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 Mars Canada was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2023) and Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2023):
- Mars Canada's hybrid work initiative includes a "hub day" once a week (all employees work onsite) and another day of each team's choosing -- employees who spend 50 per cent of their time working from home are eligible to request additional home office equipment, such as monitors, headsets, printers, and ergonomic desks and chairs
- Mars Canada recently increased the duration of its maternity and parental leave top-up policy, providing new mothers 100 per cent of salary for up to 23 weeks and 100 per cent of salary for up to 18 weeks for fathers and adoptive parents -- additionally, the company offers coaching for parents returning to work as well as coaching for managers, to help them better support employees upon their return
- Mars encourages employees to spend time away from work with paid time off during the winter holidays (up to five days) and three weeks of vacation allowance
An employee at Mars Canada tends to crops
Employer Background
| Industry | Food manufacturing |
| Established in Canada | 1911 |
| Parent company | Mars Inc. |
| Parent company head office | McLean, VA, United States |
| Major Canadian hiring locations | Newmarket ON, Bolton ON, Guelph ON, Toronto ON |
| Full-time employees in Canada | 1,530 |
| Part-time employees in Canada | 268 |
| Full-time employees worldwide | 128,000 |
| Workforce engaged on a contract basis | 8% |
| Average age of employees in Canada | 41 years |
| Longest serving employee | 37 years |
Work Environment Rating: A+
| Hybrid work | employees who spend at least 50% of their time working from home on an annual basis are eligible to request equipment for home use |
| Flexible work options | flexible work hours, telecommuting |
| Commuter amenities | walk to public transit, online carpool sign-up, free parking, electric vehicle charging stations, secure/sheltered bicycle parking |
| Onsite workplace features | office is situated on 96 acres of rural land and is surrounded by outdoor space and wilderness, the workplace features a multi-faith space, telecommuter workstations, sit-stand workstations, private phone booth, nap room, religious observance room, self-serve lunchroom, an outdoor courtyard with wireless access, indoor and outdoor doggie play areas (in support of the company's pet-friendly policies), a community garden, a maple syrup bush that is tapped every spring, and volleyball, basketball, and hockey recreational courts for sports |
| Employee lounge amenities | comfortable seating, music, television, video games, foosball table, board games |
| Snacks available | fresh fruit daily, Mars Wrigley brands (Snickers, Mars, Maltesers, Skittles, Starburst, Bounty, Excel Gum, Juicy Fruit, 5 Gum, Hubba Bubba, and KIND bars / Bark) |
| Onsite cafeteria | healthy menus, special diet menus, subsidized meals, take-home meals, (cafeteria is open 20 hours per day to accommodate night shifts) |
| Onsite fitness facility | for employees only, free membership, treadmills, stationary bikes, stairmasters, instructor-led classes (yoga), elliptical trainers, rowing machines, weights, basketball court, shower facilities |
Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: A+
| Employee social committee name | various social committees (est. 1986) |
| Cultural aspects | business-casual dress daily, 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, internal social media |
| Other in-house communications | quarterly and monthly town halls |
Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: B
| 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-contribution (DC) pension |
| Long-term planning | retirement planning assistance, life & disability insurance |
| Year-end bonuses | available to all employees |
| Referral bonuses (max) | new employee referral bonuses (up to $2,000) for some positions |
| Signing bonuses | available for some positions |
| Additional financial benefits | retention bonus for factory roles (up to $3,000) |
Health & Family-Friendly Benefits Rating: B+
| Health plan premium | as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 100% of the premiums |
| Flexible coverage | health plan is flexible with adjustable premiums and coverage levels |
| Minimum hours worked for coverage | 24 hours per week |
| Waiting period | there is no waiting period for coverage |
| Family coverage option | yes |
| Retiree coverage option | up to 65 years of age |
| Dental coverage | routine, restorative |
| Eyecare | $200 every 2 years |
| Paid sick days | employees receive 4 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, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy), virtual healthcare services |
| Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $1,000 each year |
| Health spending account | up to $500 each year |
| Wellness spending account | up to $500 each year |
| Additional health and wellness initiatives | well-being strategy launched in 2021, Be Well team focused on fostering a healthy and energized workforce, monthly well-being newsletter and speaker series (covering topics such as mental illness and menopause) |
| In vitro fertilization (IVF) | $5,000 per lifetime |
| Maternity top-up (mothers) | up to 100% of salary for 17 weeks |
| Parental top-up (mothers) | up to 100% of salary for 6 weeks |
| Parental top-up (fathers) | up to 100% of salary for 18 weeks |
| Adoption top-up | up to 100% of salary for 18 weeks |
| Additional family-friendly benefits | academic scholarships of up to $7,000 per child |
| Additional family-friendly information | Friday afternoons are designated as "meeting free," coaching for new caregivers and parents going on and off of maternity and parental leave (the program also provides coaching for managers on how to support employees through the transition) |
Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: B
| Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
| Vacation jump | vacation increases after 8 years of employment |
| Maximum vacation allowance | employees move to a maximum of 6 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 1 personal day off each year, as needed |
| Company paid days off | employees receive 1 personal day off, as determined by their employer |
| Unpaid leave maximum | 6 months |
Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: A
| Employee performance reviews | employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 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 |
| 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 | on-the-spot rewards, peer-to-peer recognition awards, long-service awards, Mars Stars service and peer recognition |
| In-house survey period | in-house surveys are conducted every 12 months |
| Outside survey period | outside consultant surveys are held every 12 months |
Training & Skills Development Rating: B+
| In-house training initiatives | apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, mentoring, in-house training, online training, subsidies for professional accreditation |
| Related tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 80% of tuition per year |
| Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $5,250 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
| Education leave | educational leaves of absence are available |
Community Involvement Rating: A
| Scope of charitable involvement | local, national |
| Employee charitable involvement | employees are involved in selection of charities, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 2 paid days) |
| Total employee volunteer hours (on company time) | over 100 hours last year |
| Total number of charities supported last year | approximately 25 charitable and community organizations were supported last year |
| Some of the community organizations supported | Caledon Community Services, Food Banks Canada, Alliston & District Humane Society, Lincoln County Humane Society, Paws of the North Rescue, Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce |
| Community highlight | Mars Canada's charitable focus is pet well-being and general community support. In 2021, the company implemented a corporate matching program of $15,000 to help victims of the BC floods through the Canadian Red Cross. |