Top Employer: Health Standards Organization / HSO

Recognized as one of National Capital Region's Top Employers (2025):

Here are some of the reasons why Health Standards Organization / HSO was selected as one of National Capital Region's Top Employers (2025):

Health Standards Organization encourages employees to take care of their minds and bodies through a variety of awareness initiatives hosted during Stress Awareness Month in April, Mental Health Awareness Week in May, and Healthy Workplace Month in October
Health Standards Organization helps employees balance personal and professional commitments with paid personal days, which can be scheduled as needed (up to six days annually)
Health Standards Organization supports employees who want to start a family with generous maternity and parental leave top-up, to 75 per cent of salary, ranging between 35 and 52 weeks, depending on the employee

Health Standards Organization employees take part in a team building event in Ottawa

Industry	Professional organizations
Established in Canada	2016
Major Canadian locations	Montréal QC, Toronto ON, Ottawa ON
Full-time employees in Canada	237
Part-time employees in Canada	8
Average age of employees in Canada	42 years
Longest serving employee	31 years
Flexible work options	hybrid work option, flexible work hours, 35-hour work week (with full pay), shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), telecommuting
Long-term savings	defined-benefit (DB) pension
Health plan premium	as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 100% of the premiums
Mental health practitioner benefit	up to $1,500 each year
Maternity top-up (mothers)	up to 75% of salary for 17 weeks
Parental top-up (mothers)	up to 75% of salary for 35 weeks
Parental top-up (fathers)	up to 75% of salary for 35 weeks
Adoption top-up	up to 75% of salary for 35 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 24 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, paid internships
Tuition subsidies (related to job)	yes
Employee charitable involvement	employees are involved in selection of charities