Top Employer: Yukon, Government of

Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2024):

Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 16, 2023)

Here are some of the reasons why Yukon, Government of was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2024):

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
Government of Yukon offers the majority of its employees four weeks of starting vacation allowance (senior-level positions start with six weeks) and helps employees balance their day-to-day through a variety of flexible work arrangements, up to six days of special leave per year as well as options for unpaid and self-funded paid leaves of absence
Varying by position and location, Government of Yukon employees may receive a recruitment (referral) bonus and retention allowances for some positions, a community allowance for living in remote communities, annual travel subsidies (after two years of employment) and rotational schedules for nursing personnel in remote locations

Nellie Njootli, an employee in the Government of Yukon's public service commission (Photo credit: Cathie Archbould)

Employer Background

Industry	Territorial government
Established in Canada	1898
Major Canadian locations	Whitehorse YT, Dawson City YT, Watson Lake YT, Haines Junction YT
Full-time employees in Canada	5,500
Part-time employees in Canada	583
Workforce engaged on a contract basis	1%
Average age of employees in Canada	43.22 years
Longest serving employee	44 years

Work Environment Rating: B

Flexible work options	hybrid work option, flexible work hours, telecommuting, earned days off program, remote/offsite and hybrid work arrangement vary across positions and departments
Commuter amenities	walk to public transit, free parking, electric vehicle charging stations, secure/sheltered bicycle parking
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, telecommuter workstations, sit-stand workstations, self-serve lunchroom
Employee lounge amenities	comfortable seating

Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B

Employee social committee name	Social & Wellness Committee (and departmental committees)
Past social events	annual Long Service Awards celebration to honour its long-serving employees, variety of events hosted at the government departmental level (many have their own social committees)
Cultural aspects	business-casual dress daily
Employee communications	intranet site

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	computer software discounts, recruitment (referral) bonuses and retention allowances for high demand positions (including nursing employees), community allowance for employees living in remote communities, annual travel bonus (after 2 years of employment and pro-rated for part-time employees)

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	$600 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	online LifeSpeak wellness platform features videos, action plans, interactive presentations and online coaching services to help employees (and their family members)
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

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 12 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	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), long service awards including a small monetary award, a lunch ceremony and five bonus vacation days in that year, individual departments have their own peer-to-peer and online recognition platforms
Outside survey period	outside consultant surveys are held every 24 months

Training & Skills Development Rating: B+

Career planning	in-house career planning services, online employee skills inventory
In-house training initiatives	apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, mentoring, in-house training, online training, leadership development programs, paid internships, subsidies for professional accreditation
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
Some of the community organizations supported	United Way, Bare Essentials, City of Whitehorse 20- Minute Makeover
Community highlight	Government of Yukon employees are actively involved in raising money for the annual United Way campaign. The organization kicked off its fall fundraising campaign with a breakfast for employees and organized a separate Bare Essentials campaign in support of local women's shelters (organized donations of new and needed personal items, from toiletries to clothing).

Yukon, Government of

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