exceptional workplaces with forward-thinking human resources policies.  Employers are evaluated on eight criteria: (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.  To determine eligibility, the Top 100 editors adopted the SME definition used by Statistics Canada, limiting the competition to private-sector commercial organizations with under 500 employees.

"This new competition recognizes the vital role that small and medium enterprises play in the working lives of most Canadians and the nation's economy," says Tony Meehan, Publisher at Mediacorp.  "Small and medium enterprises employ almost two-thirds (63.7%) of private-sector employees in Canada and account for over half of the nation's gross domestic product."

The awards presentation for this year's 50 winners will take place at noon today at the Toronto Board of Trade.  The winning employers are also being announced this morning on globeandmail.com and on our popular job search engine Eluta.ca.  Our editors' detailed reasons for selection - highlighting the unique initiatives at each winner - were released this morning on the competition's homepage: www.canadastop100.com/sme

The full list of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers for 2014, with our editors' detailed reasons for selecting each winner, was posted this morning at:
http://www.canadastop100.com/sme

SOURCE: Mediacorp Canada Inc.

contact: Kristina Leung, Editor, 416-964-6069 x1464