Top Employer: Université de Montréal

Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021), Canada's Top Family-Friendly Employers (2021) and Montreal's Top Employers (2021):

By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 12, 2020)

Here are some of the reasons why Université de Montréal was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021), Canada's Top Family-Friendly Employers (2021) and Montreal's Top Employers (2021):

Université de Montréal provides excellent family-friendly benefits, including maternity and parental leave top-up payments for employees who are new mothers, fathers or adoptive parents, the option to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence, and the convenience of onsite child care when they are ready to return to work
Université de Montréal organizes peer-nominated Rector's Awards to recognize the dedication and hard work of its employees in five categories, including inspiration, initiative, commitment, collaboration and diversity -- the university also manages a variety of teaching awards in recognition of the contributions of academic personnel
Université de Montréal appointed its first special advisor for equity, diversity and inclusion to formalize the organization's commitment to diversity and inclusion and is currently developing a three-year action plan to address issues such as the recruitment and success of students from diverse backgrounds, equity and diversity-related training and research, and the recruitment and retention of diverse employees

Anthony Calvillo, an employee at Université de Montréal, coaches the school's football team (Photo credit: James Hajjar)

Employer Background

Industry	Post secondary schools, university
Established in Canada	1878
Major Canadian hiring locations	Montréal QC, Laval QC, Saint-Hyacinthe QC, Trois-Rivières QC, Longueuil QC
Full-time employees in Canada	5,502
Part-time employees in Canada	2,420
Workforce engaged on a contract basis	40.4%
Average age of employees in Canada	41.6 years
Longest serving employee	54 years

COVID-19

Pandemic response

special emergency fund to help students

Physical Workplace Rating: A+

Commuter amenities	transit subsidies, online carpool sign-up, electric vehicle charging stations, secure/sheltered bicycle parking, nearby bike sharing station
Workplace features	Université de Montréal's main campus has a rich architectural heritage and an abundance of green space, state-of-the-art Science Complex (with 6 auditoriums, a library, 10 teaching labs and nearly 190 research labs), Exhibition Centre (showcasing over a thousand works of art), onsite clinics and health centres, religious observance room, outdoor patio, and a self-serve lunchroom (the university has 3 additional campuses in Laval, Longueuil and Trois-Rivières)
Employee lounge amenities	comfortable seating, multiple lounges across campus which feature comfortable chairs, sofas and televisions
Onsite cafeteria	healthy menus, special diet menus, take-home meals, multiple cafeterias and cafés across campus (university's food services department is called "Local-Local" to reflect its focus on eco-responsibility and sustainability)
Onsite fitness facility	shared-use facility, subsidized membership, treadmills, stationary bikes, stairmasters, instructor-led classes (pilates, yoga, Zumba, aerobics), elliptical trainers, rowing machines, weights, basketball court, sauna, shower facilities, Olympic-size swimming pool, spa and sauna, badminton, squash, racquetball and tennis courts, indoor track, practice area for golf, climbing wall, arena, multiple gymnasiums
Other nearby amenities	YMCA, Côte-des-Neiges Recreational Centre, Midtown Club, Mount Royal Park, Montréal Convention Centre, outdoor markets within minutes from the main campus (offering fresh, local and affordable goods)

Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B+

Past social events	every holiday season, the university's rector hosts a "vin d'honneur" to wish employees and their families well during the holiday season, numerous departmental and faculty-specific celebrations across campus including back-to-school picnics, cocktails, Halloween events, and the fifth annual Christmas cookie contest across campus
Cultural aspects	business-casual dress daily, music while working, employee sports teams, organized social activities for retirees
Employee communications	intranet site, company newsletter
Other in-house communications	faculty newsletters, Rector's blog

Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: A

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-benefit (DB) pension
Long-term planning	retirement planning assistance, phased-in retirement work options
Additional financial benefits	corporate discount program (e.g. retail, services, travel, etc.)

Health & Family-Friendly Benefits Rating: A+

Health plan note	UdeM has multiple employee groups, health plans may vary by position
Health plan premium	as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 40% of the premiums
Waiting period	there is no waiting period for coverage
Family coverage option	yes
Dental coverage	routine, restorative
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, nutrition planning, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy)
Mental health practitioner benefit	up to $1,000 each year
Additional health plan information	mental health practitioner benefit ranges from $500 to $1,000
Wellness initiatives	wellness committees in some faculties and departments, Centre for Health and Counselling (exclusively for campus community), nutrition clinics for employees and the general public at a cost of $5 (lunchtime conferences on topics related to nutrition and healthy lifestyles), employees also have direct access to several on-campus clinics including dental, vision, kinesiology and nutrition (with discounts on care provided)
Family-friendly benefits note	UdeM has multiple employee groups, family-friendly policies may vary by position
Maternity top-up (mothers)	up to 90% of salary for 25 weeks
Parental top-up (mothers)	up to 90% of salary for 10 weeks
Parental top-up (fathers)	up to 90% of salary for 15 weeks
Adoption top-up	up to 90% of salary for 15 weeks
Additional family-friendly benefits	extended parental leave to unpaid leave, phased-in return to work for new parents, child care onsite
Flexible work options	flexible work hours, 35-hour work week (with full pay), shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), compressed work week, telecommuting, reduced summer hours
Additional family-friendly information	summer day camps on campus for kids ages 5 to 17

Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: A+

Vacation note	UdeM has multiple employee groups, vacation policies may vary by position
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 4 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job
Vacation jump	vacation increases after 15 years of employment
Maximum vacation allowance	employees move to a maximum of 5 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 2 personal days off each year, as needed
Company paid days off	employees receive 2 personal days off, as determined by their employer
Unpaid leave maximum	24 months
Self-funded/deferred salary leave maximum	60 months
Additional time-off information	management and professional personnel start with 4.6 weeks of vacation

Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: B-

Employee performance reviews	employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 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	online recognition platform, on-the-spot rewards, long-service awards, tailored and unique rewards (e.g. travel), awards to recognize excellence in teaching as well as research work, and the Rector's Award series that includes various categories such as inspiration, initiative, commitment, collaboration and diversity

Training & Skills Development Rating: A+

Career planning	online employee skills inventory
In-house training initiatives	in-house training, online training, paid internships
Tuition subsidies (related to job)	yes
Tuition subsidies (unrelated to job)	yes
Unique training & development programs	staff tuition waiver policy, on-campus conferences on a variety of subjects, Start-up Fund to provide financial support for newly hired professors to start their research (up to $7,500 granted during the first 30 days of employment)

Community Involvement Rating: B+

Scope of charitable involvement	local, national
Employee charitable involvement	employees are involved in selection of charities
Total number of charities supported last year	approximately 25 charitable and community organizations were supported last year
Some of the community organizations supported	United Way, Moisson Montréal, Héma-Québec, Guignolée (food drive), Québec Breakfast Club, Pro Bono Québec
Community highlight	Université de Montréal supports the annual United Way/Centraide campaign and the Christmas Basket program. Across the university, faculties and departments organize their own initiatives that are most important to each and many faculties support initiatives that are related to their academic subject matters.

Université de Montréal

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