Staying strong when challenges abound
This year’s GTA winners recognize that employee mental health counts just as much as physical health
For many GTA employees, there are a lot of distractions that dampen peoples’ confidence right now. From artificial intelligence to tariff turmoil and sticker shock at the grocery store, there’s plenty in the news to make people feel unsettled and anxious.
Staying strong is an important aspect of not just physical health, but mental health as well – and this year’s Greater Toronto’s Top Employers (2026) know what it takes to keep employees healthy. To help employees navigate challenging times, this year’s winners have responded with new wellness initiatives that go beyond traditional benefits, providing support for mental health, financial wellness, community building and individual employee needs.
Often the response is tied directly to feedback from employees who need support across different wellness pillars. Building on comprehensive health plans, many winning organizations increased coverage for mental health care for treatments such as subsidized therapy, paid well-being days, workshops and webinars, with some even providing free access to a life coach and meditation apps to help boost employee resilience.
The message from this year’s GTA winners to employees is that we want you to stay strong, both physically and mentally – and we’ll be there to support whatever you need when times get challenging.
Some winners have modified their workplace environment when it’s possible. For instance, Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited houses physical wellness rooms on every floor of the organization’s head offices. McMillan LLP redesigned a portion of its 41st floor office in downtown Toronto to create a new ‘Fun Zone’ where employees working on-site can take a break informally over shuffleboard, Pac-Man and boardgames.
Jennifer Quaglietta, CEO and registrar at Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), says her organization takes an all-encompassing approach to employee care.
“It’s really about being compassionate and having empathy for the individual,” says Quaglietta. “Work shouldn’t just be employer-centric, but really a person-centred experience. It’s about how we can contribute positively to that individual’s whole life, not just the asset they share with us during the day.”
In addition to expanding its benefits budget, PEO has strengthened internal communications while also creating “brave spaces” where employees feel comfortable sharing what’s on their mind. That includes Wellness Wednesdays with healthy snacks and in-person staff forums, as well as consulting employees about a new AI tool.
“We’re tackling emerging challenges head on and together,” says Quaglietta.
One recent HR initiative consolidated multiple types of leave, such as sick leave and family days, into a single “wellness days” bank with no requirement to disclose the reason for taking a day off.
“People have a right to privacy for their own personal time,” says Quaglietta. “We have to trust our employees first and demonstrate that trust holistically.
“We’re dedicated as a leadership team to building a culture that’s built on trust, inclusion and growth. We want to create spaces where people feel welcome and safe.”
Methodology
How this year’s winners were chosen
The Greater Toronto Area is one of the country’s largest, and most dynamic economies, with broad industry representation across various sectors. It is also home to over seven million people, with 47 per cent of residents born outside of the country. Employers in this region are uniquely positioned to leverage the skills of a diverse population, however, to attract and retain top talent, they must provide a compelling path forward for individuals seeking stability and growth.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Greater Toronto Area’s Top Employers competition. Employers selected for this hallmark year lead their industry in providing progressive programs and policies, focusing on financial benefits that help build long-term stability, physical and mental health, and opportunities for professional development and growth.
The methodology used to determine Greater Toronto’s Top Employers is based on a comparison of employers in similar industries, region, and size. Employers are evaluated on eight selection criteria, which have remained consistent since the project’s inception: (1) 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. The competition is open to any employer, public or private sector, with its head office in the Greater Toronto Area.
While the principal criteria have remained consistent, the scope has extended to reflect evolving workplace practices and trends. Examples include flexible time-off policies, health and wellness, and workplace safety.
More detailed reasons for selection, explaining why each of the winners was chosen, are published on the competition’s website, Greater Toronto’s Top Employers.
2026 Winners
The following organizations have been chosen as Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2026 (employee count refers to full-time staff):
Acuity Insights Inc., Toronto. Software publishers; 120 employees. Provides a monthly Friday closure company-wide for 10 months of the year to ensure employees have a collective opportunity to recharge.
ADP Canada Co., Toronto. Payroll services; 2,678 employees. Manages a global mobility program to enable employees to work abroad for up to four weeks per year.
AGF Management Ltd., Toronto. Financial investment management; 589 employees. Rewards long-serving employees with five extra paid days off upon reaching ten years of service, and for every five year increment thereafter.
AIG Insurance Company of Canada, Toronto. Direct property and casualty insurance carriers; 380 employees. Offers special discounts, packages and free passes to a variety of cultural institutions around the world through its unique corporate museum membership program.
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario / AGCO, Toronto. Provincial gaming and liquor regulation; 577 employees. Encourages employees to have a hands-on impact in the community with up to two paid days off to volunteer each year.
Alectra Inc., Mississauga. Electric power distribution; 1,656 employees. Created the Alectra Café program to pair employees together for a 15-minute coffee break to get to know one another and learn about other facets of the organization.
Amex Bank of Canada, Toronto. Credit card issuing; 1,663 employees. Hosted its first-ever Career Growth @ Amex Week with programming on professional development and runs a job exchange program to allow employees to exchange roles with a peer.
AstraZeneca Canada Inc., Mississauga. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 2,261 employees. Encourages employees to support community initiatives with up to three paid volunteer days, matching charitable donations to $500, and grants of $500 for every 40 volunteer hours.
Auvik Networks Inc., Vaughan. Computer software; 231 employees. Takes a thoughtful approach when employees are called upon to care for a loved one with compassionate leave top-up, to 75 per cent of salary for up to 17 weeks.
Aviva Canada Inc., Markham. Insurance services; 5,203 employees. Encourages employees to adopt an ownership mentality through a share purchase plan, available to all employees.
BASF Canada Inc., Mississauga. Chemical manufacturing; 1,040 employees. Supports employee development through numerous training initiatives, from mentoring and tuition subsidies, to formal Collaboration Weeks to address a range of topics.
Baycrest, Toronto. Specialized hospitals; 1,296 employees. Offers funding of up to $5,000 for learning and development opportunities related to personal or professional growth.
BD-Canada Inc., Mississauga. Healthcare and consumer products; 757 employees. Helps employees plan securely for the future with health benefits that extend to retirees, with no age limit and 100 per cent premium coverage.
BDO Canada LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 5,032 employees. Through the Do What You Love program, employees receive generous reimbursements in support of their particular interests, from home fitness equipment to cooking classes.
Bennington Financial Corp., Oakville. Commercial equipment leasing and financing; 169 employees. Introduced a work from away program, enabling employees to work anywhere in the world for up to two weeks per calendar year.
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Toronto. Law firms; 1,420 employees. Manages a longstanding and generous pro-bono legal support program, donating over 14,400 hours to charitable organizations across Canada last year.
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Toronto. Law firms; 1,571 employees. Manages a wellness strategy that includes regular communications on mental health and confidential mental health counselling onsite.
Boston Consulting Group Canada ULC, Toronto. Management consulting; 575 employees. Encourages employees to reconnect onsite the first Friday of every month, hosting barista bars, breakfasts, town halls, leadership panels, socials and the popular end of week Schmooze.
Butterfield & Robinson Inc., Toronto. Tour operators; 59 employees. Lets employees work from its European offices for up to four weeks per year, with a travel stipend of up to $1,500 annually and paid accommodations.
CAAT Pension Plan, Toronto. Pension plans; 524 employees. Provides generous maternity and parental leave top-up for employees who are new mothers, to 93 per cent of salary for up to 35 weeks.
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited, Toronto. Real estate management; 1,324 employees. Organizes a Win at Wellness initiative to encourage employees to share wellness tips for a chance to win prizes such as an Air Canada voucher of $500 and an iPad.
Campbell Company of Canada, Mississauga. Food preparation and packaging; 163 employees. Recognizes hard work through its High 5 award program, ranging from peer recognition to special CEO awards or stock grants for extraordinary contributions.
Canadian Standards Association / CSA Group, Toronto. Testing, certification and related services; 808 employees. Helps employees plan securely for the longer term with health benefits that extend to retirees, 100 per cent premium coverage and no age limit.
Capital One Canada, Toronto. Credit card issuing; 784 employees. Helps employees balance personal and professional responsibilities with up to 15 paid personal days, which can be used for illness, medical appointments or family care.
CGI Constructors, Mississauga. Commercial construction; 77 employees. Offers generous bursaries for employees interested in pursuing apprenticeships, to $10,000 per person.
Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Toronto. Child and youth services; 658 employees. Provides exceptional family-friendly benefits, including maternity and parental leave top-up for all parents, to 70 per cent of salary for up to 39 weeks.
Choice Properties, Toronto. Real estate investment trusts; 267 employees. Enables all employees to participate in a unit purchase plan with a 25 per cent company match on their contributions.
CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 42,280 employees. Helps new families with adoption and fertility support benefits (to $15,000) and offers industry-leading maternity and parental leave top-ups for all parents, to 100 per cent of salary for 17 weeks.
CI Financial Corp., Toronto. Financial management services; 1,728 employees. Rewards longstanding employees for their commitment, providing additional paid time off for every five years of service, ranging from two to five days.
Citi Canada, Mississauga. Banking; 3,159 employees. Offers a 12-week sabbatical program to encourage employees to rest and recharge, providing 25 per cent of their base pay during their leave.
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Toronto. Professional organizations; 357 employees. Through the formal Staff Cares Committee, employees vote to select one charity to receive support (over a three-year period) and direct all fundraisers in support of their chosen initiative.
Colliers Canada, Toronto. Commercial real estate services; 2,856 employees. Involves employees in shaping the workplace culture through eight employee resource groups who help ensure initiatives reflect the workforce’s diverse needs.
Computer Room Services Corporation / CRSC, Ajax. Construction management; 355 employees. Provides compassionate leave top-up when employees are called upon to care for their loved ones, to 100 per cent of salary for up to 12 weeks.
Conagra Brands Canada Inc., Mississauga. Food preparation and packaging; 506 employees. Donated over 2,000 volunteer hours on company time in the past year, focusing on initiatives related to food security.
CRH Canada Group Inc., Vaughan. Concrete manufacturing; 2,669 employees. Offers a number of financial benefits including year-end bonuses, referral bonuses (up to $1,000), and discounted home and auto insurance.
Crowe Soberman LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 222 employees. Maintains four-day work weeks during the summer months with Friday office closures.
Crown Property Management Inc., Toronto. Property management; 190 employees. Makes mental health care more accessible with up to $1,500 of coverage per year for accredited practitioners.
Dayforce, Inc., Toronto. Human resources software and services; 2,252 employees. Enables employees to work from anywhere globally for up to 10 days per year.
Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc., Toronto. Architecture; 288 employees. Encourages employees to reach out into the community with paid volunteer time and matching charitable donations, ranging from $100 to $1,500.
Dig Insights Inc., Toronto. Marketing consulting services; 187 employees. Helps employees sustain healthy habits with an annual fitness club subsidy of $500.
Dynacare Inc., Brampton. Medical laboratories; 2,538 employees. Offers targeted wellness programs to support front-line and management employees, and provides up to $2,000 of coverage for mental health practitioners.
Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc, Toronto. Property and casualty insurance; 108 employees. Provides an annual transportation subsidy for eligible staff to $3,000 per year regardless of how employees commute.
Edgewood Health Network, Inc., Toronto. Individual and family health services; 667 employees. Helps employees put their health first with 10 health and wellness days per year, split equally for sick days and wellness.
EF Educational Tours, Toronto. Educational tour services; 109 employees. Provides maternity and parental leave top-up for all new parents and helps them connect through a dedicated Parents@EF employee resource group, as well as the Parent-to-Parent newsletter.
Eli Lilly Canada Inc., Toronto. Pharmaceuticals preparation manufacturing; 457 employees. Provides tuition subsidies for courses at outside academic institutions and offers a wide range of training courses through the LillyU online training portal, hosted in partnership with LinkedIn Learning.
Enercare Inc., Markham. HVAC services; 1,260 employees. Supports ongoing professional and personal development with generous tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current position, to $2,500 annually.
Equifax Canada Co., Toronto. Credit data and reporting services; 534 employees. Encourages employees to support charitable initiatives in their communities with two paid volunteer days annually and generous matching charitable donations, up to $5,000 each year.
Equinix, Inc., Toronto. Data centre services; 535 employees. Offers $3,000 of coverage per year for mental health practitioners, including clinical counsellors, marriage and family therapists, and psychotherapists.
EY, Toronto. Accounting; 9,000 employees. Offers a well-being benefit of $1,200 per year that can be used for well-being or fitness activities such as tennis lessons, music classes, tax services, and even mattress purchases to ensure a good night’s rest.
Fidelity Canada, Toronto. Portfolio management; 2,336 employees. Supports a volunteer grant program, allowing top volunteers to direct a $150 grant to a non-profit organization of their choice.
First Canadian Title Company Limited / FCT, Oakville. Direct title insurance carriers; 1,084 employees. Employees are encouraged to keep fit with free memberships to a fully equipped onsite gym that offers weekly yoga classes, and the company also helps sponsor employee sports teams.
First Capital REIT, Toronto. Real estate development and management; 376 employees. Helps employees plan ahead with free financial advisory services, matching RSP contributions, year-end bonuses and an employee share purchase plan.
FIRST Insurance Funding of Canada, Toronto. Insurance payment services; 153 employees. Formal hybrid work program includes working from home along with the option to apply to work from anywhere in the world for up four weeks annually.
Flipp Operations Inc., Toronto. Advertising agencies; 443 employees. Encourages employee self-care though a wellness spending account, mental health coverage, onsite massage and acupuncture services, and access to life coach services.
Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd., Oakville. Automobile manufacturing; 7,294 employees. Makes recognition a core part of its culture with e-cards, public shout-outs and redeemable points awarded by people leaders.
Fundserv Inc., Toronto. Financial transaction processing; 144 employees. Supports its new moms with generous maternity and parental leave top-up payments, to 80 per cent of salary for up to 26 weeks.
George Brown Polytechnic, Toronto. Post secondary schools, college; 1,579 employees. Longer serving employees can apply for sabbatical leaves of absence for up to 12 months to pursue professional development opportunities and goals.
Gilead Sciences Canada Inc., Mississauga. Pharmaceutical products; 541 employees. Encourages employees to reach out into the community with one paid volunteer day annually and matching donations for their volunteer hours, to $10 for every hour up to $500.
GlaxoSmithKline Inc. / GSK, Mississauga. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 1,699 employees. Offers a generous vacation policy, starting new employees with four weeks of vacation, and provides additional paid time off through personal days.
Granite REIT, Toronto. Commercial real estate investment and management; 47 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm with generous new employee referral bonuses, from $500 to $1,000 depending on the position.
GWL Realty Advisors Inc., Toronto. Real estate management and development; 747 employees. Offers employees a complete health benefits plan that features a wellness spending account along with generous coverage for mental health practitioners, to $5,000 annually.
Haleon Canada ULC/Haleon Canada SRI, Mississauga. Consumer health products; 908 employees. Helps employees plan ahead with a defined contribution pension and matching RSP savings plan, along with a health benefits plan that extends into retirement with no age limit.
Halton, Regional Municipality of, Oakville. Municipal governments; 2,370 employees. Supports employees through a corporate wellness program that features a cross-department wellness committee and generous coverage for mental health practitioners, up to $5,000 annually.
Halton Regional Police Service, Oakville. Police services; 1,103 employees. Supports ongoing professional development with formal mentoring and leadership development programs, along with generous tuition subsidies for courses at outside institutions, to $3,000 annually.
Hatch Ltd., Mississauga. Engineering services; 4,853 employees. Helps employees plan securely for the future with health benefits that extend into retirement, with shared premium contributions and no age limit.
Hazelview Investments Inc., Toronto. Real estate investment management; 104 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters for the company with generous new employee referral bonuses, from $2,500 to $5,000 depending on the position.
Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada / HIROC, Toronto. Direct health and medical insurance carriers; 139 employees. Encourages employees to get to know one another through the unique Kitchen Hangs and Collision Chat programs that bring together employees from different departments over walks, breakfasts, or snacks and coffee.
Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan / HOOPP, Toronto. Pension plans; 1,111 employees. Hosted its first in-person holiday party for the first time in five years, with over 800 employees coming together to reconnect for a welcomed festive celebration.
Henkel Canada Corp., Mississauga. Consumer and industrial product manufacturing; 440 employees. Supports employee-suggested charities that are aligned with its charitable focus with financial and in-kind donations, and grants paid days off for employees to give back locally.
Hitachi Rail, Toronto. Specialized IT services; 1,061 employees. Introduced a formal knowledge transfer program that provides retiring employees with the needed time and resources to properly train and mentor other employees prior to their retirement.
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto. Hospitals; 683 employees. Supports employees starting a family with maternity and parental leave top-up and offers the convenience of on-site childcare for their return to work.
Hospital for Sick Children, The, Toronto. Hospitals; 6,955 employees. Offers extensive wellness programming such as healthy eating webinars, mindfulness workshops and a dedicated stretching program.
Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., Markham. Automobile wholesale; 282 employees. Offers employees (and immediate family members) a reduced lease rate program for up to two vehicles per year, includes coverage for winter tires, insurance, and maintenance.
Hyundai Capital Canada Inc., Toronto. Financial services; 210 employees. Supports ongoing employee development with generous tuition subsidies for courses related and directly related to their current position, to $5,400 annually.
IAMGOLD Corporation, Toronto. Gold mining; 1,295 employees. Recently partnered with Noojimo Health to provide Indigenous employees access to virtual counselling sessions with Indigenous practitioners who blend western therapies with traditional practices.
Independent Electricity System Operator, The / IESO, Toronto. Electric power distribution; 1,163 employees. Employees enjoy long-term peace of mind knowing they’ll retire with the security of a defined benefit pension along with a health benefits plan that extends into retirement with no age limit.
Interac Corp., Toronto. Financial services; 828 employees. Hosts numerous social events to help employees connect outside of work, from a scenic boat cruise to treat days to soccer, cricket and baseball tournaments.
Investment Management Corporation of Ontario / IMCO, Toronto. Investment services; 406 employees. Supports all new parents going on leave with generous maternity and parental leave top-up payments, to 93 per cent of salary for up to 52 weeks.
IPEX Inc., Oakville. Plastics pipe and pipe fitting manufacturing; 3,242 employees. Supports employees with older kids through an academic scholarship program that offers 10 annual $2,500 scholarships for those enrolled in STEM or trades programs.
Kinross Gold Corporation, Toronto. Gold mining; 334 employees. Starts new employees with four weeks of paid vacation and offers additional time off between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Klick Health, Toronto. Digital marketing; 915 employees. Manages an in-house talent marketplace platform that lets employees match their skills and gain experience through short and long-term placements within the company.
Kraft Heinz Canada ULC, Toronto. Food manufacturing; 1,613 employees. Supports the employee-led LiveWell Committee that organizes a variety of wellness initiatives for employees throughout the year in support of their physical, emotional, social and financial health.
Kruger Products Inc., Mississauga. Paper products; 2,488 employees. Encourages ongoing training with over 1,100 self-directed bilingual courses available through the in-house Kruger Products University and Tissue University programs.
Labatt Breweries of Canada, Toronto. Breweries; 3,374 employees. Enhanced its relocation policy to better support career growth across Canada, providing a relocation allowance of up to $11,000 as well as coverage of expenses related to the transport of personal belongings.
Lactalis Canada Inc., Toronto. Food manufacturing; 4,252 employees. Encourages employees to keep and eye out for new talent through generous new employee referral bonuses, up to $3,000 depending on the position.
LEA Consulting Ltd., Markham. Engineering services; 176 employees. Employee-led Social Club (established in 1963) organizes numerous fun events for employees every year, including go-kart racing, ski trips, summer barbecues, the CN Tower Climb fundraiser, and more.
Liquor Control Board of Ontario / LCBO, Toronto. Liquor distribution; 4,620 employees. Supports its new moms with generous maternity top-up payments to 93 per cent of salary for up to 27 weeks.
Loblaw Companies Ltd., Brampton. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 29,652 employees. Encourages ongoing development with role-specific learning paths, upskilling and re-skilling programs, and an enterprise-wide learning platform with personalized dashboards.
Loopio Inc., Toronto. Software developers; 233 employees. Offers a unique time-off policy that offers up to six weeks (30 days) of paid time off annually that can be used however employees wish, from vacation to family appointments.
Manulife Financial Corporation, Toronto. Direct life insurance carriers; 12,221 employees. Provides extensive support for all stages of family planning, from unlimited coverage for fertility drugs and treatments, to financial support for adoption, to a maximum of $20,000 per year.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc., Mississauga. Food processing; 12,984 employees. Hosts frequent events for employees to connect,including movie nights on the lawn, ping pong challenges, karaoke nights, and volunteering.
Mars Canada, Bolton. Food manufacturing; 1,579 employees. Offers four weeks of starting vacation allowance for new employees and allows them to carry forward one week of unused time off into the following year.
Mazda Canada Inc., Richmond Hill. Automobile wholesale; 183 employees. Helps employees save for the future with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan and hosts seminars to help employees budget today and plan ahead for tomorrow.
McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Toronto. Law firms; 1,743 employees. Supports ongoing professional development through tuition subsidies and a variety of in-house development programs.
McMillan LLP, Toronto. Law firms; 760 employees. As part of their health benefits plan, employees can also access generous coverage for mental health practitioners, up to $7,000 annually.
MDA Space Ltd., Brampton. Space manufacturing; 3,255 employees. Encourages employees to keep fit with free memberships to a fully equipped on-site fitness facility, which offers a variety of instructor-led fitness classes and virtual lunch hour classes.
Medtronic Canada ULC, Brampton. Electromedical apparatus manufacturing; 630 employees. Recently introduced a formal work from anywhere policy that lets employees schedule up to four weeks each year to work from alternate work locations.
Mentimeter North America Inc., Toronto. Software; 53 employees. Offers a universal maternity and parental top-up program for all new parents (to 90 per cent of salary for 26 weeks) and new parents can extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence.
Metrolinx, Toronto. Public transit; 6,489 employees. Employees can plan for a secure retirement with retirement planning assistance services along with a defined benefit pension plan.
Michael Garron Hospital | Toronto East Health Network, Toronto. Hospitals; 1,739 employees. Supports the unique Staff in Need Fund that exists to support employees and their families who are living through unforeseen challenges and financial difficulties.
Mondelez Canada Inc., Toronto. Food manufacturing; 2,713 employees. Supports its new mothers with generous maternity leave top-up payments (to 100 per cent of salary for up to 27 weeks) and offers a generous adoption subsidy to a $30,000 lifetime maximum.
Multiplex Construction Canada Ltd., Toronto. Commercial construction; 172 employees. Starts new employees with four weeks of paid vacation and offers a bonus week of vacation to celebrate their five year anniversary, as well as every fifth year thereafter.
Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, Pickering. Real estate appraisal; 1,792 employees. Helps employees plan for a secure retirement with generous contributions to a defined benefit pension plan and health benefits that extend into retirement.
Neighbourhood Group Community Services, The, Toronto. Community healthcare services; 487 employees. Starts new employees with four weeks of paid vacation and offers longer serving employees the option to schedule and plan for an unpaid leave of absence, up to one year in duration.
Nestlé Canada Inc., Toronto. Food manufacturing; 2,378 employees. Provides three weeks of starting vacation allowance, moving employees to four weeks after only three years on the job.
Northbridge Financial Corporation, Toronto. Direct property and casualty insurance carriers; 1,960 employees. Helps employees balance their personal and work lives through hybrid work options, flexible hours, early Friday closings in the summer months, and the option to work from anywhere for up to four weeks annually.
Northcrest Developments, Toronto. Real estate development; 41 employees. Starts new employees with four weeks of paid vacation and offers additional time off through a summer hours program that lets employees work half-days on Fridays through July and August.
Novo Nordisk Canada Inc., Mississauga. Pharmaceuticals preparation manufacturing; 430 employees. Enables employees to lend their time to causes that are near and dear to their hearts with three paid days off to volunteer each year.
Nuclear Waste Management Organization, Toronto. Nuclear waste management services; 254 employees. Offers employees generous mental health practitioner coverage as part of their health benefits plan, up to $4,000 annually.
Olympus Canada Inc., Richmond Hill. Medical, industrial and imaging equipment; 284 employees. Offers a busy social calendar for employees, such as departmental potlucks, birthday celebrations, a summer barbecue, and holiday parties for employees and their children.
OMERS Administration Corporation, Toronto. Pension funds; 2,418 employees. Head office features an onsite Wellness Centre with dedicated spaces to take breaks, meditation pods, a multi-faith prayer room, nursing suite for new mothers, and a variety of wellness programming.
Ontario Dental Association, The, Toronto. Professional organizations; 64 employees. Recently introduced the Anchor Days program to bring remote and hybrid employees together four times each year and have the opportunity to connect over social and work activities.
Ontario Energy Board, Toronto. Provincial energy regulation; 240 employees. Reaches out to the next generation with summer employment, co-ops and paid internships, and recently introduced a new graduate program to help younger employees advance in their careers.
Ontario Medical Association, Toronto. Professional organizations; 351 employees. Manages the online “StaffApplause” program that lets employees recognize their colleagues’ exceptional work, and recipients may redeem points for gifts or pay it forward as charitable donations.
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby. Specialty hospitals; 1,000 employees. Employees can keep fit with an onsite fitness facility (with instructor-led fitness classes) and organize their own sports teams, including ball hockey, soccer, volleyball, pickeball, basketball, and more.
Peel Regional Police, Mississauga. Police services; 3,422 employees. Helps all employees plan ahead with retirement planning assistance services along with the security of a defined benefit pension plan.
PepsiCo Canada, Mississauga. Soft drink and food manufacturing; 15,171 employees. Encourages employees to reach out into their local communities with paid volunteer time as well as offering generous matching charitable donations.
Philips Canada, Mississauga. Healthcare and consumer products; 559 employees. Helps employees balance their busy lives with flexible hours and hybrid work options, and employees are encouraged to wrap up work early every Friday between May and September.
Pink Triangle Press, Toronto. Periodical publisher; 51 employees. Invests in ongoing employee development through a unique paid education leave program that offers up to four weeks of education leave annually.
Podium Development Corp., Toronto. Residential housing development; 64 employees. Offers generous referral bonuses as an incentive for employees to recruit candidates from their personal networks, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.
PointClickCare, Mississauga. Custom computer programming services; 1,159 employees. Provides subsidized meals for employees working in office as well as a free lunch every week, known as Mid-Week Mingles.
Potentia Renewables Inc., Toronto. Other electric power generation; 96 employees. Encourages employees to nominate peers who go above and beyond the call of duty, with winners receiving a $100 prepaid gift card.
Procter & Gamble Inc., Toronto. Consumer products manufacturing; 1,792 employees. Support families every step of the way, from fertility treatment coverage and adoption assistance, maternity and parental leave top-ups, to post-secondary academic scholarships.
Professional Engineers Ontario, Toronto. Professional organizations; 146 employees. Helps employees prepare for the future with retirement planning assistance and matching RSP contributions.
Purpose Unlimited, Toronto. Investment management; 257 employees. Maintains a flexible vacation policy with no formal cap on paid time off.
Questrade Financial Group, Toronto. Financial investment services; 1,771 employees. Enhanced its health benefits by increasing coverage for paramedical, dental and prescription drugs in accordance with employee feedback.
RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, Toronto. Real estate investment trusts; 505 employees. Fosters connection through a variety of social events throughout the year, such as Pride Bingo, a summer social, a Halloween contest, and an annual holiday party.
Roche Canada, Mississauga. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 1,994 employees. Maintains an internal gig marketplace to provide employees with short-term opportunities to build new skills and allows them to participate in longer rotations across other departments for career development.
Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto. Banking; 69,126 employees. Hosts the annual RBC Performance Conference where top performing employees (peer-nominated) and their guests gather for a week-long conference that closes with a special awards ceremony.
Royal Ontario Museum / ROM, Toronto. Museum; 337 employees. Helps employees plan securely for the future with generous employer contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.
RSM Canada LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 991 employees. Offers 10 days of back-up child, adult and elder care, in partnership with Bright Horizons.
R.V. Anderson Associates Limited, Toronto. Engineering consulting services; 460 employees. Manages a four-day summer work week between June and September.
Saint-Gobain Canada, Mississauga. Construction materials and services; 2,672 employees. Supported roughly 30 charitable organizations in the past year and encourages employees to get involved with a paid day to volunteer.
Samsung Electronics Canada Inc., Mississauga. Communications equipment manufacturing; 710 employees. Encourages employees to take time for themselves with over four weeks of starting vacation allowance, five days for employee well-being, and early closures before holiday long weekends.
Sanofi Canada, Toronto. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 2,135 employees. Helps employees plan for the future with retirement readiness webinars and employer contributions to a defined contribution pension plan.
Scarborough Health Network / SHN, Toronto. Hospitals; 3,738 employees. Helps employees plan for life after work with retirement planning assistance and generous contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.
S&C Electric Canada Ltd., Toronto. Electrical manufacturing; 629 employees. Manages a unique skill-based pay initiative for manufacturing employees to encourage them to acquire new skills and advance in their careers.
Schneider Electric Canada Inc., Mississauga. Industrial automation and controls; 2,225 employees. In addition to a personal floater day for cultural and personal reasons, employees can purchase an additional one or two weeks off through the formal Recharge Break program.
Scotiabank, Toronto. Banking; 41,943 employees. Recently removed the lifetime cap for fertility drug costs as well as equalizing maternity and paternity leave top-up coverage for all parents, to 100 per cent of salary for 16 weeks.
Second Harvest Canada, Toronto. Community food services; 118 employees. Supports employee development through a range of in-house initiatives, including innovation boot camps, cross-functional secondments, and mentorship circles for peer learning.
Sobeys Inc., Mississauga. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 43,964 employees. Created a flexible statutory days policy, allowing employees to substitute statutory holidays for other days of cultural or religious significance in the calendar year.
Southlake Health, Newmarket. Hospitals; 2,538 employees. Helps employees prioritize their well-being with workshops on stress management and resilience, nutrition and healthy eating as well as free access to the onsite gym.
Spaulding Ridge, LLC, Toronto. Computer consulting services; 76 employees. Reimburses the cost of development resources and activities that enable employee growth, to $850 per year.
Spin Master Ltd., Toronto. Children’s toys and entertainment; 803 employees. Provides one-on-one financial coaching to help employees reduce stress and feel secure about their finances.
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada Inc., Toronto. Direct life insurance carriers; 12,458 employees. Invests significantly in mental wellness, offering employees generous coverage for mental health practitioners as part of its benefits plan, up to $12,500.
TD Bank Group, Toronto. Banking; 63,935 employees. Supports ongoing career development through its Thrive platform, for self-directed learning, paid education days, and tuition subsidies for coursework taken externally.
Techtronic Industries Canada Inc., Toronto. Power equipment and tools; 758 employees. Celebrates employee achievements with on-the-spot recognition such as sports tickets, gift cards and weekend trips.
Teranet Inc., Toronto. Electronic land registration and information systems; 656 employees. Hosts workshops and seminars on a variety of well-being topics, including resiliency in the workplace, nutrition strategies for navigating menopause, and managing change.
TMX Group Limited, Toronto. Stock exchanges; 1,550 employees. Support all new parents with maternity and parental leave top-up payments to 100 per cent of salary for up to 15 weeks, and parents may apply to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence.
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Toronto. Environment, conservation and wildlife organizations; 515 employees. Enhanced its benefits plan by increasing maximums for dental and vision coverage in response to employee feedback.
Toronto, City of, Toronto. Municipal governments; 25,791 employees. Created an earned deferred leave policy to allow employees to plan and self-finance an extended leave of absence while maintaining benefits.
Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Toronto. Administration of housing programs; 2,275 employees. Offers compassionate leave top-up for employees in need of time to care for a loved one, to 93 per cent of salary for eight weeks.
Toronto Zoo, Toronto. Zoos and botanical gardens; 336 employees. Provides employees with passes for their family and friends granting free admission, parking, and complimentary ticketed adventures at the zoo.
Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company, Toronto. Specialty insurance; 299 employees. Focuses its charitable program on large and small organizations and encourages employees to give back with two paid days off to volunteer.
Uken Inc., Toronto. Game developers; 99 employees. Provides employees with a flexible spending allowance of $900 per year that can be used to supplement health benefits or purchase wellness-related items.
Unilever Canada, Inc., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing and distribution; 901 employees. Manages a formal “ramp down to retirement” program to enable full-time employees to transition to part-time while maintaining full benefits.
Unity Health Toronto, Toronto. Hospitals; 7,228 employees. Organizes wellness huddles featuring short departmental stretch breaks, chair yoga, pet therapy, and meditation sessions.
University of Toronto, Toronto. Post secondary schools, university; 13,313 employees. Maintains a Family Care Office to provide support and resources on a wide range of family issues, including child care and caring for aging parents.
University Pension Plan Ontario, Toronto. Pension funds; 244 employees. Offers a health spending account of up to $1,200 as part of its benefits plan, enabling employees to top up medical, dental or vision coverage as needed.
Vena Solutions Inc., Toronto. Computer software and consulting services; 549 employees. Supports all parents-to-be with maternity and parental leave top-up, to 80 per cent of salary for up to 20 weeks.
Visa Canada Corporation, Toronto. Payments technology; 239 employees. Hosts a global learning festival through the company’s Visa University, with workshops delivered by external trainers on topics such as negotiation and executive presence.
Wealthsimple Technologies Inc., Toronto. Investment services; 1,503 employees. Offers generous maternity and parental leave top-up for primary caregivers, to 100 per cent of salary for up to 27 weeks.
Weston Consulting Group, Vaughan. Urban planning consulting services; 68 employees. Provides coverage for a wide range of mental health practitioners, including marriage and family therapists, behavioural therapists, and psychotherapists.
Women’s College Hospital, Toronto. Hospitals; 780 employees. Organizes an annual Day of Excellence in Academics to enable physicians, nurses, scientists and researchers to showcase their work.
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board / WSIB, Toronto. Workplace health and safety programs; 4,746 employees. Helps employees plan securely for the future with generous contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.
World Vision Canada, Mississauga. Charitable organizations; 427 employees. Manages the unique Orange Days program that offers all full-time employees an additional six paid days off annually and are scheduled to extend holiday weekends throughout the year.
Yamaha Motor Canada Ltd., Toronto. Motorized vehicle and equipment wholesale; 224 employees. Offers fuel subsidies for employees who work onsite for four or more days per week as well as transit subsidies for those who commute using public transportation or carpool.
YMCA of Greater Toronto, Toronto. Individual and family services; 3,600 employees. Organizes retirement planning initatives such as one-on-one sessions with financial advisors, online webinars, and formal awareness and education initiatives in November.
York Regional Police, Aurora. Police services; 2,540 employees. Offers generous coverage for mental health services, to a maximum of $12,000 per year.
Zurich Canada, Toronto. Insurance services; 798 employees. Created the Day to Invest initiative to set aside one Friday each month for employees to focus on professional development, such as working on projects of interest or scheduling training or brainstorming sessions.
More from the GTA’s Top Employers
Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.
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