Highlights:

• provides fresh fruit, granola bars, specialty coffee and tea, yogurt, pastries and candy
• recently built a new head office in downtown Toronto that is also one of the "greenest" office buildings in the country
• offers free memberships to its onsite fitness facility and provides an equipment allowance for the purchase of home fitness equipment
• boasts an in-house band called the "SASations" that performs at an awards celebration
• gives you four paid days off each year to volunteer at a local charity

SAS Institute (Canada) Inc. is a leading provider of specialized business intelligence software. The company's software helps customers integrate data from across their organizations to assist in making more accurate and informed decisions.

SAS Canada is a subsidiary of Cary, North Carolina-based SAS Institute Incorporated. Founded in 1976, the parent company is the world's largest privately-held software company, with over $1.6 billion in annual revenues. SAS' software is in use at more than 40,000 customer sites in over 110 countries. The company primarily serves large customers in the automotive, financial, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications, education and government sectors.

SAS has operated in Canada since 1986 and had revenues of over $68.5 million last year. In addition to its Toronto head office, the company has locations in Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Montréal.

Workforce at a Glance:Number of full-time employees: 190. At this location: 125. Worldwide: 10076. New jobs created across Canada last year: 19. Voluntary employee turnover across Canada last year: 9.2%. Percentage of Canadian workforce employed on contract basis: 3.25%. Longest period any worker in Canada has stayed on contract: 2 years. Percentage of employees who are women: 40. Of managers: 21. Percentage of employees who are visible minorities: 28. Of managers: 15. Resumes received by their HR staff in past year: 3000. Average employee age: 39. Years longest-serving employee has worked there: 19.

SAS Institute's physical workplace is rated as exceptional. Located just east of the city's downtown business district, the company's new $30 million head office is one of Canada's first office buildings to achieve the building industry's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The 110,000 square foot building was constructed using 55% recycled building materials, uses 30% less energy than a conventional structure and even captures and recycles rainwater. Located on an existing streetcar line, the building features an open eighth-floor terrace overlooking King Street and the surrounding neighbourhood.

Physical Workplace at a Glance:Their onsite fitness facility features: free memberships; treadmills; stationary bikes; weights; shower facilities; instructor-led fitness classes, such as yoga. Their employee lounge and rest areas feature: comfortable couches; television; reading materials and puzzles; sleep room. For food and refreshment, SAS Institute offers: free snacks (including fresh fruit, soup, granola bars and breakfasts); free coffee and tea; free soft drinks; fully-stocked kitchen area on every floor; barbeque; outdoor eating area. Nearby amenities include: variety of restaurants. For commuters, SAS Institute offers: nearby public transit; company bus (for commuters travelling from Union Station); secure bicycle parking; free onsite car parking. Other work area amenities include: personal closet for each workstation; individual temperature control at workstations.

SAS Institute's work atmosphere is rated as exceptional. Employees at SAS Institute enjoy business casual dress daily and can listen to radio or music while they are working. There is also a company-subsidized social committee, called the 'SAS Social Committee', which has operated since 1990. The committee organizes several fun events each year, including a Christmas party with gifts from Santa for employees' children, a summer social, a golfing day and evenings at a local pub. Each January, employees from across Canada gather in Toronto for the company's unique annual meeting (called Kick-Off). Besides receiving important company updates, employees enjoy an evening awards celebration with live music by an in-house band (called the SASations).

SAS Institute's health benefits plan is managed by Sun Life and is rated as above-average. SAS Institute pays 100% of the premiums associated with the plan. Full-time and part-time employees who work more than 20 hours per week are covered by the plan. New employees must wait 30 days before they can enroll in the plan.

Health Benefits at a Glance:SAS Institute's health plan includes the following coverage: routine dental (100% of eligible costs, with no annual maximum); restorative dental (50% of eligible costs, to $2500 each year); orthodontics (50% of eligible costs with a lifetime maximum of $2500); eyecare (to $300 every 2 years); prescription drug; massage therapy; physiotherapy; chiropractor; osteopathy; podiatry; acupuncture; naturopathy; speech therapy; new wellness allowance (to $1,100 every year); home fitness equipment subsidy (to $900 every two years); offsite fitness club subsidy ($900 every year); personal and family counselling; employee assistance plan (EAP) for substance abuse/mental health; travel medical insurance; semi-private hospital room; medical equipment and supplies; healthcare spending account (covers non-plan items to $500 per year).

The company's salary and financial benefits are rated as above-average. To keep pay-levels competitive, SAS Institute participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. The company offers a group RSP. (SAS makes contributions to the plan every year.)

Financial Benefits at a Glance:SAS Institute provides a variety of financial benefits, including: life and disability insurance; subsidized auto insurance; subsidized home insurance; discounted home computers; discounted home Internet access; signing bonuses for some employees; referral bonuses for some employees (from $2000 to $4000); year-end bonuses.

SAS Institute'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, SAS Institute provides a generous top-up to 100% of salary for up to 6 weeks. Other family-friendly benefits include: telecommuting and working from home; flexible start and finish hours; 35-hour work week; shortened work week (fewer hours).

Vacation & Time Off Rating: A

SAS Institute'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 5 years of service. The maximum vacation allowance is 4 weeks for long-serving employees. Employees at SAS Institute also receive 1 paid personal day off each year, in addition to their regular vacation allowance. Each year, SAS Institute also provides employees with a paid holiday shutdown from Christmas to New Year's. Employees at the company can also apply for unpaid leaves of absence.

SAS Institute's internal communications program is rated as above-average. To keep employees informed about new developments, SAS Institute publishes an in-house newsletter, which is available online. The company also has a well-developed intranet site, which keeps employees informed about news and human resource policies that affect their work. An in-house employee satisfaction survey is conducted by email every 24 months. To ensure confidentiality, employees print their survey responses and return them in sealed envelopes.

SAS Institute's performance management program is rated as exceptional. The company operates a thorough performance management program. Every 6 months, employees and managers meet for review sessions. (Managers receive training in how to conduct effective reviews.) As part of the review process, managers provide ongoing feedback and support throughout the year. Employees can nominate co-workers for annual cash awards (to $2,000) in recognition of exceptional performance. SAS Institute also rewards deserving employees with spa weekends, movie passes, sports event tickets and restaurant dinners. At the end of the year, top sales performers (and their partners) receive company-paid vacations last year's destination was Aruba.

SAS Institute'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. The company assists employees' career development with: reimbursement for professional association dues; online employee skills inventory; in-house training; online training; career planning.

SAS operates internal training centres across Canada and the United States. In addition, all new sales employees complete an intensive training program at the worldwide head office in Cary, North Carolina.

SAS Institute's community involvement program is rated as exceptional. An outstanding corporate citizen, SAS Institute actively supports a variety of local and national charitable initiatives. To encourage employee involvement, SAS also matches employee donations to registered charities. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted by the company. Employees at SAS Institute receive paid time off (4 days each year) to volunteer at local charities. Last year, the company contributed to approximately 28 charitable groups, including: the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Lung Association, Belleville General Hospital, the Children's Wish Foundation, Community Living Toronto, the Humane Society, the Terry Fox Foundation, the Toronto Children's Breakfast Club, Future Possibilities Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Foundation and the United Way, to name a few.

In two unique local initiatives, SAS Institute is investing $45,000 over the next three years towards the restoration of nearby David Crombie Park and Parliament Field municipal parks. The company also operates an established program that provides local schools and charities with surplus computer equipment each year. As a leading software developer, the company is constantly upgrading its employees' computers the donations program ensures the equipment is put to a good use long after its usefulness to SAS has ended.