Recognized as one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2025):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Dec 2, 2024)
Here are some of the reasons why Ontario Medical Association was selected as one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2025):
- OMA's progressive time-off policy moves employees to four weeks of vacation after only two years on the job, with employees working towards a maximum of six weeks off over the course of their careers -- additionally, employees receive paid time off during the winter holidays and can take advantage of flexible work hours throughout the year
- OMA's health benefits plan features a wellness spending account of up to $1,000 per year (can be used for fitness and health expenses) and generous coverage for mental health services, up to $3,000 per year (a separate category of coverage from paramedical expenses)
- OMA offers employees flexible work options, including hybrid and flexible hours -- and recently introduced Work From Anywhere guidelines that include the opportunity for employees to apply to work from outside of the province for up to one month (and employees can apply to extend offsite arrangements for extenuating personal reasons, such as family care)
A modern mindset and new spaces help OMA stay current
Before Garen Aronian joined the Toronto-based Ontario Medical Association (OMA) in 2022 as a specialist in practice management and education, he had worked with family doctors in community clinics in Toronto and Ottawa. “I saw tough problems in the clinics that I realized weren’t local problems, they were system-wide problems,” he says, “and I wanted to find a place where I could help create change.”
Aronian found that place at the OMA, which advocates for the well-being of Ontario physicians and the health of Ontarians. Now manager of business and market development, strategic affairs, he knew from the first interview with what would become his leadership team that he wanted to work there. “I could tell that they include their people in decision-making, which was important to me,” he says.
In fact, employees drove the decision to reimagine head office workspaces, and their work schedules, in more flexible ways. In mid-November, they returned two days a week to a renovated office with more collaborative meeting spaces. In addition to open concept areas, there are also rooms where people can meet privately and wellness rooms where they can take breaks.
“We did a lot of research because we wanted to make sure this model worked for the bulk of our workforce,” says CEO Kimberly Moran. “We’re on a leading edge with this new space, where we can prioritize accessibility and well-being at the same time. We hope we’ve gotten most things right, but we’ll pivot if we need to.”
Aronian and his wife have a toddler, so while he enjoys his time at the office, he also appreciates the flexible schedule, which includes early or late starts. “My children are grown, but I remember juggling toddlers, and it was very hard when I was in an office five days a week,” says Moran. “A flexible schedule is easier for our employees with young families and eldercare responsibilities, and they’re more productive as a result.”
Support comes in many forms, including finding other ways to retain and attract top talent. Aronian has benefited from internal training and learning programs and external courses. His first manager encouraged him to set career-path goals, then helped him achieve them.
“She created a lot of room for me to choose new projects, try things and to sometimes fail, which is an important way to learn,” he says. “When I left for a new role at the OMA, she said, ‘It’s going to hurt me to lose you, but I encourage you to go.’ All of the senior leaders are encouraging in that way – it’s in the culture.”
Moran agrees – and adds that everyone in the organization must evolve, including her. “We’re always learning and trying to do better for the physicians in Ontario because their needs keep changing, as do our employees’ needs,” she says. “As an employer, we strive to fulfil our mission to maximize efficiency and minimize turnover.”
Providing internal growth opportunities is an effective way to reduce turnover. “I’m determined to have the OMA develop talent and help them grow,” says Moran. “We look to see if there’s a nice fit to develop skills, and we encourage a boldness to take some risks – if you’re going to fail, you want to fail fast and hard, and then know that you’ll be supported.”
Aronian feels fully supported at the OMA. “They really walk the talk on taking care of their people,” he says. “There’s a focus on fulfilling objectives and outcomes, not on clocking in and clocking out – you’re trusted to do the work.”
