Canada's Top 100 Employers

Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places in Canada to work. First held in 1999, the project aims to single out the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional working conditions and progressive human resources policies.^[1] Winners are announced each October in The Globe and Mail newspaper.^[2] The annual list is organized by Mediacorp Canada Inc., a specialty publisher of employment-related periodicals.

Candidate companies submit an application with a $795 filing fee to be considered for the contest.^[3]

Selection process

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.^[4] Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offers the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Canada is eligible for the award. Employers of any size may submit an application, whether private or public sector.

Provincial and Regional prizes

Alberta

Alberta's Top Employers is a competition that recognizes the best workplaces in Alberta. Published annually since October 2005, the designation recognizes the Alberta employers that lead their peers in providing exemplary employee benefits and forward-thinking human resource programs. The winners are chosen by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers and announced in editorial features published annually by the Calgary Herald^[5] and the Edmonton Journal.^[6]

Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Alberta may apply to be considered for the award, which is made for one calendar year. The competition is open to public-sector and private-sector employers alike.^[7]

British Columbia

BC's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best employers in British Columbia to work. First published in October 2005, the special designation recognizes the British Columbia employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. The winners are chosen by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers, with the winners announced in special editorial features published each fall by the Vancouver Sun, The Province and the Victoria Times-Colonist.^[8]

Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in British Columbia can apply to be considered for the award, which is made for one-year period. The competition is open to public-sector^[9] and private-sector^[10] employers alike.

Manitoba

Manitoba's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places to work in Manitoba. Published annually since October 2006, the designation singles out the employers in the province that lead their industries in creating forward-thinking workplaces with progressive human resources policies. Winners are chosen by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers and announced in an editorial feature published each fall by the Winnipeg Free Press, the largest newspaper in Manitoba.^[11]

Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Manitoba may apply to be considered for the award, which is made for one calendar year. The competition is open to public-sector and private-sector employers alike.^[12] Employers complete a single application to be considered for both the annual Manitoba's Top Employers and the Canada's Top 100 Employers designation.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places to work in Saskatchewan. Published annually since October 2005, the designation singles out the employers in the province that lead their industries in creating forward-thinking workplaces with progressive human resources policies. Winners are chosen by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers and announced in editorial features published each fall by The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)^[13] and the Regina Leader-Post,^[14] the two largest newspapers in Saskatchewan.

Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Saskatchewan may apply to be considered for the award, which is made for one calendar year. The competition is open to public-sector and private-sector employers alike.^[15] Employers complete a single application to be considered for both the annual Saskatchewan's Top Employers and the Canada's Top 100 Employers designation.

Toronto

Greater Toronto's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places to work in the Greater Toronto Area (which includes City of Toronto and the Regional Municipalities of York, Halton, Peel and Durham). Published annually since October 2006, the designation singles out the employers in greater Toronto that lead their industries in creating forward-thinking workplaces with progressive human resources policies. Winners are chosen by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers and announced in a special editorial feature published each fall by the Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper.^[16] The Star's editorial coverage of this competition in 2007 won first-place at the Inland Press Awards in Chicago.^[17]

Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in the Greater Toronto Area may apply to be considered for the award, which is made for one calendar year. The competition is open to public-sector and private-sector employers alike.^[18] Employers complete a single annual application to be considered for both the Greater Toronto's Top Employers and the Canada's Top 100 Employers designation.

Waterloo

Waterloo Area's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places to work in Canada's Technology Triangle, which is generally described as the Kitchener-Waterloo Area together with the cities of Guelph and Cambridge, Ontario. Published annually since October 2007, the designation recognizes the employers that lead their industries in creating forward-thinking workplaces with progressive human resources policies. Winners are chosen by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers and announced in editorial features published each fall by the Waterloo Region Record,^[19] Guelph Mercury^[20] and the Cambridge Times.

Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in the Waterloo area may apply to be considered for the award, which is made for one calendar year. The competition is open to public-sector and private-sector employers alike.^[21] Employers complete a single application to be considered for both the annual Waterloo Area's Top Employers and the Canada's Top 100 Employers designation.