AMEC Americas Limited

AMEC's physical workplace is rated as very good. AMEC's suburban head office building features an employee lounge (with comfortable seating and television); self-serve lunch room (with vending machines, free coffee and tea); an outdoor barbecue; free parking; car pool sign-up; convenient highway access; close to shopping areas and restaurants; fitness centre nearby.

AMEC's work atmosphere is rated as exceptional. Head office employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams; organized social events. The company-subsidized social committee (established in 1988) organizes a number of social events including a company Christmas party (as well as a party for children of employees), summer barbecue, pancake breakfast, a summer kids party (hosted at Ontario Place), a Chinese New Year celebration, ski trips, pub crawls and golf tournament. The company also sponsors employee sports teams such as cycling, volleyball, baseball, soccer and hockey. Throughout the year, AMEC captures feedback and keeps employees informed about company developments through regular lunch and learn sessions; a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; traditional suggestion box; email suggestion box.

AMEC's financial benefits are rated as average. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. AMEC also provides signing bonuses for some employees; new employee referral bonuses (to $5,000 for some positions); share-purchase plan for all employees; matching RSP contributions (up to 7% of salary); life & disability insurance; discounts on home computers; discounted auto lease rates; project-based bonuses and profit-sharing opportunities depending on the position. Unionized employees have access to a defined benefit pension plan. In a unique initiative, all employees have access to a shopping intranet site that offers savings on everything from home and auto insurance to theme park passes to home electronics.

AMEC's health and family benefits are rated as very good. AMEC's health benefits plan is managed by Great West Life and AXA Canada. There are separate plans for the firm's union and non-union employee groups. Under the basic health and dental plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. Employees who work 24 hours per week receive coverage. There is no waiting period before coverage begins. Employees receive full family coverage on the health benefits plan. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; massage therapy; medical equipment and supplies; homecare; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. For non-union personnel, AMEC offers a health and wellness allowance (up to $750) that can cover a variety of initiatives including the cost of membership or registration in a formal program of physical activity (such as sports teams, ski classes, gym memberships and instructor-led programs in karate, dance, yoga, etc.). AMEC's family-friendly benefits include; fertility treatments; maternity top-up payments (to 100% of salary for 4 weeks); health benefits during maternity and parental leave. In addition, new mothers also receive a 75% top-up for 2 additional weeks of their leave. For unionized employees, new mothers receive 93% top-up for 20 weeks, with new fathers and adoptive parents receiving 93% top-up for 3 weeks of their leave. Additional family-friendly benefits include (and may vary with employee group); post-secondary academic scholarships for children of employees; flexible working hours; telecommuting; 35-hour work week (with full pay); shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); earned days off (EDO) program; and a compassionate top-up payment (to 1 week) for bereavement leave.

AMEC's vacation and personal time-off are rated as average. New employees receive 3 weeks of vacation allowance after their first year. Vacation increases after 10 years on the job. Long-serving employees receive a maximum of 4 weeks of vacation each year. Employees receive 10 paid sick days every year. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. (Recent graduates receive 2 weeks paid vacation to start, increasing to 3 weeks after 3 years on the job).

AMEC's employee engagement program is rated as very good. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 months. Managers receive training in how to conduct effective performance reviews. As part of the review process employees can provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance. Exit interview provided for departing employees. AMEC recognizes exceptional performance with project completion bonuses. Employees also receive company store vouchers (called "AMEC Bucks", valued from $25 to $100) for when they publish a paper or write articles for external publications, give technical presentations, or organize company involvement in a community event. Each department also has a budget for celebratory lunches and small rewards for excellent work, such as movie tickets. AMEC sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. (Surveys are conducted every 12 months); AMEC hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).

AMEC's training and skills development program is rated as very good. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. (Employers pay up to $2,500 in subsidies). AMEC also supports the career development of employees with in-house apprenticeship and skilled trades programs; in-house training programs; online training programs; formal mentoring program; new employee orientation program; formal mangement training program. The company's impressive in-house training program (called AMEC Academy) is designed to help employees plan their career paths and develop the necessary skills to achieve their long term goals. AMEC also operates a formal engineer-in-training program for employees who are recent engineering graduates. Over the course of the two-year program, employees are assigned a mentor to help them obtain the experience, technical expertise and interpersonal skills necessary to become a well-rounded junior engineer. The program consists of monthly meetings, biannual evaluations, in-class training and on-the-job development activities.

AMEC's community involvement program is rated as above-average. AMEC supports a number of local, national and international charitable organizations. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. Employees receive paid time off to volunteer with their favourite charitable organizations. Last year, employees donated over 1,180 hours volunteering with charitable projects. Approximately 28 charitable and community organizations were supported last year. Each year, employee members of a "Charity Committee" nominate a variety of charitable events for consideration. The committee then votes to select at least seven (or more) events for the calendar year. The company has recently supported the United Way, the Salvation Army, Red Cross and Japan Relief. In the past, head office employees put their skills to work and designed a mini-putt course as a fundraising initiative for the Oakville United Way campaign.