Top Employer: Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Inc. / APTN

Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021) and Manitoba's Top Employers (2021):

By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 12, 2020)

Here are some of the reasons why Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Inc. / APTN was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021) and Manitoba's Top Employers (2021):

APTN helps employees through alternative working arrangements, including flexible hours and working from home
Along with helping employees save for the longer term, APTN contributes to a defined contribution pension plan for all employees -- and offers northern living allowances (reviewed annually) and housing allowances for its Iqaluit-based employees
APTN supports ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related their current role (to $1,800 annually) as well as offering unique programs such as educational partnerships with the National Film Board and the Canadian Association of Journalists

An APTN employee uses a standing workstation

Employer Background

Industry	Television broadcasting
Established in Canada	1999
Major Canadian hiring locations	Vancouver BC, Montréal QC, Ottawa ON, Winnipeg MB
Full-time employees in Canada	147
Part-time employees in Canada	2
Workforce engaged on a contract basis	9%
Average age of employees in Canada	44 years
Longest serving employee	20.7 years

Physical Workplace Rating: B+

Commuter amenities	secure/sheltered bicycle parking
Workplace features	circular-shaped studio features artifacts representing Indigenous cultures from the north, south, east and west, office space is painted using an Aboriginal colour scheme of blue, red and yellow, and features a custom-made boardroom table that reflects the traditional medicine wheel, sit-stand workstations, religious observance room, self-serve lunchroom
Employee lounge amenities	comfortable seating, music, television, board games, book swap and quiet reading area, puzzles, cribbage boards, cards
Other food options at main location	newly renovated lunchroom features gourmet single-serve coffee makers and distilled water coolers, and healthier option vending machines, offering health bars, hemp seeds, nuts, veggie chips and more (upon employee consultation, snack vending and soft drink machines were upgraded to feature healthier items)
Other nearby amenities	YMCA, GoodLife, SNAP Fitness, Air Canada Window Park, Japanese Gardens, Central Park, The Exchange District, The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Bell MTS Place, The Forks National Historic Site

Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: A

Employee social committee name	APTN Social Committee (est. 2001)
Past social events	children's Christmas party with a visit from Santa, catered holiday lunch, Halloween costume contest and 13 Days of Halloween trivia contest, Valentine's treats and "Help Find Nanook" polar bear scavenger hunt, payday 50/50 draws, holiday tree up all year and decorated to reflect each season
Cultural aspects	dress-for-your-day policy, music while working
Employee communications	company newsletter
Other in-house communications	televisions in public areas highlight information from across the company

Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: B+

Outside salary surveys	participates in outside salary surveys every 24 months
Employee salary reviews	individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months
Long-term savings	defined-contribution (DC) pension, life & disability insurance
Additional financial benefits	northern allowance (reviewed annually) and Iqaluit housing allowances

Health & Family-Friendly Benefits Rating: A

Health plan premium	as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 100% of the premiums
Minimum hours worked for coverage	21 hours per week
Waiting period for coverage	90 days
Family coverage option	yes
Dental coverage	routine, restorative, orthodontics
Paid sick days	employees receive 9 days off each year
Health plan includes	traditional coverage (e.g. prescription drugs), employee assistance (EAP) plan, semi-private hospital room, physiotherapy, medical travel insurance, homecare, medical equipment and supplies, massage therapy, nutrition planning, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy)
Mental health practitioner benefit	up to $500 each year
Additional health plan information	EAP/EFAP offers an extended component for family members and includes counselling services by traditional elders, Best Doctors, has established a formal return-to-work program in partnership with Vital Life, with the goal to bring each employee back to work as quickly and safely as possible
Wellness initiatives	meditation Mondays (employee-led and meets once per week), onsite reflexology, massage therapy and cranial sacral therapy
Maternity top-up (mothers)	up to 93% of salary for 1 week
Parental top-up (mothers)	up to 80% of salary for 16 weeks
Parental top-up (fathers)	up to 80% of salary for 16 weeks
Adoption top-up	up to 80% of salary for 16 weeks
Additional family-friendly benefits	extended parental leave to unpaid leave
Flexible work options	flexible work hours, telecommuting

Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: A

Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3.6 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job
Vacation jump	vacation increases after 5 years of employment
Maximum vacation allowance	employees move to a maximum of 5 weeks of vacation over their career
Personal paid days off	employees can schedule 2 personal days off each year, as needed
Unpaid leave maximum	3 months
Additional time-off information	after 5 years on the job, employees move to 21 days of paid vacation, after 8 years, employees receive 24 days of paid vacation (the maximum vacation allotment), senior-level employees start with 4 weeks of paid vacation, moving to 6 weeks after 12 years of employment

Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: B

Employee performance reviews	employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 months
Managers receive performance review training	yes
360° feedback option	as part of the review process, performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work
Exit interview	exit interview option is available for departing employees
Performance recognition	on-the-spot rewards, peer-to-peer recognition awards, long-service awards, tailored and unique rewards (e.g. travel), long-service awards which include a customized Star Blanket (to celebrate 10 years of employment) and framed birch bark biting art (to celebrate 15 years), $500 certificate to Manitoba Mukluks (20 years), established a dedicated committee focused on increasing employee engagement throughout the year
In-house survey period	in-house surveys are conducted every 24 months

Training & Skills Development Rating: A

Career planning	in-house career planning services, online employee skills inventory
In-house training initiatives	mentoring, in-house training, online training, leadership training, paid internships, subsidies for professional accreditation
Related tuition subsidies	employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year
Annual tuition maximum	employer pays up to $1,800 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year
Unrelated tuition subsidies	employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year for courses unrelated to current position
Unrelated tuition maximum	employer pays up to $1,800 in tuition subsidies per year for courses unrelated to current position
Unique training & development programs	interdepartmental opportunities expose employees to work experiences across the organization, formal work experience program to recruit Indigenous high school students for internships, educational partnerships with the National Film Board, Canadian Association of Journalists, Journalists for Human Rights

Community Involvement Rating: B+

Scope of charitable involvement	local, national
Employee charitable involvement	employees receive paid time off to volunteer
Some of the community organizations supported	United Way, Alpha House Project, Christmas Cheer Board, Broadway Neighborhood Centre, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, I Love First Peoples
Community highlight	APTN encourages employees to volunteer and support Indigenous groups and organizations in the community. APTN also maintains a Community Connections website to support ongoing communication between First Nation, Inuit and Métis individuals and organizations from across the country.

Recognized as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2021):

By Kristina Leung, Stephanie Leung, and Jing Wang, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Jan 18, 2021)

Here are some of the reasons why Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Inc. / APTN was selected as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2021):

APTN partners with the Canadian Association of Journalists to provide a paid 12-week journalism fellowship -- the selected participant has the opportunity to produce a full-length piece of original investigative journalism which will air on APTN Investigates (an Indigenous investigative news program in Canada)
APTN manages a work experience program for high school and post-secondary students of Indigenous descent -- upon program completion, participants may also apply for paid internships, which expose students to a practical overview of television broadcasting and the skills required to start a successful career in broadcasting
As part of the broadcaster's relationship with the Journalists for Human Rights organization, APTN accepts up to four interns per year who are dedicated to reporting Indigenous content

APTN employees in the head office's break room

Highlights

Industry	Television broadcasting
Major Canadian hiring locations	Vancouver BC, Montréal QC, Ottawa ON, Winnipeg MB
Full-time employees in Canada	147
Student opportunities	summer jobs, co-op opportunities, paid internships
In-house training programs	orientation program, in-house training, online training, in-house career planning services, online employee skills inventory, mentoring, leadership training
Related tuition subsidies	employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year
Annual tuition maximum	employer pays up to $1,800 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year
Unique training and development opportunities	occasionally offers internal opportunities for employees to gain experience in other departments
Additional highlights	scholarship program for First Nation, Inuit and Métis students, work experience placements for Indigenous students in human resources, IT, and news departments
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3.6 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job

The Career Directory

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Inc. / APTN has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.

An APTN employee sets up a shot

Highlights for New Grads

Industry	Television broadcasting
Full-time employees in Canada	101 to 250
Major Canadian hiring locations	Vancouver BC, Montréal QC, Ottawa ON, Winnipeg MB
Student opportunities	paid internships for studio roles, reporting research and writing, marketing, and finance, paid internships, summer jobs, co-op opportunities
Training	subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services, leadership training
Annual tuition maximum	employer pays up to $1,800 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year
Other info for new grads	offers Journalists for Human Rights internships and a Canadian Association of Journalists Fellowship
Typical new grad positions	Researcher/Writer Trainee, Camera Operator/Editor, Reporter Correspondent, Finance Assistant, Junior Accountant, Marketing Intern
Starting salary	$40K to $45K
Work benefits	health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting, employees receive paid time off to volunteer
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3.6 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job

Academic fields recruited

Community College Diploma
- Accounting
- Business
- Communications / Public Relations
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Journalism
- Marketing / Sales
- Office Administration
- TV/Radio Arts / Broadcast

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Inc. / APTN

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