Top Employer: Yukon, Government of

Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2023) and Top Employers for Canadians Over 40 (2022):

Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 17, 2022)

Here are some of the reasons why Yukon, Government of was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2023) and Top Employers for Canadians Over 40 (2022):

Government of Yukon helps employees confidently plan for life after work with retirement assistance planning services, phased-in work options when nearing retirement along with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan
Varying by position and location, Government of Yukon employees may receive a recruitment (referral) bonus and retention allowances for some positions, community allowance for living in remote communities, annual travel subsidies (after two years of employment) and rotational schedules for nursing personnel in remote locations
Government of Yukon encourages ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies for courses both related and indirectly related to an employee's current role (to $5,000 per year) -- and supports a new online learning platform that features a variety of mobile-friendly course offerings

Mary Tiessen, an American Sign Language interpreter for the Public Service Commission at the Government of Yukon (Photo credit: Alistair Maitland)

Employer Background

Industry	Territorial government
Established in Canada	1898
Major Canadian hiring locations	Whitehorse YT, Dawson City YT, Watson Lake YT, Haines Junction YT
Full-time employees in Canada	5,156
Part-time employees in Canada	563
Workforce engaged on a contract basis	1.9%
Average age of employees in Canada	43.9 years
Longest serving employee	43 years

Work Environment Rating: B

Hybrid work	home office allowance, office equipment loan program, introduced an updated remote work policy to guide long-term remote work requests
Flexible work options	flexible work hours, shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), compressed work week, telecommuting
Commuter amenities	walk to public transit, online carpool sign-up, free parking, electric vehicle charging stations
Onsite workplace features	head office is home to the Yukon Legislative Assembly and is located in the heart of Whitehorse, offering views of the adjacent Yukon River and surrounding mountains, waterfront trolley stops outside the building (summertime only), original Canadian and Yukon artists' work on the walls of the main foyer, sit-stand workstations, outdoor patio
Employee lounge amenities	comfortable seating, fireplace, board games, table tennis, lounge amenities vary across the organization's work areas

Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B

Employee social committee name	subsidized departmental social committees
Past social events	hosts numerous virtual celebrations, including the annual employee long service awards, a virtual HR symposium (for all HR personnel), and a number of formal and informal online events
Cultural aspects	dress-for-your-day policy, casual dress Fridays, music while working, employee sports teams
Employee communications	intranet site, traditional/email suggestion box
Other in-house communications	departmental intranets, newsletters and blogs

Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: A

Financial benefits note	Government of Yukon has multiple employee groups, financial benefits may vary by position
Outside salary surveys	participates in outside salary surveys every 6 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, life & disability insurance
Additional financial benefits	discounts for home computer software and hardware purchases, recruitment (referral) bonuses and retention allowances for some positions, community allowance for employees living in remote communities (amounts range with distance from Whitehorse), annual travel subsidy for eligible employees (after 2 years of employment)

Health & Family-Friendly Benefits Rating: A+

Health plan note	Government of Yukon has multiple employee groups, health plans may vary by position
Health plan premium	as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 85% of the premiums
Flexible coverage	health plan is flexible with adjustable premiums and coverage levels
Waiting period for coverage	90 days
Family coverage option	yes
Retiree coverage with no age limit	yes
Dental coverage	routine, restorative, orthodontics
Eyecare	$300 every 2 years
Paid sick days	employees receive 15 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, nutrition planning, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy), virtual healthcare services
Mental health practitioner benefit	up to $1,200 each year
Additional health plan information	premiums vary by employee group (75% to 85% to 100%)
Additional health and wellness initiatives	virtual LifeSpeak wellness platform features online videos, action plans and interactive presentations with world-class experts, and online coaching services to help employees (and family members) work towards personal and professional goals
Family-friendly benefits note	Government of Yukon has multiple employee groups, family-friendly policies may vary by position
Maternity top-up (mothers)	up to 93% of salary for 15 weeks
Parental top-up (mothers)	up to 93% of salary for 15 weeks
Parental top-up (fathers)	up to 93% of salary for 15 weeks
Adoption top-up	up to 93% of salary for 15 weeks
Additional family-friendly information	job-sharing (for nursing personnel in remote locations)

Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: A+

Vacation note	Government of Yukon 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 3 years of employment
Maximum vacation allowance	employees move to a maximum of 8 weeks of vacation over their career
Personal paid days off	employees can schedule 6 personal days off each year, as needed
Unpaid leave maximum	24 months
Self-funded/deferred salary leave maximum	12 months
Additional time-off information	management (approximately 9% of workforce) receive 6 weeks of starting vacation allowance

Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: B

Employee performance reviews	employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months
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
Exit interview	exit interview option is available for departing employees
Performance recognition	online recognition platform, individual performance bonuses, peer-to-peer recognition awards, long-service awards, Premier’s Award of Excellence and Innovation (employee nominated) and the Aboriginal Employees’ Award of Honour (selected by independent committees)

Training & Skills Development Rating: B+

Career planning	in-house career planning services
In-house training initiatives	apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, mentoring, in-house training, online training, paid internships, subsidies for professional accreditation, mentoring to transfer retirees' skills
Related tuition subsidies	employer covers up to 35% of tuition per year
Annual tuition maximum	employer pays up to $5,000 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year
Unrelated tuition subsidies	employer covers up to 35% of tuition per year for courses unrelated to current position
Unrelated tuition maximum	employer pays up to $5,000 in tuition subsidies per year for courses unrelated to current position

Community Involvement Rating: B+

Scope of charitable involvement	local
Employee charitable involvement	employees receive paid time off to volunteer
Some of the community organizations supported	United Way of Yukon (kicks off its annual fall fundraising campaign with a breakfast fundraiser), Bare Essentials (women's shelter program), Whitehorse 20-Minute Makeover (employees receive 2.5 hours to join the city-wide garbage cleanup and graffiti removal event)
Community highlight	Government of Yukon employees are actively involved in raising money for the annual United Way campaign. The United Way of Yukon directs the majority of its funding to provide assistance to children, youth and families, persons living with disabilities, alcohol and drug abuse initiatives, and reducing the impacts of poverty.

Yukon, Government of

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