Johnston Group invests in employees and the community

Jaime Chinchilla’s role as the first full-time diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) advisor at Johnston Group is a testament to the Winnipeg-based employee benefit company’s focus on fostering an inclusive workplace.

“The company made a commitment to become even more inclusive by dedicating a full-time resource to diversity and inclusion,” says Chinchilla. “Before, there was a DEI committee, but by bringing me in they were formalizing that effort.”

Since assuming the company’s inaugural DEI position, Chinchilla has helped establish a new governance system that incorporates employee resource groups. This ensures staff have input into how the company recognizes various aspects of diversity. The company has also opened channels of communication for employees to raise concerns or lodge any complaints related to discrimination or perceived microaggressions in the workplace.

“We’re proud of the fact that we’ve had this channel for three years,” says Chinchilla.

Other DEI initiatives include safe spaces for employees to discuss issues that matter to them, celebrations of different cultures, and promoting cultural understanding, according to chief operating officer Jennifer Bjarnarson. She points to events such as Diwali celebrations, and lunchtime presentations on truth and reconciliation.

“We have a very inclusive, collaborative and community-oriented culture.”

Caring and support for others is a cornerstone of Johnston Group’s culture, she says, and this manifests in a variety of different ways. There’s a mentorship program, and most senior managers have at least one mentee. There’s also a strong focus on supporting women – Bjarnarson notes that she and the company’s vice president of human resources are leading the charge to make Johnston Group an employer of choice for women. To that end, in 2025 Johnston Group is introducing two additional paid leave days for female employees, meant to provide flexibility in managing women’s health issues.

Johnston Group’s impact is also felt beyond the workplace. The company is making a difference in the wider community thanks to a deeply ingrained culture of giving back, says Bjarnarson.

“We support over a hundred organizations within the community,” she says. One example of the company’s generosity is its week-long United Way campaign, during which Johnston Group matches donations up to a certain amount. Bjarnarson notes that this spirit of giving extends beyond monetary donations.

Employees volunteer with many community organizations and participate in community events such as the Pride Parade, where the company has a float. Some staff take part in the float, some volunteer at the parade, and others show up to support and cheer on their co-workers.

The feeling of community is pervasive, says Bjarnarson. “Even our boardrooms are named and affiliated with some type of local organization,” she says. For example, there are United Way and Habitat for Humanity boardrooms that have been physically designed by each respective organization.

Beyond cultivating an inclusive work environment, promoting community involvement and investing in staff, having fun is also deeply embedded within Johnston Group’s culture.

This tone is set from the very top. Bjarnarson recalls a story from the first time she met CEO David Johnston, who established the family-owned business in 1983.

“He made a comment that nobody gets out of bed saying, ‘Gee whiz, I can't wait to get to work,’ so let’s have fun while we’re doing it,” Bjarnarson says. “And I think the fun part definitely resonates here.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing the winners of this year's Manitoba's Top Employers competition, published March 11, 2025 in the Winnipeg Free Press. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, who did not write or review the content.

Johnston Group embraces its historic identity

Having moved to Johnston Group six months ago from a large corporation, Alyssa Bomek notices a huge difference between working for a big company and working for a small or medium sized enterprise (SME).

“JG is family-oriented; they care and take pride in their employees and want them to feel happy at work,” says Bomek, a customer service representative at the Winnipeg-based employee benefits company. “It’s an environment that makes me appreciate coming to work.”

Bomek says she’s received a high level of support since joining Johnston Group, including intensive training, ongoing feedback, positive reassurance and help from management. “They want you to succeed, and they show you that with the support they provide,” she says.

Her sentiments speak to a value that lies at the core of the organization’s culture: continually striving to be a company that cares about people.

“We’ve had lots of discussions about who we are as a company and how we articulate that,” says president Dave Angus. “Everything came back to one word, and that was caring. It shows in how we treat our employees and how employees treat each other. This carries forward in terms of how we treat our customers, and it flows over in terms of how we support our community.”

Bomek points to a culture of giving as another reason why Johnston Group is an excellent place to work. “This motivates employees to participate in giving back to the community,” she says.

An emphasis on community involvement manifests itself through a variety of initiatives, including fundraising during the annual United Way campaign, volunteering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, and participating in public events like the Pride Parade.

This community connection reflects how Johnston Group remains firmly grounded in its roots, despite growing to a medium-sized 410 employees since its founding in 1983.

“Oftentimes, when companies grow, they separate themselves from their founding story,” says Angus. “We never lost that with David Johnston, who’s still active with the company today.” Angus adds that Johnston had a clear vision when he started the company. “It wasn’t just about making money — he really wanted to serve people better through employee benefits and we haven’t lost that.”

A focus on people informs Johnston Group’s approach to its own staff, too. To support health and wellness, the company provides employees with $2,500 for dedicated mental health coverage. There’s also a popular on-site fitness facility where employees can participate in a variety of classes, including yoga and Zumba. Some employees even teach classes and organize a “wellness weekend” that features focused discussions and group fitness sessions.

An emphasis on promoting work-life balance is expressed through Johnston Group’s Work Life Wonderful philosophy.

Recognizing that people tend to value time above all else, Johnston Group offers paid sabbaticals for long-serving employees in addition to their regular vacation time: four weeks after 10 years of service, six weeks after 15 years, and eight weeks after 20 years. Employees also have the option of taking additional personal days and family days (two days each per year).

“We don’t look at our employees as just employees,” says Angus. “All the things that surround them are important to us.”

As for what the future holds, Angus says the company wants to grow while leveraging the advantages of being a SME.

“I think SMEs are well positioned to have a good balance in the marketplace,” he says. “You can be more personal, there are fewer layers and it’s less bureaucratic. Everybody is on equal footing within our organization.”

He adds: “We embrace our size. We think it’s an advantage in the marketplace and really defines who we are.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers winners, published April 8, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.