BC Hydro

BC Hydro's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Employees are located at generatiing facilities and field offices in communities across the province. Employees living in the Greater Vancouver Area work from major offices in Vancouver and Burnaby close to public transit options, restaurants, shopping areas and parkland (including Stanley Park). The public utility is planning to build all new office facilities to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard. The Vancouver head office also features an onsite fitness facility (with subsidized memberships; on-site massage therapy and physiotherapy services; personal trainer); employee lounge; religious observance room; onsite cafeteria (with healthy menus and subsidized meals); secure bicycle parking; transit subsidies.

BC Hydro's work atmosphere is rated as very good. Head office employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams. Social gatherings are organized by individual departments, and include holiday parties and other team recognition events. BC Hydro keep employees up-to-date and gathers feedback through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; email suggestion box.

BC Hydro's financial benefits are rated as above-average. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. BC Hydro provides signing bonuses for some employees; year-end bonuses for all employees; year-end bonuses (to $40,000); defined benefit pension with employer contribution (up to 10.7% of salary); life & disability insurance.

BC Hydro's health and family benefits are rated as very good. The public utility has separate health benefits plans for its union (COPE and IBEW) and non-union personnel. All plans offer flexibility through varying levels of coverage, from no coverage to extended levels of coverage for employees and their families. There is no waiting period before coverage begins. The health plan also includes retiree coverage with no age limit. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; massage therapy; medical equipment and supplies; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. (As part of their flexible health plans, all employees can also select levels of coverage for routine, restorative and orthodontic services.). BC Hydro's family-friendly benefits include; maternity top-up payments (to 85% of salary for 17 weeks). Depending on their position within the utility, employee may also take advantage of a variety of alternative working options, including; flexible working hours; telecommuting; earned days off (EDO) program; phased-in retirement.

BC Hydro's vacation and personal time-off are rated as very good. 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 6 weeks of vacation each year. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. Employees can also schedule up to 20 paid personal days off every year -- and have the option of 'cashing-out' those days as a taxable benefit or using them as flex credits toward additional health benefits coverage.

BC Hydro's employee engagement program is rated as average. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months. Managers receive training in how to conduct effective performance reviews. Performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work. As part of the review process employees can provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance. BC Hydro hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).

BC Hydro's training and skills development program is rated as above-average. BC Hydro supports employees' career development with subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house apprenticeship and skilled trades internships; in-house training programs; online training programs; formal mentoring program; career planning services; new employee orientation program; formal mangement training program. The organization offers a graduate technologist-in-training program, for candidates in the engineering, operations and electrical systems maintenance and repair fields. As part of this program, participants may relocate to various parts of the province, exposing them to a variety of work environments.

BC Hydro's community involvement program is rated as very good. BC Hydro supports local and national charitable organizations. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. The public utility and its employees volunteer and support organizations such as the Vancouver YWCA, Habitat for Humanity and the BC-based Minerva Foundation, to name a few. BC Hydro also maintains on focus energy conservation and environmental sustainability initiatives and supports and encourages individuals (through its "Team Power Smart" initiative) to incorporate energy conservation into their everyday lives.