Highlights:

• employees (and even retirees) donated over 85,000 volunteer hours last year for community projects across the province
• operates an in-house charitable program that lets employees help one another in times of need
• offers free memberships to their onsite fitness facility and is located close to running trails that wind along the shores of Wascana Lake
• offers over 680 training programs online so employees can access materials from across the province

SaskTel provides telephone and other communications services to residential and business customers across Saskatchewan. Established in 1909, SaskTel is the province's main provider of communications services. The company provides local and long-distance telephone, wireless, interactive digital and video-on-demand television, and high-speed Internet services to over 470,000 farm, residential and business customers across Saskatchewan. In addition, the company's expanding digital cellular telephone network covers 94% of the province's population. SaskTel also provides directory publishing services (DirectWest), security monitory services (SecurTek Division), and in-room communications services to healthcare institutions (Hospitality Network Division).

As a Crown corporation, SaskTel was established to provide affordable telephone service to all residents of Saskatchewan, including rural residents. In keeping with its mandate, SaskTel is expanding its high-speed Internet service to ensure it is available to even the smallest communities in the province. When complete, over 86% of the province's residents will have access to high-speed Internet service an enviable accomplishment for any carrier and an enviable reality for rural residents in other parts of the country.

In addition to its core businesses, the company's successful international division (SaskTel International) has built and improved telephone systems in over 30 countries, from Ukraine to India. The company is currently completing a rural infrastructure project in Tanzania and recently won a $6.2 million contract to develop a complete communication system in rural Mozambique. The company's international division has offices in Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates.

Last year, SaskTel had operating revenues of $982 million, over a 5% increase from the previous year.

Workforce at a Glance:Number of full-time employees: 3571. Voluntary employee turnover across Canada last year: 5.3%. Percentage of Canadian workforce employed on contract basis: 2%. Longest period any worker in Canada has stayed on contract: 13 years. Percentage of employees who are women: 48. Of managers: 37. Percentage of employees who are visible minorities: 9. Of managers: 7. Resumes received by their HR staff in past year: 21230.

SaskTel's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Employees work in a variety of environments, including traditional offices, call centres and switching stations. Installation and repair personnel work at customer sites throughout the province. Employees at the international division experience a variety of work environments, depending on the country and project. Located in downtown Regina, SaskTel's head office is within easy walking distance to restaurants and the city's revitalized Wascana Lake.

Physical Workplace at a Glance:Their onsite fitness facility features: free memberships; treadmills; stationary bikes; stairmasters; rowing machines; weights; cross-trainer; shower facilities; medical department with staff nurse; instructor-led fitness classes, such as tae kwon-do. The company has a full-service onsite cafeteria that features: subsidized meals (a turkey sandwich costs $2.50); special diet menus; healthy menu items. Nearby amenities include: major shopping mall; variety of restaurants; art galleries; Globe Theatre; outdoor farmers' market and live entertainment in the summer; park/wilderness area (Victoria Park and Wascana Park). For commuters, SaskTel offers: subsidized car parking; nearby public transit; secure bicycle parking. Other work area amenities include: ergonomic workstation design; auditorium; conference rooms with great views; wireless connectivity throughout office.

SaskTel's work atmosphere is rated as exceptional. Employees at SaskTel enjoy business casual dress daily. In addition to its many charitable fundraising events, SaskTel hosts numerous employee social events, including special banquets to celebrate long-serving employees, service excellence and business development. Individual departments often organize their own events to recognize excellent job performance. The company also sponsors annual curling, hockey, softball and golf tournaments. SaskTel employees also have their own choir that travels to shopping malls and seniors' residences during the Christmas holiday season.

SaskTel's health benefits plan is managed by Great-West Life and is rated as above-average. SaskTel pays 100% of the premiums associated with the plan. The company also pays 100% of the health premiums necessary to cover each employee's family. Full-time and part-time employees are covered by the plan. New employees must wait 180 days before they can enroll in the plan.

Health Benefits at a Glance:SaskTel's health plan includes the following coverage: routine dental (100% of eligible costs, with no annual maximum); restorative dental (75% of eligible costs, with no annual maximum); orthodontics (with a lifetime maximum of $1200); eyecare (to $200 every 2 years); prescription drug; nutrition planning; massage therapy; physiotherapy; personal and family counselling; employee assistance plan (EAP) for substance abuse/mental health; wellness program that includes financial assistance for smoking cessation and weight loss; chiropractor; osteopathy; podiatry; acupuncture; naturopathy; speech therapy; travel medical insurance; ambulance; semi-private hospital room; medical equipment and supplies; home care.

The company's salary and financial benefits are rated as above-average. To keep pay-levels competitive, SaskTel participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. The company operates a traditional pension plan where SaskTel makes a contribution equal to 7% of each employee's salary to their plan each year. (The employer contribution may increase to 9%, depending on the position.) The company also offers a group RSP that allows employees to contribute up to 6% of their salary, with matching employer contributions. To keep pay-levels competitive, SaskTel reviews salary levels for certain positions on an annual basis. (Union employees receive salary increases in accordance with their collective agreement.) The company also offers an internal job evaluation process that enables employees to review jobs for possible salary upgrades beyond their annual increases.

Financial Benefits at a Glance:SaskTel provides a variety of financial benefits, including: life and disability insurance; discounted company products (10% discount at company stores); low-interest home loans; discounted home computers; year-end bonuses (to $6400 for non-executives).

SaskTel's family-friendly benefits are rated as above-average. Employees with pre-school children have access to a daycare facility located nearby. For mothers who take maternity or parental leave, SaskTel provides a top-up to 95% of salary for up to 2 weeks. Other family-friendly benefits include: flexible start and finish hours; five family leave days (managers receive 13 personal days); can use sick days for bereavement leave; free family coverage on health plan; 35-hour work week; shortened work week (fewer hours); compressed work week (same hours, fewer days); telecommuting and working from home; earned days off program.

SaskTel's vacation and time off are rated as above-average. New employees receive 3 weeks of vacation allowance after their first year, which increases to 4 weeks after 8 years of service. The maximum vacation allowance is 6 weeks for long-serving employees. Employees at SaskTel also receive 5 paid personal days off each year, in addition to their regular vacation allowance. Employees at the company can also apply for unpaid leaves of absence.

SaskTel's internal communications program is rated as above-average. To keep employees informed about new developments, SaskTel publishes an in-house newsletter (called Ink), which is available online. The company also has an intranet site (called The Source), which keeps employees informed about news and human resource policies that affect their work. To solicit feedback from employees, the company operates an email suggestion box. An employee satisfaction survey is conducted by email every 12 months. An outside consultant compiles the survey results for SaskTel's management team. Individual departments at SaskTel also conduct internal online surveys to address specific issues. Employee responses are anonymous and the results are shared with employees.

SaskTel's performance management program is rated as above-average. The company operates a formal performance management program. Once a year, employees and managers meet for review sessions. (Managers receive training in how to conduct effective reviews.) The annual reviews are a critical component of employee development managers receive bonuses for meeting their review responsibilities.

As part of the review process, employees solicit feedback from their peers, evaluate their own performance and receive coaching from managers throughout the year. To complement this process, SaskTel has developed an intranet tool that guides employees through the self-assessment process so they can develop their own career action plans. In some departments, employees have the opportunity to provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance.

SaskTel's training and skills development program is rated as exceptional. The company provides tuition subsidies for courses related to an employee's current position. Commendably, SaskTel also offers subsidies for courses not related to an employee's current job. The company assists employees' career development with: reimbursement for professional association dues; career planning; in-house training; online training; mentoring; apprenticeship and skilled trades training; online employee skills inventory. For employees living outside Regina, the company's advanced online learning site provides access to essential training programs, with over 690 courses available online.

SaskTel's community involvement program is rated as exceptional. An outstanding corporate citizen, SaskTel actively supports a variety of local and national charitable initiatives. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted by the company.

Last year, the company donated an incredible $3.3 million to over 1,640 non-profit and charitable organizations in Saskatchewan. The company has a formal corporate sponsorship program that coordinates donations with an employee benevolent fund. Most remarkably, current and retired employees donated over 85,000 volunteer hours (and over $380,000 in cash donations last year) to community projects through the SaskTel Pioneers service club.

SaskTel also works closely with educational institutions and First Nations communities to promote continuing education and job training. As part of this initiative, the company has hired over 540 summer students over the past five years, with over 45% of these being Aboriginal, visible minority and disabled students. SaskTel also awards 11 post-secondary scholarships ($3,000 each) annually and summer job placement to students pursuing careers in the telecommunications sector. In addition, SaskTel provides matching scholarship donations in partnership with the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies. Through this annual program, six students receive scholarships ($9,000 each) as well as summer employment opportunities.

A steward of the environment, SaskTel has an admirable program of environmental management in the communities where it operates. The company sponsors local recycling projects for a variety of household items, diverting thousands of gallons of paint, tonnes of waste batteries and old telephone directories from landfills every year. Employees also use their expertise (and SaskTel donates the space) to repair and donate surplus computers to local schools and organizations over 18,000 computers have been donated since the program's inception in 1994.

Demonstrating that charity truly does begin at home, SaskTel operates the unique "Helping Our Own People" initiative. The company's in-house charitable organization raises funds through employee donations and has distributed over $350,000 since 1992 to employees in need of support and assistance beyond traditional benefit programs.