Great Little Box Company Ltd., The / GLBC

GLBC's physical workplace is rated as exceptional. GLBC occupies ten acres on Mitchell Island. The company's location was selected after extensive consultation with employees. Employees also provided feedback on the design and layout of their work areas. The result is a 250,000 square foot showcase facility that's home to head office, manufacturing and warehouse activities. Inside, offices are open concept and arranged in a horseshoe design to ensure employees have the best views of the Fraser River. Manufacturing and warehouse facilities are clean, with lots of natural lighting. The building also includes a fully-equipped fitness facility, an outdoor volleyball court, a horseshoe pitch, and even a dock where employees can launch a kayak and enjoy an afternoon paddle. The company planted over 4,000 trees and shrubs to enhance the park-like setting. Inside, the impressive head office features an onsite fitness facility (with free personal training sessions, treadmills, stairmasters, basketball court, rowing machines, stationary bikes, weights, shower facilities, instructor-led classes such as yoga and pilates; memberships are subsidized for non-head office employees, free for employees located at head office); employee lounge (with comfortable seating, music, television, book exchange library and internet kiosks); outdoor gazebo; barbeque; rooftop deck with great views of the surrounding mountains; free snacks (including seasonal fresh fruit); free coffee and tea; secure bicycle parking; free parking; car pool sign-up; reserved parking for 20 year plus employees and carpooling employees; car wash bay with washing suppliers; dock for kayaking commuters.

GLBC's work atmosphere is rated as exceptional. GLBC 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, which has operated since 1982, organizes several events each year, including summer barbeques, a golf tournament (with travel expenses paid for out-of-town employees), a paintball competition, a bowling night, summer cruises on the President's boat, an employee Christmas party (with a separate event for employees' children), and special events to celebrate employee length-of-service milestones and achievements. GLBC's social calendar also reflects the cultural diversity of its workforce, with annual celebrations of the Chinese Lunar New Year as well as the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi in April, which includes a catered lunch from a nearby restaurant. The company also sponsors an employee sports team (called the Boxstars) that competes in a variety of events, including the Vancouver Sun Run, the Vancouver Corporate Challenge, road hockey and regular treks up Grouse Mountain for the gruelling "Grouse Grind". GLBC also hosts weekly squash nights and monthly evenings at the gym where employees gather for friendly games of dodgeball, basketball, volleyball and indoor soccer. To keep employees up-to-date, GLBC hosts monthly meetings (with catered lunches) that include frank discussions about all financial matters relating to the business. Uniquely, the private company opens its books for all employees every month and splits 15% of its profits, distributed equally every month. Employees can also provide direct feedback through a traditional suggestion box; email suggestion box.

GLBC'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. GLBC's financial benefits include: signing bonuses for some employees; new employee referral bonuses (to $1,500 for some positions); profit-sharing plan for all employees; matching RSP contributions (up to 3% of salary); retirement planning assistance; discounted company products.

GLBC's health and family benefits are rated as very good. GLBC's health benefits plan is managed by Equitable Life of Canada and RBC. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 75% of the premiums. Employees who work 22 hours per week receive coverage. The waiting period for new employees is 90 days. 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; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance; healthclub subsidy (to $180 each year). And a smoking cessation bonus ($300) to help employees kick the habit. The company's family-friendly benefits include: maternity top-up payments (to 75% of salary for 6 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 75% of salary for 6 weeks); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 100% of salary for 1 week). Additional family-friendly benefits include: post-secondary academic scholarships for children of employees; compassionate top-up payment (to 100% of salary for 1 week) while caring for a family member; flexible working hours; telecommuting; 35-hour work week (with full pay); shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); compressed work week; phased-in retirement work options; shortened work days.

GLBC'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 4 weeks of vacation each year. Employees receive 7 paid sick days every year. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. Recently, one employee took two months off to visit family in Asia.

GLBC's employee engagement program is rated as exceptional. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 3 months. Informal progress reviews are also held during the year. 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. Exit interview provided for departing employees. Exceptional performance is recognized with special dinners, cash awards and preferred parking spots. The company also operates a unique program to reward employee suggestions and cost-savings ideas. Employee whose suggestions are implemented receive a share of the financial savings to the company -- one observant employee earned $2,000 for a cost saving suggestion. For small day-to-day suggestions, the company distributes $10 (called the $10'ers program) to any employee catching a mistake and offering better ideas for manufacturing. GLBC also holds an interesting event when the company reaches its annual profitability target. When this goal called the "Big Outrageous Xtravaganza" goal (or BOX goal) is reached, the company treats all of its employees to an all-expense-paid vacation to a sunny destination! Most recently, all of its employees went to Cabos San Lucas, Mexico, which is just one of seven such retreats that GLBC employees have enjoyed in the past 13 years. GLBC sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. (Surveys are conducted every 6 months); GLBC hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).

GLBC's training and skills development program is rated as above-average. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. (Employers cover up to 100% of non-related tuition). GLBC also provides subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house training programs; in-house resource library.

GLBC's community involvement program is rated as above-average. GLBC donates and matches employee donations to numerous charitable and community initiatives every year. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. Last year, employees donated over 100 hours volunteering with charitable projects. Approximately 50 charitable and community organizations were supported last year. Every year, the company and its employees support numerous initiatives, including the Quest Outreach Society, the Royal Canadian Legion, the Canadian Breast Cancer Society, the MS Society, the BC Children's Hospital and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Victoria, to name a few. GLBC recently hosted its first annual "Great Little Box Company Charity Golf Tournament" to raise awareness and money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada.

In addition to providing car pool employees preferential parking spots, GLBC has a number of initiatives underway to reduce its own carbon footprint. The company's internal scrap recovery program recycles the equivalent of over 2,800 trees each year, equal to 70 tonnes each month. The company's rehabilitation of its new and previously barren head office site -- with the planting of over 4,000 trees and shrubs -- has ensured that the urban site can now filter approximately 80,000 pounds of pollutants each year. The company also maintains a shipping pallet repair program that increases their useful working lives significantly and an in-office recycling program, with all proceeds raised donated to World Vision of Honduras to help support a child in living in poverty.