Carswell, a division of Thomson Reuters Canada Limited

Carswell's physical workplace is rated as very good. Carswell's head office is located in suburban Toronto. The building has receive the "BOMA Go Green Plus" certification in recognition of their efforts toward environmentally-friendly building management and operation. Inside, the building features an employee lounge (with comfortable seating); nap room; onsite cafeteria (with healthy menus, fresh baked pastries, fresh fruits and salads); secure bicycle parking; free coffee and tea; outdoor patio/deck; onsite convenience store that offers dry-cleaning services and clothing alternations; onsite ATM.

Carswell's work atmosphere is rated as very good. Carswell employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress daily; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams; organized social events. The company-subsidized social committee hosts events throughout the year, such as golf tournaments, holiday parties, and family picnics. Company accomplishments are celebrated with movie afternoons, and ice cream days are held throughout the summer months. Carswell manages an employee suggestion program, and rewards employees whose ideas are implemented with gift certificates or generous cash bonuses. The company also keeps employees informed and gathers employee feedback through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; email suggestion box.

Carswell's financial benefits are rated as very good. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. Carswell also provides new employee referral bonuses (to $1,500 for some positions); year-end bonuses for all employees; year-end bonuses (to $37,641); share-purchase plan for all employees; defined contribution pension plan with employer contributions (up to 5% of salary); life & disability insurance; retirement planning assistance.

Carswell's health and family benefits are rated as very good. Carswell's health benefits plan is managed by Sun Life. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 85% of the premiums. The health plan is a flexible plan with adjustable premiums and coverage levels. Employees who work 21 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; eyecare ($150 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; massage therapy; medical equipment and supplies; homecare; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. The organization provides a flexible health benefits plan, which gives employees the option of putting excess benefit credits towards a health spending account or an RRSP. Carswell's family-friendly benefits include: maternity top-up payments (to 95% of salary for 17 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 100% of salary for 1 week); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 100% of salary for 1 week); adoption assistance subsidy to $5,000 per child; health benefits during maternity and parental leave; extended unpaid parental leave option (beyond the first year). Additional family-friendly benefits include: post-secondary academic scholarships for children of employees; compassionate top-up payment (to 95% of salary for 8 weeks) while caring for a family member; flexible working hours; telecommuting; 35-hour work week (with full pay); compressed work week; phased-in retirement work options.

Carswell'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 5 years on the job. Long-serving employees receive a maximum of 5 weeks of vacation each year. Employees can schedule 3 personal days off each year, as needed. Employees receive 1 personal day off, as scheduled by their employer. Employees receive 7 paid sick days every year. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. (Unpaid leave of absences are for up to two months). The company's year-round compressed work-week schedule allows for early closings every Friday. Employees can also bank overtime, earning up to 10 additional days off each year.

Carswell's employee engagement program is rated as above-average. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 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. Carswell rewards exceptional performance with cash bonuses (available to all employees), annual merit pay increases, additional days off, and on-the-spot recognition awards, such as gift certificates or team lunches. Carswell sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. (Surveys are conducted every 12 months); Carswell hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).

Carswell's training and skills development program is rated as above-average. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. (Employers cover up to 100% of tuition). (Employers pay up to $1,000 in subsidies). Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. (Employers cover up to 100% of non-related tuition). (Employers pay up to $1,000 in tuition subsidies for non-related courses). Carswell supports employees' ongoing career development with: subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house training programs; online training programs; formal mentoring program; career planning services; new employee orientation program; formal mangement training program; Carswell's learning and development offerings include instructor-led courses at Thomson University, the parent company's in-class learning program), the Learning Centre library, which includes thousands of online courses and electronic books, paid attendance at professional development conferences, and in-house language clubs, including a French club at the Toronto office and an English club at the Montréal location. Carswell also operates a two-year leadership internship program -- impressively, over 80% of employee participants have been promoted into leadership positions.

Carswell's community involvement program is rated as above-average. Carswell supports local, national and international charitable initiatives, including the Salvation Army, the Canadian Red Cross, and AIDfund, an independent fund of the Reuters Foundation that provides assistance to victims of international humanitarian crises. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. Employees receive paid time off to volunteer with their favourite charitable organizations. Employees also receive 1 paid day off to volunteer. At the head office, Carswell and its employees hold fundraising drives and donate the proceeds to a variety of local initiatives every year, such as the Salvation Army's Markham-Eglinton Breakfast Club and the CNIB's Braille Literacy and Digital Library.