Manitoba's Top Employers

6 6 MANITOBA'S TOP 25 EMPLOYERS 2015 W hat'smorevaluablethanmoney? Offering well-rounded benefits to help employees balance personal life needs with work expectations is more valuable than money according to Artis Real Estate Investment Trust (Artis REIT) employees. "Two of the top five reasons employees plan to stayintheircurrentjobsistheextenttowhichtheyenjoytheir work and the degree to which their job fits with the rest of their lives," said Tricia Veness, Director of Human Resources for Artis Real Estate Investment Trust. "Being a Manitoba Top Employer for a second year means that we are doing somethingrightandlisteningtoouremployeeswhentheytalk about what they need to help make their lives a little easier, bothatworkandathome. "Appreciation at work is the new 'money' for staff, as our own employee engagement surveys have told us that work- life balance and growth opportunity are more important thancompensation." Personalconcernsandhealthandwellnessareincreasingly importanttoArtisREITemployeesandpotentialcandidates. "Salariesarenotthemainreasonpeoplestayatcompanies. It's all about work-life balance," said Veness "People want to be connected to their work and to be supported by their employer who can offer innovative benefits supportive of healthychoices." Despite rapid growth from 2010-13 and a main focus on recruitment,Artis REIT is now concentrating its efforts on an employee engagement and retention program in the areas of healthandwellnessalongwithgrowth. Withanewlyformedwellnesscommittee,brandedtheREIT Machine that uses heart-health-home as its motto, they have introduced initiatives like information sessions on nutrition, stress management and mental health; fitness classes such asZumba,yoga,andkickboxing;healthysnacks;andabrand newfitnessfacilitylocatedonsite. "Ourwellnesscommitteeshowsourstaffthatwe'reinvested in them as people, not just as employees,"Veness said."We continuously look for fresh ideas to keep up with the ever- changingneedsofourdiverseworkforce." The health-and-wellness focus has already made a significant difference to the company's corporate culture as employees can be seen going to and from the gym, drinking more water and less pop.Employees seem happier, and the newfitnessfacilityisalwaysbusyasit'sopen24hoursaday, sevendaysaweek,andisfreeforemployees. "I am so appreciative of the wellness committee, because it has allowed me to take a look at some of the habits I had at work and at home and make some changes," said Cindy Kavanagh, Manager of LeaseAdministration for the past two years."I now walk on the treadmill in our new fitness facility everylunchhourandIamusingsomeofthelessonslearned in seminars about positivity and stress reduction.I feel great andIlookforwardtocomingtoworkeveryday." Company CEO and President Armin Martens says that healthyemployeesarecrucialtothesuccessofArtisREIT. "Bygivingouremployeesthetoolsandopportunitiestoadopt healthierbehaviours,wearecontributingtohealthierlifestyles at home and at work," he said."In providing employees with a high quality and easily accessible fitness facility just steps awayfromtheiroffice,wedoourpartinpromotingahealthier, supportiveworkplaceculture." Veness says that communication and support from the top down have been the keys to improving job satisfaction throughouttheorganization. "Communication and surveys are crucial to understanding what our employees need. We try to be open with our staff in order to learn what might be essential to making them feel engagedandpresentatwork,"Venesssaid. ArtisREITsurveystheiremployeesaboutvariousinitiatives andprograms.Thecompanyalsohasalsocreatedanemployee portal on their internal website that provides information to staffonavarietyoftopicsandhelpskeeptheminvolved. "The portal spotlights employees' accomplishments, announces new recruitments, job openings and family- related news such as births," said Veness. "We also share weekly wellness information that our people can access.The employee portal is expanding as quickly as we are growing asweincorporatemoreinformationtopromoteourbrandand valuestotheemployees." Artis REIT is a publicly traded company that incorporated in 2004 with its head office inWinnipeg and smaller offices in Calgary, Edmonton,Toronto, and Phoenix,Ariz., which make upthecurrentemployeecountof161. Employeesareencouragedtotakeadvantageoftheirhealthcare spending accounts, and to access the free counselling made availablethroughtheEmployeeAssistanceProgram. "Unless you communicate continuously with your staff, they forget what benefits they have," Veness said. "Most of our people didn't understand how to use the healthcare spending accountinthebeginning." ArtisREIToffersacomprehensiverewardsandcompensation package that gets people in the door including semi-annual andyear-endbonusesforallandbonusesforemployeeswho refer a candidate who is successfully hired by the company. In recent years wellness and development are an added incentivetostay. A profit-sharing plan is available to all employees, and employeesarealsoencouragedtopursueadditionaleducation with tuition subsidies for courses taken at outside institutions. Subsidiesareavailableforprofessionalaccreditationaswell. The organization supports new mothers and fathers with maternityandparentalleavetop-uppayments(to75percent of salary for 15 weeks), and the option to extend their leave intoanunpaidleaveofabsence. Artis REIT is honoured to be chosen again for this award andareveryproudofthefactthattheyareofferingemployees opportunitiestobepartofafresh,thrivingorganization,helping ArtisREITtobecomeanemployerofchoiceinManitoba. ByHolliMoncriefffortheFreePress ARTISREALESTATE INVESTMENTTRUST ArtisREITallabout work-lifebalance ArtisREITemployeesdressingforthecause! PhotobyDarcyFinley

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