Amid a pandemic, BCI bolsters support for employees

I n February, Minh Tran’s mother-in-law fell ill with cancer, passing away in April. Tran, manager of IT vendor and contract management at British Columbia Investment Management Corp. (BCI), needed time and support to deal with this personal tragedy – especially amid the challenges of the pandemic.

BCI provided both in spades. “People in our culture, from the leadership team to my direct manager – even people I don't normally talk to – told me, ‘Hey, we’ve got your back,’” he recalls.

“Did I need food dropped off? Did I need other help? And I think that says a lot about the company. That gave me the confidence to step away a little bit and support my wife as she provided palliative care to her mom. The people at BCI are fantastic and the culture they create is fantastic.”

The firm – which provides investment management services for B.C.’s public sector and handles close to $200 billion in assets – had already demonstrated its commitment to employee well-being when COVID-19 struck. For Tran, that meant a whole lot of flexibility and support when he and his close-knit team had to abruptly shift to working at home (Tran has voluntarily returned to BCI’s Victoria head office, but other employees continue to work remotely).

Still, maintaining work-life balance was a challenge. “My wife had gone back to work, and at home, I’d be in the middle of negotiating a contract with some of our leadership,” Tran says. “Then, in the middle of it, my three boys (ages 13, nine and seven) would start fighting, so I would have to go on mute, deal with my kids and then come back and try again. That context switching was quite disruptive.”

But BCI’s Employee and Family Assistance Program, and its culture of supporting staff, helped him persevere. “Without question, people are our most important asset here,” says Lincoln Webb, executive vice-president and global head of infrastructure & renewable resources. “We'd like to think that starts with ensuring we have a positive, inclusive work environment which we promote through our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council.”

Wellness and mental health are paramount at BCI, he adds, pointing out that a few years ago, the firm introduced the professional online counselling program Inkblot Therapy to staff to help bolster the existing team of trained BCI mental health first-aiders, and it has proven very helpful during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, in addition to a gym at the Victoria headquarters, the company has a physical activity reimbursement plan to help employees pay for gym memberships, fitness classes and even, during COVID-19, home equipment – Tran used it purchase a set of weights.

Overall, says Webb, the pandemic seems to have galvanized staff. “Despite working remotely, the staff are bound together more closely since the pandemic. It really strengthened the collective commitment to the firm and each other. And it resulted in one of our best investment years ever.”

He adds that BCI also learned how to function and support staff better. “Many old mindsets have been broken – for example, the way we use technology to create flexibility in our work and improve collaboration,” he says.

“The pandemic also opened up our thinking about how we can support our people in the future. We’ve improved variable work arrangements, enhancing opportunities for staff to balance work and family. And through town halls and other tools, the communication level has gone way up.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top 100 Employers winners, published November 12, 2021 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.