20 Canadian Companies That Offer More Than Just a Good Salary

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year, thousands of people lost their jobs or were furloughed. Now, as the economy is recovering, companies are struggling to get those same people to come back, and the country is experiencing a labour shortage, especially in the service and healthcare industries.

There are several reasons for this, including burnout among healthcare workers and service industry workers being forced to retrain and find new sources of income when they couldn’t rely on their employers anymore. So, more and more companies are realizing that to attract the best employees, they need to offer something extra to make the job worth it: a good salary and offering mandatory benefits alone just won’t cut it anymore. Here are 20 Canadian companies that offer more than just a good salary.

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SAP Canada

Software company SAP Canada has great wellness programs, including specific support for employees diagnosed with diabetes and cancer, which are two of the most common health concerns in Canada. Employees also have access to telehealth, which is an increasingly sought-after benefit. For would-be parents there’s fertility treatment coverage – including two rounds of IVF – and up to six weeks’ adoption leave, while those who already have kids have access to a breastmilk delivery service, generous family leave and flexible hours. The company also offers enhanced health benefits to transgender employees.

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City of Toronto

The City of Toronto is a regular on ranking of Canada’s top employers, top diversity employers and top family-friendly employers and with good reason. For instance, the City has one of the most generous paid parental leave policies in the country: pregnancy leave of 17 weeks and then an additional 61 weeks for birth mothers, while non-birth parents can get up to 63 weeks. There’s also a wide variety of policies and programs to protect employees in the workplace, including from workplace violence and from domestic or intimate partner violence.

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Simon Fraser University

As part of their support for employees’ health and wellness, Simon Fraser University in metro Vancouver offers access to a range of professional counselling services, whether employees are dealing with stress, financial worries, grief, relationship issues or mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. The university also offers a 100 percent tuition waiver – so you don’t have to worry about how to pay off student loans fast – as well as a 100 percent tuition reimbursement for job-related, off-campus courses. With access to affordable childcare one of the biggest issues working parents are facing right now, the university has an on-campus childcare centre for the children of employees, access to early learning programs and access to financial aid specifically to pay for childcare.

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Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre offers a range of programs for employees to continue their education – including e-learning and onsite classes for nurses and the Continuing Education Support Fund. Employees also have access to a range of wellness programs, including massage therapy. Of course, if you’re an exhausted healthcare worker, the last thing you want to worry about is having to travel to pick up your young child from daycare: Sunnybrook has an on-site childcare centre with programs for children from infants to preschoolers.

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University of Toronto

Several Canadian universities offer excellent perks like free tuition and on-site childcare. The University of Toronto is no exception. Consistently rated one of Canada’s best companies to work for, the university offers not only tuition waivers for its employees but also for their dependants. Before you get to not worry about your child’s college fund, however, you get to not worry about who will look after your child while you’re at work: in addition to the three on-site early learning centres, the university offers a childcare benefit plan to reimburse childcare expenses.

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Imperial Oil

Working in the oil and gas industry can be dangerous, so Imperial Oil does everything they can to reduce the risks for their employees. They also provide health centres, complete with nurses and doctors, at locations across Canada to help employees with their health concerns, even when these aren’t work related. They also entirely fund accident and life insurance plans in which their employees are enrolled automatically. There are various support programs for employees and their families, generous tuition subsidies, in-house training and courses, childcare programs, flexible hours and job-sharing options. If you have to relocate for your job, they cover most of the costs and can even help you with the resources to sell your home and find a moving company.

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Twitter

On-site gyms and fitness centres have become commonplace among the better employers but if you’re working from home, that’s a rather useless perk. To help their employees stay fit, Twitter expanded their fitness benefits: where employees at the company’s Toronto office used to get $100 a month in reimbursements for fitness services like gym memberships, they can now get a lump sum reimbursement of $1,200 to invest in the equipment they’d like for working out at home: a treadmill or an exercise bike, for instance. They also have access to private Twitter fitness groups so they work out virtually with other Twitter employees from around the world and show off their workout wear from Canadian brands.

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Intuit

Software company Intuit offers a range of benefits and programs to help employees live their best life. These include health and wellness programs and support for everything from quitting smoking to losing weight, dealing with life changes like getting married or divorced, discounted home and auto insurance rates, tuition assistance and even surrogacy assistance. It’s not just employees and their human families who benefit from the perks Intuit offers, though: employees also get discounts on pet insurance for their four-footed family members.

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EY

Global professional services firm EY offers flexible work environments so you can juggle work and home life more easily. The company also supports lifelong learning, for instance through its EY Badges program where employees learn new skills and earn digital badges. In a time where Canadians are struggling with anxiety and depression more than ever before, EY offers one of the most generous mental health benefits programs: $5,000 for employees and eligible dependants as well as access to digital cognitive behavioural therapy.

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TD Bank

Employees at TD Bank get banking benefits like more favourable mortgage rates, employee discounts and the option to become shareholders in what is one of the country’s biggest banks. While financial wellbeing is important in ensuring mental wellbeing, the bank recognizes that it’s not everything, so employees and their immediate family members also have access to an assistance program that provides counselling services and help with eldercare and childcare. Employees can also take paid time off for a wide array of reasons, including citizenship ceremonies for newcomers.

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PetSmart

At PetSmart, benefits packages aren’t only for full-time employees. Part-time workers also have access to some of the perks, including RRSPs, paid time off and discounts. These discounts don’t only cover staff discounts on the company’s products and services but also corporate discounts for cheaper groceries, car rentals, electronics and, of course, pet insurance, including for the most and least expensive dogs to insure. There is access to tuition assistance and, for full-time employees, adoption assistance.

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Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor’s employees in Canada get access to free life and disability insurance, discount programs, free learning and development classes, tuition reimbursement of over $5,000 per year and reimbursements of up to $600 per year for gym membership and/or commuter transit costs. They also have flexible work schedules and have access to a programme that helps them find caregivers, tutors and even pet care.

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Google

Pretty much since its founding, Google has been leading the charge for workplaces that offer all kinds of fun and unusual perks. Among the benefits Google employees can enjoy are financial coaching, student loan reimbursement, onsite wellness centres, employee assistance programs and accommodations regarding mental health, a medical advocacy program for transgender employees, flexible work schedules and hybrid work models. You don’t even have to worry about preparing your pandemic puppy for your return to the office, since all Google offices are dog friendly.

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Hilton Hospitality

Hilton Hospitality, the company founded by Paris Hilton’s great-grandfather, has several hotels in Canada. Hilton employees enjoy benefits like an employee stock purchase plan, employee and educational assistance programs, mental wellness programs and flexible schedules. They also get great discounts at all of the company’s hotels around the world. They could also qualify for the Thrive Sabbatical program, where selected employees get four weeks paid sabbatical time as well as $5,000 so that they can pursue a dream without having to leave a restaurant wearing an actual tablecloth: unlike a certain Hilton family member.

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Desjardins Group

At the Desjardins Group, you can work according to a flexible schedule and there are plenty of opportunities for working from home. If you do opt for working from home, the company will reimburse you for ergonomic home office equipment. You also have access to telehealth, psychological and legal assistance services and great discounts at the company’s partners. Your manager will help you create a plan for your professional development and you’ll then have access to continuous learning, coaching, language and leadership training and reimbursement for your education expenses.

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Apple

At Apple, employees have access to flexible healthcare plans and free counselling, whether it’s virtual or in person. The company has its own Apple University that provides online classes where you can learn new skills and they will also reimburse you for some of your tuition expenses if you want to study at more formal educational institutions. You’ll have access to services to help you with everything from travel reservations to pet sitting. An Apple job will be great for your wallet too: if you’re thinking long term, there are stock grants and discounts on buying the valuable Apple stock - stock that has made Laurene Powell Jobs one of the richest women in the world. If you need instant gratification, you get great discounts on Apple products.

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Geotab

Telematics company Geotab’s benefits additional to the basics include training courses and reimbursement for tuition and professional membership, subsidized fitness membership, flexible work schedules and the option to work from home. They’ll reimburse you for some of the equipment you’ll need to set up your home office. There’s a baby bonus for new parents – including adoptive parents – and if you’d rather have cool wheels, the company offers financial incentives for buying or leasing an electric vehicle or motorbike.

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Purdys Chocolatier

When it comes to retail jobs that won’t make you pull your hair out, you can’t go wrong choosing one where you’re surrounded by the smell of chocolate all day. Purdys is a great option for career development too: not only will they help you develop your skills but because they focus on hiring from within, you can move up the ladder or sideways into other fields. You’ll find the gym at the corporate head office and the Active Lifestyle Fund to be welcome perks, especially if you make use of the sweetest benefit of all that comes with working at Purdys: a 30% discount on all of the company’s chocolate products.

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Air Canada

Millennials and Gen Z often cite travel as one of their top priorities in life but of course, travelling costs money. It will cost you much less if you work at Air Canada though, since the company offers employees and their immediate family members generous discounts on airfare as well as on car rentals, hotel stays, tour operators and vacation packages. The country’s flagship airline is also committed to helping you on your career journey, with access to formal training as well as options where you can learn at your own pace.

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Labatt

Of course the free beer for Labatt employees is one of the best perks Canadian companies offer but the country’s largest brewery is also great for launching careers. Just ask Pamela Anderson, who was watching a football game when she was caught on the Jumbotron wearing a Labatt T-shirt and was promptly hired to be the company’s spokesmodel, setting her on her path to fame. Labatt not only offers good internships but also has trainee programs in global management, supply chain, sales management and brewery to kickstart your career.