Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2022), Canada's Top Family-Friendly Employers (2022) and BC's Top Employers (2022):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 11, 2021)
Here are some of the reasons why British Columbia Investment Management Corp. / BCI was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2022), Canada's Top Family-Friendly Employers (2022) and BC's Top Employers (2022):
- BCI organized a virtual health summit in 2020 with presentations on topics such as maintaining health and nutrition during the pandemic, the importance of physical activity and prioritizing sleep, and maintaining connection and avoiding isolation
- BCI supports new mothers with generous maternity and parental leave top-up payments (to 85 per cent of salary for 52 weeks) as well as new fathers and adoptive parents (to 85 per cent of salary for 36 weeks) -- parents returning from leave can also participate in a buddy program, which matches participants with employees who returned from leave in the past year
- BCI helps employees maintain a healthy balance between work and personal time, offering four weeks of starting vacation allowance along with six additional paid personal days, which can be scheduled at employees' convenience

Employer Background
Industry | Portfolio management |
Established in Canada | 2000 |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Vancouver BC, Victoria BC |
Full-time employees in Canada | 588 |
Part-time employees in Canada | 6 |
Workforce engaged on a contract basis | 2.6% |
Average age of employees in Canada | 39.7 years |
Longest serving employee | 21 years |
COVID-19
Pandemic response | offered stipends and negotiated corporate discounts for home office purchases such as desks, chairs and office supplies, temporarily revised its physical activity reimbursement program to include fitness equipment, enabled employees to carry forward vacation days |
Physical Workplace Rating: A
Editorial note | due to the pandemic, some workplace amenities may be temporarily unavailable |
Commuter amenities | electric vehicle charging stations, secure/sheltered bicycle parking, nearby bike sharing station |
Workplace features | day-use lockers, treadmill workstation, singular recliner work pods, maternity support room (with fridge, blanket, comfortable chair, storage, sink and lock to ensure privacy), sit-stand workstations, religious observance room, outdoor patio, outdoor barbecue |
Employee lounge amenities | comfortable seating, fireplace, television, foosball table, board games, table tennis |
Onsite fitness facility | shared-use facility, free membership, treadmills, stationary bikes, instructor-led classes (yoga, Zumba, pilates), elliptical trainers, rowing machines, weights, shower facilities, living green walls within the facility, external personal trainers may be brought onsite, Crag X Climbing Gym, Hudson Public Market, McPherson Playhouse, Save-On Foods Memorial Arena |
Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B
Employee social committee name | BCI Social Committee (est. 2014) |
Past social events | Halloween photo competition and goodie bag pick up for children (also included a costume competition), holiday photo contest (employees shared photos of themselves partaking in their favourite holiday activities at home, such as watching a movie, wearing their favourite ugly sweater and showing a holiday act of kindness), virtual world holiday market (employees sold their homemade creations, from dog biscuits to pottery to handcrafted wood products) |
Cultural aspects | casual dress Fridays, music while working |
Employee communications | intranet site |
Other in-house communications | Talking to Strangers initiative to connect employees from different departments over lunch, increased communications during the pandemic such as podcasts and video messages from executives, and virtual town halls throughout the past year |
Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: A
Outside salary surveys | participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months |
Employee salary reviews | individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months |
Long-term savings | defined-benefit (DB) pension |
Long-term planning | life & disability insurance |
Year-end bonuses | available to all employees |
Additional financial benefits | individual year-end bonuses are determined through a formal annual incentive plan program |
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 | 18 hours per week |
Waiting period | there is no waiting period for coverage |
Family coverage option | yes |
Dental coverage | routine, restorative, orthodontics |
Paid sick days | employees receive 6 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, medical equipment and supplies, massage therapy, podiatrist, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy) |
Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $500 each year |
Health spending account | up to $1,500 each year |
Wellness spending account | up to $500 each year |
Additional health plan information | virtual health care services (Aroga) |
Additional health and wellness initiatives | full-time health and wellness coordinator who provides ergonomic services to employees, employee wellness committee, mental health first aid training, virtual health summit hosted in 2020 (topics include maintaining health during the pandemic, the importance of physical activity and prioritizing sleep, and maintaining connection and avoiding isolation), access to LifeSpeak online platform (over 1,000 videos and podcasts) |
Maternity top-up (mothers) | up to 85% of salary for 16 weeks |
Parental top-up (mothers) | up to 85% of salary for 36 weeks |
Parental top-up (fathers) | up to 85% of salary for 36 weeks |
Adoption top-up | up to 85% of salary for 36 weeks |
Additional family-friendly benefits | extended parental leave to unpaid leave, phased-in return to work for new parents |
Flexible work options | flexible work hours, telecommuting |
Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: A+
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 4 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Vacation jump | vacation increases after 10 years of employment |
Maximum vacation allowance | employees move to a maximum of 7 weeks of vacation over their career |
Personal paid days off | employees can schedule 6 personal days off each year, as needed |
Unpaid leave of absence option | yes |
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 | online recognition platform, individual performance bonuses, online "shout outs" to colleagues on the corporate intranet |
In-house survey period | in-house surveys are conducted every 24 months |
Outside survey period | outside consultant surveys are held every 24 months |
Training & Skills Development Rating: B+
Career planning | in-house career planning services |
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 $1,500 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
Tuition subsidies (unrelated to job) | yes |
Unique training & development programs | management development program |
Community Involvement Rating: B+
Scope of charitable involvement | local |
Employee charitable involvement | employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 1 paid day) |
Some of the community organizations supported | United Way (employees have raised over $1.1-million since the mid-1990s), Women in Capital Markets, Junior Achievement |
Community highlight | BCI's Community Volunteer Program encourages employees to work closely with colleagues to support local charities with the goal of fostering greater connections the the Greater Victoria community. |
Pandemic-related community initiatives | Donated over $75,000 to the Victoria Foundation Rapid Relief Fund, which was created in response to the impacts of the pandemic in local communities. The company's executive team also donated an additional $50,000. |





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.
The Career Directory
British Columbia Investment Management Corp. / BCI has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.

Highlights for New Grads
Industry | Portfolio management |
Full-time employees in Canada | 501 to 750 |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Vancouver BC, Victoria BC |
Student opportunities | 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 $1,500 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
Typical new grad positions | Public Equities Co-op, Risk Modelling Intern, Investment Accounting Co-op, Client Experience Co-op, Client Relations Co-op, Compliance Intern, Financial Reporting Co-op, Infrastructure & Renewable Resources Co-op, Investment Tax Co-op, Legal Affairs Intern, Macro Investment Research Co-op, Private Debt Co-op, Human Resources Intern, Reporting & Monitoring Co-op, Software Engineer Co-op, Strategic Asset Allocation Co-op, Strategic Investment Research Co-op |
Work benefits | health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 1 paid day) |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 4 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Academic fields recruited
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Bachelor of Arts
- Business
- Economics
- Public Relations / Communications
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Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Human Resources
-
Bachelor of Engineering
- Computer Engineering
-
Bachelor of Laws
-
Bachelor of Science
- Actuarial / Statistics
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
-
Master of Arts
- Economics
-
Master of Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
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Master of Engineering
- Computer Engineering
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Master of Science
- Actuarial / Statistics
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
Recruits at these schools
- Camosun College
- Concordia University
- McGill University
- Queen's University
- Simon Fraser University
- Thompson Rivers University
- University of Alberta
- University of British Columbia
- University of Calgary
- University of Toronto
- University of Victoria
- University of Waterloo
- Western University
- Wilfrid Laurier University