Top Employer: Yukon, Government of

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

Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 11, 2021)

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

Government of Yukon developed enhanced work-from-home policies over the past year that included IT support and taking home needed equipment, as well as a health and safety checklist to help employees set up ergonomically appropriate workspaces -- and introduced additional flexible work arrangements such as staggered hours of work to help reduce number of employees working onsite and at any given time
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 recently launched a new online learning platform that features a variety of mobile-friendly course offerings

Cameron Heke, a communications employee at the Government of Yukon, prepares for a press conference (Photo credit: Alistair Maitland Photography)

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	5,102
Part-time employees in Canada	576
Workforce engaged on a contract basis	2.7%
Average age of employees in Canada	44 years
Longest serving employee	42 years

COVID-19

Pandemic response

offers virtual paramedical services as part of its health benefits plan, increased counselling sessions to support employees and their families (from 7 to 11), up to 14 paid days of leave for personal quarantine

Physical Workplace Rating: B

Editorial note	due to the pandemic, some workplace amenities may be temporarily unavailable
Commuter amenities	online carpool sign-up, free parking, electric vehicle charging stations
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, original Canadian and Yukon artists' work on the walls of the main foyer, custom stained glass windows, waterfront trolley stops outside the building (summertime only), telecommuter workstations, sit-stand workstations, outdoor patio
Employee lounge amenities	comfortable seating, fireplace, board games, table tennis, downtown core offers numerous shops and services

Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B

Employee social committee name	subsidized departmental social committees
Past social events	hosted virtual celebrations of the annual employee long service awards, Premier’s Award of Excellence and Innovation, and the Indigenous Employees Award of Honour, first virtual HR symposium (for all HR personnel), and the Social Wellness Committee organized a number of formal and informal events (including cooking classes and an introduction to kick-biking)
Cultural aspects	dress-for-your-day policy, casual dress Fridays, music while working, employee sports teams
Employee communications	intranet site, company newsletter
Other in-house communications	departmental intranets, newsletters and blogs

Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: A

Financial benefits note	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	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
Waiting period for coverage	90 days
Family coverage option	yes
Retiree coverage with no age limit	yes
Dental coverage	routine, restorative, orthodontics
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, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy), virtual healthcare services
Mental health practitioner benefit	up to $1,000 each year
Additional health plan information	enhanced coverage levels available as well as additional coverage for hearing aids, orthotics and orthopedic footwear
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 set and work towards personal and professional goals
Family-friendly benefits note	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 17 weeks
Parental top-up (fathers)	up to 93% of salary for 17 weeks
Adoption top-up	up to 93% of salary for 17 weeks
Additional family-friendly benefits	extended parental leave to unpaid leave
Flexible work options	flexible work hours, shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), compressed work week, telecommuting
Additional family-friendly information	job-sharing options, rotational schedules (for nursing personnel in remote locations)

Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: A+

Vacation note	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 8% of workforce) receive 6 weeks of starting vacation allowance, up to 2 additional weeks for Christmas and spring holiday breaks (school personnel)

Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: B

Employee performance reviews	employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months
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

Training & Skills Development Rating: B+

Career planning	in-house career planning services, online employee skills inventory
In-house training initiatives	mentoring, in-house training, online training, leadership 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
Education leave	educational leaves of absence are available

Community Involvement Rating: B+

Scope of charitable involvement	local
Some of the community organizations supported	United Way of Yukon (kicks off its annual fall fundraising campaign with a breakfast fundraiser that includes a silent auction, which was adapted to a drive-thru version to accommodate pandemic restrictions), 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	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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