January 7, 2008
Two credit unions – Envision Financial and Conexus – have again made the list of 50 Best Employers in Canada.

The Co-operators also was on the list produced following a survey conducted by Hewitt and Associates and published in the Globe and Mail Report on Business magazine.

B.C.-based Envision Financial, which currently employs more than 750, placed eighth on the list.
Conexus, based in Regina, which has 860 employees, placed 46th.
The Co-operators, based in Guelph, ON, with 2,800 employees, was 13th.

The survey polls employees from various organizations across the country on topics ranging from how much their opinions are valued, to the effectiveness of their organization’s leadership.

The 2007 survey involved more than 100,000employees and 2,000 leaders at about 200 organizations. This survey is restricted to companies with more than 400 employees. The company also does a survey of smaller employers.

“We’re delighted to be recognized for our commitment to our employees,” says Jane Campbell, Human Resources Manager at Envision’s Langley-based Administration Centre. “One of our expressed goals is to be the best place employees have ever worked. It’s what we’re continually striving to achieve.”
 
In 2007, that commitment led the company to pursue several new initiatives including piloting a program that gives more flexibility in work schedules for branch staff. 
 
“We have some employees, for example,” says Campbell, “who want to be able to leave early to go pick up their children from school or day care. In other cases, we have people who want to be able to work nine days and then have every 10th day off.

"While we’ve been able to accommodate those types of requests fairly easily at our administration centre, we’re now finding ways to make it happen for branch staff, while still offering exceptional service to our member-owners.”
 
Campbell says the company also expanded its flexible health benefits plan in 2007, adding a personal wellness account that employees can tap into to help pay for everything from days at the spa, to yoga sessions, cooking classes and gym memberships.