Highlights:

• offers parental leave top-up payments for new mothers and fathers
• walks the energy conservation talk with a bio-diesel truck fleet and the city's largest solar panel array
• offers excellent health benefits that includes coverage for retirees
• has operated an employee charitable foundation for over 50 years
• host draws for an additional week of paid vacation as part of its fundraising drive for the United Way

Toronto Hydro Corporation distributes electricity to over 676,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers. Established in 1911, Toronto Hydro is wholly owned by the City of Toronto.

In addition to its regulated electricity distribution business, Toronto Hydro operates three non-regulated divisions: Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc., which provides energy management and construction services to commercial customers; Toronto Hydro Street Lighting Inc., which provides urban street lighting design and construction services; and Toronto Hydro Telecom Inc., which provides data and Internet services to commercial and municipal telecommunications providers (the telecom division launched a major initiative to provide wireless service throughout the city last year.)

As the largest electricity utility in the country, Toronto Hydro has taken a growing role in encouraging conservation and alternative energy sources. The company recently launched a $40 million energy conservation program, which began by Toronto Hydro reducing its own energy consumption by over 5%, diverting over 87% of its waste from landfills, and converting its large truck fleet to bio-diesel. The company also operates one of the city's largest solar power systems on one of its buildings and installed the first urban wind turbine in North America in partnership with a local co-operative group, encouraging customers to use alternative energy sources.

Workforce at a Glance:Number of full-time employees: 1688. At this location: 208. New jobs created across Canada last year: 51. Voluntary employee turnover across Canada last year: 0.6%. Percentage of Canadian workforce employed on contract basis: 1.1%. Longest period any worker in Canada has stayed on contract: 2 years. Percentage of employees who are women: 26. Of managers: 23. Resumes received in past year: 4000. Weeks of vacation their HR manager took last year: 4. Average age: 47. Longest-serving employee: 41 years. Car the president drives: 2004 BMW. Where it's parked in the lot: reserved spot behind the building.

Toronto Hydro's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Recently renovated, their head office building was built in 1932 and features a vintage art deco exterior design. The facade of the building is interesting in that it is built from limestone quarried from Queenston, where much of the electricity this utility sells is also generated. Located at the intersection of Yonge and College, employees have easy access to the subway and hundreds of shops and restaurants within walking distance. Most of the company's employees work outside the head office in service depots or maintenance yards.

Physical Workplace at a Glance:Their employee lounge and rest areas feature: comfortable couches; table tennis; shower facilities. For food and refreshment, Toronto Hydro offers: discounts at local restaurants. The company has a full-service onsite cafeteria that features: subsidized meals (a turkey sandwich costs $3.49); healthy menu items; special diet menus. Nearby amenities include: variety of restaurants; major shopping mall; fitness facility; local shops and services; park/wilderness area (Dundas Square); recreation centre (Central YMCA). For commuters, Toronto Hydro offers: nearby public transit; transit subsidies; organized car pools; subsidized car parking; secure bicycle parking. Other work area amenities include: shower facilities; energy efficient lighting; wireless connectivity throughout office; onsite credit union.

Toronto Hydro's work atmosphere is rated as above-average. Employees at Toronto Hydro enjoy business casual dress daily. There is also a company-subsidized social committee, called the 'Toronto Hydro Club', which has operated since 1961.

The social committee organizes a huge children's Christmas party every year with gifts from Santa and over 1,800 guests in attendance. The company also hosts an annual banquet (with over 600 guests) to honour long-serving and retiring employees. In addition to sponsoring an employee hockey team (called the Stars), the company hosted the 20th annual Canadian Electric Hockey Tournament last year. The popular event drew 300 participants representing 21 teams from across the country. Toronto Hydro also has an employee golf association that boasts 68 members and has operated since 1923.

Toronto Hydro's health benefits plan is managed by Manulife Financial and is rated as above-average. Toronto Hydro 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. There is no waiting period before new employees are eligible for coverage. Toronto Hydro also pays 100% of the health insurance premiums for retired employees (with no age limit).

Health Benefits at a Glance:Toronto Hydro has several health plans, which vary according to the employee's work group. Some of their health plans cover: routine dental (100% of eligible costs, with no annual maximum); restorative dental; orthodontics (50% of eligible costs with a lifetime maximum of $4000); eyecare (to $375 every 2 years); prescription drug; massage therapy; physiotherapy; chiropractor; osteopathy; podiatry; speech therapy; personal and family counselling; employee assistance plan (EAP) for substance abuse/mental health; medical equipment and supplies; travel medical insurance; semi-private hospital room; home care; fitness subsidy (from $300 to $1,500 each year) for management and professional employees; monthly wellness sessions; naturopathy.

The company's salary and financial benefits are rated as above-average. To keep pay-levels competitive, Toronto Hydro participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. The company operates a traditional pension plan. Toronto Hydro makes annual contributions from 6.5% to 9.6% of salary, depending on pay level.

Financial Benefits at a Glance:Toronto Hydro provides a variety of financial benefits, including: life and disability insurance; discounted car leases; discounted home computers; discounted company products; discounted banking fees through member credit union; year-end bonuses.

Toronto Hydro's family-friendly benefits are rated as exceptional. Employees with pre-school children have access to a daycare facility located nearby. For mothers (including adoptive mothers) who take parental leave, Toronto Hydro provides a generous top-up to 95% of salary for up to 52 weeks. The company also provides fathers who take parental leave a top-up to 95% of their salary for up to 37 weeks. If an employee takes a compassionate leave to look after a family member, Toronto Hydro provides a top-up to 95% of their salary for up to 8 weeks. Other family-friendly benefits include: 35-hour work week; compressed work week (same hours, fewer days) for certain positions; free family coverage on health plan; earned days off program; self-funded leave program.

Toronto Hydro'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 10 years of service. The maximum vacation allowance is 6 weeks for long-serving employees. Employees at Toronto Hydro also receive 3 paid personal days off each year, in addition to their regular vacation allowance. (As part of Toronto Hydro's United Way fundraising campaign, employees have the chance to win additional paid time off, from one day to a full week of vacation.) Employees at the company can also apply for unpaid leaves of absence.

Toronto Hydro's internal communications program is rated as above-average. To keep employees informed about new developments, Toronto Hydro publishes an in-house newsletter (called Spectrum), which is published three times a year. The company also has a well-developed intranet site (called The Hub), which keeps employees informed about news and human resource policies that affect their work. An employee satisfaction survey is conducted every 24 months. An outside consultant compiles the survey results for Toronto Hydro's management team.

Toronto Hydro's performance management program is rated as above-average. The company operates a comprehensive performance management program. Every 6 months, employees and managers meet for review sessions. (Managers receive training in how to conduct effective reviews.) The company recently introduced an online feedback tool as part of the review process. Employees can also provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance through the survey process. Toronto Hydro gathers 360-degree feedback on managers every 2 to 3 years from employees, peers and senior executives. Toronto Hydro recognizes exceptional performance with gift certificates, movie passes, restaurant dinners, lunches, books and recognition awards.

Toronto Hydro's training and skills development program is rated as above-average. The company provides tuition subsidies for courses related to an employee's current position. Commendably, Toronto Hydro 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; apprenticeship and skilled trades training; informal mentoring; in-house training; leadership training.

Toronto Hydro's community involvement program is rated as exceptional. An outstanding corporate citizen, Toronto Hydro actively supports a variety of local, national and international charitable initiatives. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted by the company. Employees at Toronto Hydro receive paid time off to volunteer at local charities.

Employees at Toronto Hydro have operated the "Employee Charitable Trust Foundation" since 1950, which supports over 100 community initiatives each year. The company provides automatic payroll deductions and absorbs the administration costs for the Foundation. Last year, the Foundation supported the United Way, the White Ribbon Campaign, One-on-One Mentoring, and school science fairs across Toronto, to name a few.

Across the company, employee volunteers are busy locally and around the world. Recently, one employee travelled to Sri Lanka to help rebuild a village that was devastated by the recent tsunami. In an initiative closer to home, a couple of employees organized a golf tournament in memory of a co-worker who was tragically killed in a car accident over $24,000 was raised for an education fund for his children.

Toronto Hydro recently introduced a new program (called Brighter Days) to encourage employees to volunteer in their communities. Through this initiative, the company: donates money (to $200 each year) to charities where employees volunteer; provides fundraising prizes for community raffles; and offers financial assistance (to $100) to help employees obtain coaching certifications for children's sports teams.