Top Employer: First Credit Union

Recognized as one of BC's Top Employers (2025):

By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Feb 11, 2025)

Here are some of the reasons why First Credit Union was selected as one of BC's Top Employers (2025):

First Credit Union offers maternity and parental leave top-ups for all parents with up to 85 per cent of salary for up to 15 weeks -- the organization also offers a pre-adoption leave of up to three weeks for parents adopting a child, with the option to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence
First Credit Union supports professional and personal development with tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current position, to $1,500 annually
First Credit Union encourages employees save for the long term though a defined contribution pension plan, and offers additional financial benefits along the way, including preferred mortgage and lending rates, discounted auto insurance, and free financial planning services

Chris Higgins, an employee at First Credit Union, participates in the organization's community impact day (Photo credit: Karen McKinnon)

Highlights

Industry	Credit unions
Established in Canada	1939
Major Canadian locations	Hornby Island BC, Bowser BC, Union Bay BC, Cumberland BC, Courtenay BC, Bowen Island BC, Powell River BC
Full-time employees in Canada	73
Part-time employees in Canada	24
Average age of employees in Canada	45 years
Longest serving employee	40 years
Flexible work options	hybrid work option, flexible work hours, 35-hour work week (with full pay), compressed work week, shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), telecommuting
Long-term savings	defined-benefit (DB) pension, defined-contribution (DC) pension
Health plan premium	as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 75% of the premiums
Wellness spending account	up to $250 each year
Mental health practitioner benefit	up to $1,000 each year
Maternity top-up (mothers)	up to 85% of salary for 17 weeks
Parental top-up (mothers)	up to 85% of salary for 17 weeks
Parental top-up (fathers)	up to 85% of salary for 17 weeks
Adoption top-up	up to 85% of salary for 17 weeks
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job
Outside survey period	outside consultant surveys are held every 12 months
Employee performance reviews	employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months
In-house training initiatives	in-house training, online training, mentoring, leadership development programs
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
Employee charitable involvement	employees are involved in selection of charities, employees receive paid time off to volunteer

The Career Directory

First Credit Union has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.

Highlights for New Grads

Industry	Credit unions
Full-time employees in Canada	51 to 100
Major Canadian locations	Hornby Island BC, Bowser BC, Union Bay BC, Cumberland BC, Courtenay BC, Bowen Island BC, Powell River BC
Student opportunities	summer jobs
Training	subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, leadership training
Annual tuition maximum	employer pays up to $1,500 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year
Typical new grad positions	Financial Service Representative, Member Service Representative, Coordinators
Starting salary	$40K to $50K
Work benefits	health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting, employees receive paid time off to volunteer
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job

Academic fields recruited

Bachelor of Arts
- Business
- Economics
Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Information Systems
Master of Business Administration
Professional Accreditation
- Accounting (CA)
- Accounting (CGA)
- Accounting (CMA)
- Financial Planning (CFP, FMA)
- Financial Securities (CSC)
- Insurance (RIBO, OTL, CIP)
- Investment Planning (CFA, CIM)
Secondary Education
- High School Diploma

First Credit Union

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