Manitoba's Top Employers

5 If you're wondering how your workplace could become one of Manitoba's Top Employers, go visit your company's nap room to recharge and we're sure you'll come up with some much-needed recommendations. What's that? You don't have a nap room? Well, that didn't take long. Nap rooms are most definitely a thing at some of the most progressive companies in the province, says Richard Yerema, managing editor of Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which organizes the Manitoba competition and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. "In a modern office, it's a quiet room with comfortable chairs where you can make a (private) phone call. Some even have sleeping pods, a Star Trek-style chair that envelops you. It's not frowned upon. You're a human being. You might need five minutes to nap. During a busy day, you need those kinds of spaces to recharge," he said. Much of the change is driven by the growth in 'open-concept' office plans, which are great for encouraging communication between teams — but not so good for private conversations. Nap rooms are just one of the perks available at some of Manitoba's Top Employers. Another popular way to receive a boost both mentally and physically is to visit the office gym. A growing number of workplaces have dedicated spaces equipped with some treadmills, stationary bikes and rowers, as well as some free weights and skipping ropes, as part of their wellness strategy. Forward-thinking companies that simply don't have the space provide subsidies to their people so they can join a gym nearby the office or one close to their home. Of course, all successful companies invest in their people. What's different from years ago is the widespread availability of online courses. "The best organizations have wide-open tuition policies. It doesn't even have to be directly tied to your job. It could be a philosophy course. It's about employment improvement and making an investment in the whole process," Yerema said. There's also micro-training through online courses that employees can take in an evening and even do on their phones. Many of the best employers also reward employees for obtaining professional and trades certifications. And speaking of technology, every advancement in connectivity enables companies to have employees on the clock from a variety of remote locations. It can be a double-edged sword, but technology is allowing people the flexibility to stay in contact during the workday while taking their kids to the dentist or an ailing parent to the doctor. The impacts of technology on how we work over the past couple of decades is one of the big employment stories of our time. Flexible work options are very much here to stay because the technology driving this revolution is no more likely to go away from our working lives than it is from our personal lives. Of course, developing policies depends on the job. "Firefighters can't work from home but the best employers are not afraid to adapt to what a particular job allows," Yerema said. Very good employers have always been active in the community, too, so if you treat your people well, community work is a natural extension. In fact, with most Manitobans living in urban centres, their concept of community is largely defined by their workplace. "Employers have a greater role to play today than they would have had 100 years ago. They're the central organizing point for a lot of people in their lives," he said. What's also interesting is that employers who take a broader view of their role in the community, it turns out, are almost always better places to work. A growing number of companies are putting their money where their mouths are by giving their employees time off to volunteer, ranging from a day to an unlimited number of days annually. They listen to what's important to staff by enabling employee committees to have a role in deciding where the company should direct its philanthropic efforts. The winning organizations selected for this year's list keep a sharp lookout for the best people — their own employees are often the best marketers by virtue of the stories they tell their friends. So, it only makes sense to pay bonuses to staff who recruit others to join. "You're using all of your people as the HR department and your staff is doing the first line of vetting. You have to be a decent place to work to offer that benefit. It's a symbiotic relationship. If you're an employer with very little to offer, referral bonuses aren't going to work because people would be reluctant to refer their friends," he said. • ABORIGINAL PEOPLES TELEVISION NETWORK INC. (APTN) • ACCESS CREDIT UNION • ARCTIC CO-OPERATIVES LIMITED • ARTIS REIT • ASSINIBOINE CREDIT UNION • BIRCHWOOD • BOEING CANADA OPERATIONS LTD. • CANADA LIFE • CANADIAN CANOLA GROWERS ASSOCIATION (CCGA) • CANAD INNS • CARGILL LIMITED • CWB NATIONAL LEASING INC. • FUSION CREDIT UNION • GOVERNMENT OF MANITOBA • JOHNSTON GROUP INC. • MAGELLAN AEROSPACE, WINNIPEG • MANITOBA BLUE CROSS • MANITOBA HYDRO • MANITOBA PUBLIC INSURANCE • NFI GROUP INC. • PALLISER FURNITURE UPHOLSTERY LTD. • RAPID RTC • RED RIVER COLLEGE • ROQUETTE CANADA LTD. • ST.AMANT • ST. JOHN'S-RAVENSCOURT SCHOOL • TRUE NORTH SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT • UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA • WINNIPEG AIRPORTS AUTHORITY INC. • WORKERS COMPENSATION BOARD OF MANITOBA

• Cover