Manitoba's Top Employers

11 We're proud to be selected as one of Manitoba's Top Employers in 2019 – the same year we celebrate 35 years of Helping Farmers Succeed. 35 years NURTURING EMPLOYEE IDEAS LEADS TO ENGAGING WORKPLACE CULTURE BY SHEL ZOLKEWICH CANADIAN CANOLA GROWERS ASSOCIATION (CCGA) "Corporate culture" refers to the shared values, attitudes, standards and beliefs that characterize an organization and define its nature. And when it comes to the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA), that culture is rooted in a decidedly bottom-up approach, where employees are the catalyst for many of the programs that contribute to a healthy workplace. "It has a huge impact when it's the employ- ees who are bringing ideas forward and mak- ing the decisions," said Larysa Motruk, human resources director for the organization. The cornerstone of the culture lies in the Engagement Committee, an employee-led effort that encourages improvements and ad- ditions to workplace conditions. It's likely part of the reason the organization — with fewer than 65 employees — sees very little turnover. As CCGA celebrates its 35th anniversary, the organization reflects on the diversity of its workplace, with people from varying back- grounds and diverse skills and experiences. Many of those employees have been at CCGA for upwards of 10 years, and some even cel- ebrating more than 20 years at CCGA. Many of the employees at CCGA didn't imagine a career in agriculture, but this sec- tor has provided exciting career opportunities for staff working in areas such at IT, econom- ics, communications, accounting, customer service and more. As the national voice for Canada's 43,000 canola farmers, every day the CCGA team embraces the organization's vision of Helping Farmers Succeed. Whether providing financing services through the ad- ministration of the Advance Payments Pro- gram; undertaking important agriculture policy development research in areas such as trade, business risk management, or rail trans- portation; or advocating on national and inter- national issues that impact farm profitability with policy makers in Canada or internation- ally, the team at CCGA keeps that vision at the heart of work every day. One of the newest programs to come out of the Engagement Committee is a top-up pro- gram for maternity and paternity leave. The top-up provides 90 per cent of salary for up to 15 weeks for maternity leave and 12 weeks for parental leave and adoptive parent leave, bridging the gap left by regular employment insurance benefits. Since its launch this spring, four employees have already taken advantage of the top-up. "People who were expecting said this was better than a Christmas present!" Motruk said. "We even back-dated the program so someone who was already on maternity leave could take advantage of it." In addition to the financial lift, the program also includes a phased re- turn to work component. It al- lows returning employees a gradual return, from 50 per cent time up to 100 per cent time over the course of two months. "It's important for employees to fully adjust to being back in the workplace," Motruk said. "This allows them time to slowly get children into daycare and get into a new schedule." The CCGA also encourages employee development by offering a robust tuition subsidy program. Launched in 2016, it cov- ers job-related courses for professional ac- creditation, mentoring and in-house and online training options. "This allows employees to go back to school and to further enhance their knowledge and skills, relevant to their particular area of work. We have employees who have completed an MBA and payroll courses, studying for an ac- counting diploma and we cover up to 100 per cent of the tuition," Motruk said. "We also provide paid days off for exams." As part of the company's benefits plan, em- ployees receive a health spending account of $400 annually that covers medical, dental and vision needs. But there's also a separate physi- cal wellness spending account of $500 that lets employees get creative when it comes to their well- being. "We launched this in 2018 and it's been hugely popular," Motruk said. "We have peo- ple who buy fitness club memberships, tennis lessons, ski passes and home fitness equip- ment. We've also had people buy skates so they can enjoy some winter activities." And to provide stimulation at midday, reg- ular Lunch and Learn sessions cover a wide range of topics including nutrition, yoga, es- tate planning and art therapy "All these programs and ideas are brought forward by employees," Motruk said. "We are honest and open about what can work and what can't work. But there's truly something empowering about involving everyone in the process. That's the key to our positive corpo- rate culture around here."

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