Top Employer: FreshBooks

Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2023) and Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2023):

Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 17, 2022)

Here are some of the reasons why FreshBooks was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2023) and Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2023):

FreshBooks' head office is situated in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood in the city's west end and is housed in a renovated heritage style building that features a loft-style common area, modern kitchen, a presentation area, library, massage chairs and a wellness room, bike storage and repair facilities for cycle commuters, and shower facilities
FreshBooks introduced a monthly $50 subsidy to help cover home office expenses, implemented no-meeting Fridays as well as half-day Fridays -- and has always offered a range of flexible work options to help balance their day-to-day lives
FreshBooks starts its new employees with three weeks of paid vacation, quickly moving to four weeks after just three years of employment -- the company also offers additional time offer between the Christmas and New Year's holiday as well as paid personal days (up to four days annually)

FreshBooks employee at the company's Toronto head office (Photo credit: Liz Caruana Photography)

Employer Background

Industry	Software publishers
Established in Canada	2003
Major Canadian hiring locations	Toronto ON
Full-time employees in Canada	505
Part-time employees in Canada	3
Full-time employees worldwide	726
Workforce engaged on a contract basis	14%
Average age of employees in Canada	33.85 years
Longest serving employee	19 years

Work Environment Rating: A+

Hybrid work	home office allowance, office equipment loan program, most employees have worked offsite during the pandemic (and continue to do so at time of writing)
Flexible work options	flexible work hours, 35-hour work week (with full pay), telecommuting, reduced summer hours
Commuter amenities	walk to public transit, free parking, electric vehicle charging stations, secure/sheltered bicycle parking, nearby bike sharing station
Onsite workplace features	situated in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood in the city's west end, the head office is a renovated heritage style building that features a loft-style common area, modern kitchen, a presentation area (known as the "Presentorium"), library, wellness room, telecommuter workstations, sit-stand workstations, private phone booth, nap room, religious observance room, self-serve lunchroom, outdoor patio, onsite shower area, and bike storage and repair facilities
Employee lounge amenities	comfortable seating, music, television, video games, foosball table, board games, table tennis, massage chairs, arcade machines, flight simulator station, basketball machine
Snacks available	a variety of snacks available, including cereal, granola bars, cookies, fresh fruit
Other food options at main location	coffee and sandwich shop in building
Onsite fitness facility	for employees only, free membership, treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, rowing machines, weights, shower facilities, squat racks, Olympic barbells, bench press machine, punching bag, battle ropes, still rings, audio system, weighted medicine balls, stability balls, kettlebells

Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B

Employee social committee name	FreshBooks Social Committee (est. 2008)
Past social events	hosted a company-paid ski day at a local resort
Cultural aspects	casual dress (e.g. jeans) daily, music while working, can bring pets to work when needed, employee sports teams
Employee communications	intranet site, company newsletter
Other in-house communications	quarterly All Hands meetings with senior leaders

Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: B

Outside salary surveys	participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months
Employee salary reviews	individual salaries are reviewed every 6 months
Long-term savings	matching RSP
Long-term planning	life & disability insurance
Share purchase plan	available to all employees
Referral bonuses (max)	new employee referral bonuses (up to $2,000) for some positions
Signing bonuses	available for some positions

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	24 hours per week
Waiting period	there is no waiting period for coverage
Family coverage option	yes
Dental coverage	routine, restorative, orthodontics
Eyecare	$450 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 $1,000 each year
Wellness spending account	up to $200 each year
Additional health and wellness initiatives	virtual counselling and psychotherapy, access to Calm (meditation and mental fitness app), monthly virtual workshops addressing topics from ergonomics, sleep, and coping with stress
In vitro fertilization (IVF)	$2,400 per lifetime
Maternity top-up (mothers)	up to 90% of salary for 15 weeks
Parental top-up (mothers)	up to 90% of salary for 15 weeks
Parental top-up (fathers)	up to 90% of salary for 30 weeks
Adoption top-up	up to 90% of salary for 30 weeks
Additional family-friendly benefits	phased-in return to work for new parents

Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: A

Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job
Vacation jump	vacation increases after 3 years of employment
Maximum vacation allowance	employees move to a maximum of 4 weeks of vacation over their career
Paid holiday shutdown	during the Christmas to New Year's holiday break, employees receive an additional 5 days off
Personal paid days off	employees can schedule 4 personal days off each year, as needed
Unpaid leave maximum	6 months

Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: B+

Employee performance reviews	employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months
Managers receive performance review training	yes
Confidential employee feedback	employees can also provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance
Exit interview	exit interview option is available for departing employees
Performance recognition	individual performance bonuses, on-the-spot rewards, peer-to-peer recognition awards, long-service awards, peer recognition program includes the "Values Card" program that lets employees reward colleagues with a $25 gift card for their exceptional work
In-house survey period	in-house surveys are conducted every 12 months

Training & Skills Development Rating: B+

In-house training initiatives	mentoring, in-house 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
Unique training & development programs	formal "FreshStart" onboarding process (a 3-week program managed by dedicated onboarding specialists to welcome all new hires), learning management system with company curated courses (over 1,000 modules)

Community Involvement Rating: A

Scope of charitable involvement	local, national, international
Employee charitable involvement	employees are involved in selection of charities, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 3 paid days)
Some of the community organizations supported	Daily Bread Food Bank, The Stop Community Food Centre, Canada Helps

The Career Directory

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

FreshBooks' core values on display at the company's head office

Highlights for New Grads

Industry	Software publishers
Full-time employees in Canada	251 to 500
Major Canadian hiring locations	Toronto ON
Student opportunities	co-op opportunities
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	Software Engineer, Financial Analyst, Recruitment Coordinator
Starting salary	$85K or more
Work benefits	health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 3 paid days)
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job

Academic fields recruited

Bachelor of Arts
- Social Work
Bachelor of Engineering
Master of Arts
- Philosophy
- Social Work
- Urban Geography / Planning
Professional Accreditation
- Financial Securities (CSC)

FreshBooks

Visit website