Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025) and Manitoba's Top Employers (2025):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 14, 2024)
Here are some of the reasons why APTN was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025) and Manitoba's Top Employers (2025):
- APTN encourages ongoing employee development through tuition subsidies for courses taken externally (to $1,800 annually), in-house training (including apprenticeship programs), formal mentoring opportunities that incorporate Indigenous elements for learning, and leadership development programs
- APTN honours long-serving employees with gifts in celebration of milestone years, such as a customized Star Blanket (to celebrate 10 years of employment), a framed birch bark biting art piece (to celebrate 15 years), and a $500 certificate to Manitobah Mukluk (to celebrate 20 years)
- APTN starts new employees with over three weeks of paid vacation and jumps employees to 4.2 weeks (21 days) of paid vacation after only five years on the job -- employees also receive five paid personal days and one floater holiday in addition to their paid vacation time
An employee at APTN uses a sit-stand workstation
An employee at APTN uses a sit-stand workstation
An employee at APTN uses a sit-stand workstation
Employer Background
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Established in Canada | 1999 |
| Major Canadian locations | Winnipeg MB |
| Full-time employees in Canada | 150 |
| Part-time employees in Canada | 4 |
| Workforce engaged on a contract basis | 6% |
| Average age of employees in Canada | 46 years |
| Longest serving employee | 24.58 years |
Work Environment Rating: B+
| Flexible work options | hybrid work option, flexible work hours, telecommuting, shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay) |
| Commuter amenities | walk to public transit, online carpool sign-up, secure/sheltered bicycle parking |
| Onsite workplace features | workplace features 4 directions artifacts, news studio, telecommuter workstations, sit-stand workstations, religious observance room, shower facilities for cyclists |
| Employee lounge amenities | comfortable seating, music, television, board games, book swap and reading corner, puzzles, cribbage boards, cards |
Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B
| Employee social committee name | Fun at Work Klub (est. 2001) |
| Past social events | virtual events, gingerbread house contest, Christmas pancake breakfast, department open houses, an employee "soup group" (members take turns making soup) |
| Cultural aspects | business-casual dress daily, music while working |
| Employee communications | intranet site |
| Other in-house communications | Tea with Monika (casual conversations with employees and APTN's CEO) |
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 |
| Referral bonuses (max) | new employee referral bonuses (up to $500) for some positions |
| Additional financial benefits | year-end bonuses for some employees, referral program also includes a paid day off for successful candidates |
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 |
| Eyecare | $200 every 2 years |
| Paid sick days | employees receive 10 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), virtual healthcare services |
| Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $500 each year |
| Wellness spending account | up to $150 each year |
| Additional health plan information | EAP/EFAP includes counselling services by traditional Elders, mental health coverage includes psychologists, social workers, social service workers, clinical social workers, certified counsellors, clinical counsellors, marriage and family therapists, professional counsellors, art therapists, and psychotherapists |
| 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, phased-in return to work for new parents |
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 4.8 weeks of vacation over their career |
| Personal paid days off | employees can schedule 5 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 4.2 weeks (21 days) of paid vacation, 5 personal leave days for employees to attend to family matters |
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), Culture Stars rewards program to enable employees to nominate their peers for a chance to win a prize (and to reward those whose actions align with the organization's culture code), long-service awards include a customized Star Blanket (to celebrate 10 years of employment), a framed birch bark biting art piece (to celebrate 15 years), and a $500 certificate to Manitobah Mukluk (20 years) |
Training & Skills Development Rating: A
| Career planning | in-house career planning services, online employee skills inventory |
| In-house training initiatives | apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, mentoring, in-house training, online training, leadership development programs, 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 |
| Education leave | educational leaves of absence are available |
| Unique training & development programs | mentorship program incorporates Indigenous elements for learning, formal work experience program to recruit Indigenous high school students for internships |
Community Involvement Rating: B+
| Scope of charitable involvement | local, national |
| Employee charitable involvement | employees are involved in selection of charities |
| Charitable giving | matches employee donations |