Bombardier Aerospace

Bombardier Aerospace's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Bombardier Aerospace's head office is a custom-built nine storey building, situated adjacent to their major onsite plants. The main building is connected to the airport runway, from which company owned shuttles travel between Montreal and their primary North American sites, Toronto and Kansas. Located in a suburban environment, the head office features an Employee Service Center where employees can drop in or call to inquire and receive information pertaining to human resource practices. Additional features of their head office include an onsite fitness facility (with treadmills, stationary bikes, stairmasters, rowing machines, weights, shower facilities, and instructor-led classes such as pilates, spinning, and yoga); onsite cafeteria (featuring healthy and special diet menus); secure bicycle parking; free parking; and refrigerators and coffee machines on every floor. The office is also within minutes of Bois-de-Liesse Nature Park, Bois Franc Park and lake, and Raymond-Bourque Arena.

Bombardier Aerospace's work atmosphere is rated as very good. Employees have varying dress restrictions based on their position, but most dress in business casual attire with "dress-down Fridays" on an ad hoc basis. Employees may also listen to music while working and participate in business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; employee sports teams. Bombardier hosts numerous social events throughout the year, including a Christmas family day, an employee service recognition gala, summer barbecues, retiree plaque program, Halloween family "trick or treat", and guided family visits to the plants. Employees are kept informed about company developments and can provide direct feedback through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; email suggestion box.

Bombardier Aerospace'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. In addition to ensuring competitive compensation rates, Bombardier provides new employee referral bonuses (to $2,000 for some positions); share-purchase plan for all employees; defined benefit pension plan; life & disability insurance; retirement planning assistance; and life and disability insurance. The company also operates an employee incentive plan for salaried employees and long service recognition bonuses for unionized personnel.

Bombardier Aerospace's health and family benefits are rated as very good. Bombardier operates three health benefit modules which correspond to increasing levels of coverage. Below information reflects salaried employees. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 95% of the premiums. 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; eyecare ($250 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; medical equipment and supplies; homecare; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. Bombardiers' family-friendly benefits include; fertility treatments; maternity top-up payments (to 90% of salary for 17 weeks); health benefits during maternity and parental leave; subsidized onsite daycare; onsite daycare centre; with 200 spaces; 50 childcare workers; flexible working hours; telecommuting; shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); compressed work week; phased-in retirement work options; and 50 childcare workers. Some employees receive maternity leave top-up payments to 100% of salary for 17-18 weeks. Unionized employees enjoy flexible work options including flexible start/finish work hours, telecommuting/work from home, and shortened and compressed work week options.

Bombardier Aerospace's vacation and personal time-off are rated as average. New employees receive 2 weeks of vacation allowance after their first year. Vacation increases after 5 years on the job. Long-serving employees receive a maximum of 5 weeks of vacation each year. During the Christmas to New Year's holiday break, employees receive an additional 5 days off. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence.

Bombardier Aerospace's employee engagement program is rated as above-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. Exit interview provided for departing employees. The company requires employees at and above director-level (over 300 leaders) to develop action plans with employees to address engagement issues. Bombardier also recently undertook a company-wide exercise, "Bombardier Way" listening cafés, to listen to what employees and key stakeholders had to say. The company conducted close to 100 listening café sessions with more than 10,000 employees participating worldwide. Bombardier also rewards exceptional performance with preferred parking spaces, company hockey tickets, and other financial benefits. Bombardier Aerospace hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).

Bombardier Aerospace's training and skills development program is rated as exceptional. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. In addition to tuition subsidies, Bombardier also provides subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house apprenticeship and skilled trades programs; in-house training programs; online training programs; online employee skills inventory; formal mentoring program; career planning services; new employee orientation program; formal mangement training program. Bombardier's performance agents work in close partnership with local governments to develop community aerospace schools with training programs that align with the needs of the aerospace industry. In addition, the company facilitates the transition between school and shop floor with "incubators", onsite laboratories/workshops that simulate the shop floor environment. Incubators are also used to re-integrate employees that have been away from the shop floor for several months. Bombardier also operates the Bombardier Aerospace Engineering University (BEU), an in-house organization offering employees a variety of in-house courses, training programs, conferences, and advanced technical courses.

Bombardier Aerospace's community involvement program is rated as very good. Bombardier Aerospace and its employees support a variety of local, national, and international charities. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. Each year, employees organize multiple fundraising activities to benefit Centraide/United Way, and are involved in numerous other community initiatives. In January 2010, Bombardier's aircrafts were utilized in the relief effort for Haiti. The company flew nine medical volunteers from the Canadian Medical Assistance Team and 450 kilograms of medical supplies, including a small field hospital, to assist the country. Flexjet also funded the transport of almost 900 kilograms of emergency medical supplies.