Achieving work-life balance for employees – thereby preventing burnout and improving wellness – allows workers to perform at their best.supplied
A global pandemic, a digital revolution and new ways of working have made it harder for companies to create the perfect balance of work and life for their employees. Great Place To Work® data identifies, the Best Workplaces™ are ahead of the curve when it comes to creating an environment where employees are happy, fulfilled and willing to go the extra mile to help the business succeed.
Great Place To Work® research has long proven the essential connection between employee well-being and key business goals such as employee retention and performance.
“Employees who experience well-being are three times more likely to stay with their employer and three times more likely to recommend their employer to others,” says Jose Tolovi Neto, managing partner of Great Place To Work®. “With the right work-life balance, employees can perform at their best and give more to their team and their leaders. It is a key driver for business performance. If leaders want sustained and consistent business performance, they need to take care of their people.”
Celebrating its fourth year on the Best Workplaces™ list, Centurion Asset Management, an investment and property management firm operating in 46 cities across the country, is on a mission to help its employees achieve the right balance of work and life.
“We recognize that it all starts with our employees – that they are the propeller that keeps this plane going – which is why we’re so committed to ensuring that they’re happy and healthy here at Centurion,” says Laura Salvatore, vice-president, human capital. “To have our employees report that they are happy and engaged, that our culture is one that is positive and inclusive, that they are given opportunities to learn and to grow, means that we are achieving what we have set out to accomplish as an organization.”
Salvatore says work-life balance is key to a sense of well-being. “If our employees are burned out, it will directly impact their ability to do their best work, which will ultimately impact the level of service that we’re able to provide to our clients. This, in turn, impacts client satisfaction and leads to fewer repeat customers and less customer referrals.”
Realizing that not all employees are able to work remotely, the company offers flexible work schedules in addition to a hybrid working model. It means that employees can choose the working hours that are most convenient for themselves and their families.
Centurion also closes its offices during the winter holiday break so that employees can spend time with their family and friends without having to use their vacation days. “We really want them to use their vacation time throughout the year instead so that they have time to truly disconnect from work and reset,” Salvatore says.
The company increased its coverage for psychologist services to the maximum amount that its benefit carrier offers. It also introduced a 24/7 virtual healthcare application that gives employees access to a doctor on their phones within minutes, saving them from having to spend hours in the emergency room or at a walk-in clinic.
Accountability is built into everything the company does to achieve total well-being. Centurion monitors and evaluates its progress against important indicators such as employee turnover, average length of service, engagement, happiness, culture, performance and job satisfaction. Through a weekly anonymous survey, employees are asked how they feel the company is performing and what it can do better.
“When we first started measuring this in 2017, our employees reported that their happiness score was 7.4 out of 10,” Salvatore says. “Since then, as a result of our commitment to becoming an employer of choice, this score has continued to improve year-over-year, with today’s score at 8.42 out of 10.”
Salvatore says being named to the Best Workplaces™ list is confirmation the company is on the right track.
“That’s not to say that we can stop here and take it easy now. We are constantly looking to push ourselves further as a company and continue to lead the way when it comes to workplace culture and this certainly lets us know that our employees recognize our commitment to them and are proud to say that they work for Centurion,” she says.
In its ninth year being named to the list of Best Workplaces™, biopharmaceutical company AbbVie saw the opportunity for a reset after the pandemic. “We knew that our employees were tired and anxious,” says Almir Lourens, head of human resources, Canada. “We also know that for employees to bring their best selves to work, they need to be the best versions of themselves.”
Recognizing that working remotely had its own challenges as employees juggled family, pets, and work from their homes, the company decided to go back to basics. “We were an early adopter of having people return to the office part-time,” says Eileen Murphy, head of communications, Canada. “We created street parties and events for them. We wanted to bring a sense of fun and celebration back to the office.”
The company introduced a new charter to guide and prioritize its wellness efforts called LEAP (Learn, Evolve And Prioritize). The charter and its many practical tools are meant to help enhance and simplify cross-functional collaboration, empower employees to prioritize with confidence, and support every employee to be at their best while feeling a sense of belonging.
In addition to monitoring absenteeism rates, Lourens says the company relies heavily on its employees for feedback, including the Best Workplaces™ employee survey. “We are always on a journey to improve.”
A household name, Whirlpool is known for more than quality appliances. With more than 200 employees in Canada, it is also on the Best Workplaces™ list for 2024 along with countless other Great Place To Work® lists, including Best Workplaces™ for Mental Wellness.
Building a resilient culture means having resilient employees. Great Place To Work® can help leaders understand how to build resilience and enable sustained business performance. Learn more about what it means to be a Best Workplace, visit: greatplacetowork.ca.
Read more about the 2024 Best Workplaces™ in Canada here
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Great Place to Work. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.