CGA employees
Chosen as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers and British Columbia's Top Employers for 2013:
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors
(Oct 9, 2012)
Some of the reasons why CGA Canada was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2013:
- encourages employees to keep fit with organized sports teams and access to a fully-equipped onsite fitness facility (with free membership) -- and is also situated adjacent to the city's urban walking and cycling trail system and keeps an number of communal bicycles for employees to use as needed
- offers great financial rewards including signing bonuses for some employees (to $2,500), year-end bonuses for all, and contributions to a matching RSP plan (up to 6% of salary)
- offers maternity and parental leave top-up payments for new mothers, fathers and adoptive parents as well as an adoption assistance subsidy of up to $5,000 per child
- helps employees enjoy more of the summer through the longstanding "TGIF" earned days off program that rewards employees for their hard work with the last Friday afternoon off each month from September to May
- encourages ongoing employee career development with subsidies for tuition and professional accreditation as well as in-house training, a formal mentoring and a leadership training program
- recently introduced a generous public transit subsidy program that also includes coverage for commuters who participate in the local ride share car-pool program
Employer Background
Certified General Accountants Association of Canada (CGA Canada) is the self regulating professional body that represents the professional interests of Certified General Accountants and accounting students in Canada and around the world.
The Association contributes to national and international accounting standards thought its co-operative relationships with other accounting bodies. Established in 1908, CGA Canada has a long history of developing educational standards, professional guidelines, providing services and developing the widely respected CGA Program of Professional Studies. In addition to representing more than 75,000 students and Certified General Accountants in Canada, the Association is a signatory to international mutual recognition agreements, which ensures that the CGA designation is recognized by employers around the world.
Industry: Professional Organizations.
Major Canadian hiring locations: Ottawa ON.
Revenues: $31 million.
Established: 1908.
Full-time at this location: 131.
Full-time employees in Canada: 144.
Part-time employees in Canada: 6.
Workforce engaged on a contract basis: 9%.
Number of applications received at this location last year: 1,818.
Average age of all employees: 44.
Longest serving employee: 30.8 years.
Rating: A+Physical Workplace
CGA Canada's physical workplace is rated as exceptional. The Association's suburban head office is a 43,000 square foot building located in the centre of Lower Mainland, in South Burnaby's Glenlyon Business Park. The office is surrounded by green space and parkland, and is within minutes of the Burnaby Urban Trail system which features walking and biking paths (the office even offers communal bikes for its employees). The internal layout was designed with employee feedback in mind, resulting in maximum exposure to natural light in common work areas as well as the central atrium. In addition, the office features an onsite fitness facility (with free membership, treadmills, stationary bikes, stairmasters, rowing machines, weights and popular instructor-led classes such as yoga and cardio); employee lounge (with comfortable seating, fireplace, daily newspapers, board games, satellite television, video games and music); nap room; religious observance room; secure bicycle parking; transit subsidies; free parking; free coffee and tea; free snacks; lunchroom with fridges and microwaves; and an outdoor eating area.
Rating: AWork Atmosphere & Communications
CGA Canada's work atmosphere is rated as above-average. Employees at CGA Canada enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; concierge services available; employee sports teams. Employees partake in several social events and celebrations throughout the year including a children's Christmas party, family day picnic, year-end gala, holiday ornament exchange, and a uniquely themed annual summer barbecue. Employees can also participate in the Association's soccer, ball hockey and cricket and teams. The company keeps employees up-to-date about company news and encourages feedback through a corporate intranet site; email suggestion box.
Rating: B+Financial Benefits & Compensation
CGA Canada's financial benefits are rated as very good. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 24 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. In addition to ensuring competitive compensation, CGA provides signing bonuses for some employees; year-end bonuses for all employees; generous year-end bonuses (to $2,500), depending on the position; matching RSP contributions (up to 6% of salary); life & disability insurance; retirement planning assistance; phased-in retirement work options; subsidized home insurance; computer software discounts; and a discounted employee cell phone plan.
Rating: B+Health & Family-Friendly Benefits
CGA Canada's health and family benefits are rated as very good. CGA Canada's health benefits plan is managed by Pacific Blue Cross and RBC Insurance Services. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. Employees who work 20 hours per week receive coverage. There is no waiting period before coverage begins. Family coverage is available on the health benefits plan. Retiree coverage is also available on the health plan, up to 70 years of age. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; eyecare ($300 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; fertility treatment medications; employee assistance (EAP) plan; medical equipment and supplies; physiotherapy; massage therapy; homecare; travel insurance. (The offsite fitness subsidy is available for the Association's Ottawa-based employees.). CGA Canada's family-friendly benefits include; maternity top-up payments (to 65% of salary for 52 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 65% of salary for 35 weeks); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 35% of salary for 35 weeks); adoption assistance subsidy to $5,000 per child; health benefits during maternity and parental leave; extended unpaid parental leave option (beyond the first year). And offsite daycare subsidy of 5% of annual fees per child. Additional family-friendly benefits include; flexible working hours; 35-hour work week (with full pay); shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); telecommuting; and a reduced summers hours program that lets employees work an extra 30 minutes each from Monday to Thursday and leave the office at lunch every Friday from June to September. Employees also enjoy the longstanding "TGIF" policy that acknowledges their hard work and provides the last Friday afternoon off each month from September to May (with no extra hours required).
Rating: AVacation & Personal Time-Off
CGA Canada's vacation and personal time-off are rated as above-average. 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 6 weeks of vacation each year. During the Christmas to New Year's holiday break, employees receive an additional 3 days off. Employees receive 5 paid sick days every year. Employees can schedule 5 personal days off each year, as needed. Employees receive 4 personal days off, as scheduled by their employer. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. (Management employees move to 4 weeks vacation after 3 years on the job).
Rating: AEmployee Engagement
CGA Canada's employee engagement program is rated as above-average. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 24 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 interviews are provided for departing employees. CGA Canada recognizes exceptional performance with pay increases, gift cards to restaurants and retail stores, sporting event tickets, and tickets to "Dine Out Vancouver", which is one of the largest restaurant festivals in Canada. The company also operates a Contest and Draw reward for a trip for two anywhere in North America. CGA Canada sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. (Surveys are conducted every 6 months); CGA Canada hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 36 months).
Rating: B+Training & Skills Development
CGA Canada's training and skills development program is rated as very good. 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, the Association also contributes to employees' career development through subsidies for professional accreditations; formal mentoring program; career planning services; in-house training programs; online training programs; online employee skills inventory; new employee orientation program; formal management training program. As part of its focus on professional development, CGA Canada dedicates over 1.5% of its payroll expenditures on employee training and development. CGA recently partnered with Simon Fraser University and their Learning Strategies Group to create a leadership development program, offering further learning opportunities for employees.
Rating: ACommunity Involvement
CGA Canada's community involvement program is rated as above-average. CGA Canada supports a variety of local, national and international charitable initiatives. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. Employees receive paid time off to volunteer with their favourite charitable organizations. As part of this program, employees receive 1 paid day off to volunteer. Last year, employees donated over 50 hours volunteering with charitable projects. Approximately 13 charitable and community organizations were supported last year. Last year, the Association and its employees supported the Canuck Place Hospice; the Canadian Red Cross; the BC's Children's Hospital Foundation; the Sudbury Regional Hospital Fund; the Flesherton Food Bank; the University of Waterloo; and the Canadian Cancer Society, to name only a few.
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