More Canadian employers are considering long-term sustainability as part of their workplace cultures and even their benefits plans, according to a new listing of green employers.
“When we started this competition a decade ago, the programs we wrote about were largely informal and incidental to an employer’s principal business,” said Richard Yerema, managing editor of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp Canada Inc.
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“Over the years, we’ve seen a shift towards more formal programs and strategic sustainability policies, which reflect a long-term commitment on the part of employers. This year’s winners aren’t afraid to address the adverse impacts of their operations and are charting the course for others in their industry.”
At Perkins+Will Canada Architects Co., employees receive $900 to subsidize alternative transit costs, whether that’s a pass for public transportation or a new bicycle. Its head office in Vancouver also includes secure bike parking and showers, and 95 per cent of employees who work there walk, cycle, carpool or take transit to work. Offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Durham, Ont., also compete with one another on who can save the most energy and divert the most waste from landfills. In addition, they only serve fair-trade coffee.
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B.C. Hydro, meanwhile, hosts an organics composting program, has a green roof and solar water heating and encourages employees to take alternative transportation to work through on-site showers and a mentoring program for new cyclists.