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  Employer Review

Rescan, an ERM Company

 
Rescan, an ERM Company
Rescan Environmental Services employee participating in a sack race
Rescan Environmental Services employee participating in a sack race
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 Rescan was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2013:
  • encourages employees to keep active through employee organized sports teams and free access to a fully-equipped onsite fitness facility
  • starts new employees with three weeks of paid vacation and considers previous work experience when setting vacation entitlements for experienced employees
  • an environmental leader both in terms of its line of business and it's in-house focus, operating an employee-led "Green Ideas Committee" and supporting numerous events every year, including the annual "Bike-to-Work Week" and "Commuter Challenge" events (with most employees choosing alternative transportation on a regular basis and taking advantage of a transit subsidy), and volunteering with the annual "Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup", to name a few
  • invests in ongoing employee development with subsidies for tuition and professional accreditation and financial bonuses for some course completion
  • lets employees share in the company's success with generous year-end bonuses and a profit sharing plan that is available to all employees, as well as encouraging employees to plan for the longer term with retirement planning assistance and contributions to a defined contribution pension plan
  • is an enlightened smaller employer that provides maternity leave top-up payments to employees who are new mothers (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks) as well as extended health benefit coverage during their leave
  • helps employees balance their professional and personal lives through a variety of alternative work arrangements including telecommuting, shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay) and a compressed work week option

Employer Background

Rescan Environmental Services Ltd. is a Canadian-owned environmental consulting firm that provides a range of environmental and technical services to the resource development industry. Established in 1981, Rescan has undertaken projects in over 50 countries. The company's primary fields of operation include aquatic services, fisheries services, oceanographic services, environmental engineering, and environmental management and audits, and fluvial hydraulics. Rescan also offers social and environmental assessments, which evaluate the potential effects of a project on the ecological and social environment of an area. The company employs a team of biologists, engineers, social scientists, archaeologists, and hydrologists working from offices across Western Canada.


Industry: Environmental Consulting Services. Major Canadian hiring locations: Dease Lake BC, Kamloops BC, Smithers BC, Vancouver BC, Victoria BC, Yellowknife NT, Saskatoon SK. Established: 1981. Full-time at this location: 121. Full-time employees in Canada: 146. New jobs created in Canada last year: 14. Part-time employees in Canada: 4. Workforce engaged on a contract basis: 3%. Number of applications received at this location last year: 6,189. Average age of all employees: 37. Longest serving employee: 17 years.

 Rating: APhysical Workplace

Rescan's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Rescan's downtown head office is located on Vancouver's waterfront and overlooks North Shore Mountains and the Sea Wall. The building is also within minutes of Coal Harbour Park, Stanley Park, and Portal Park, with running, walking, and rollerblading paths. Many of the features of the head office were designed and selected by employees, from furniture to employee photography and original Canadian artwork adorning the walls. Inside, the office also features an on-site science laboratory as well as an onsite fitness facility (with free memberships, treadmills, stationary bikes, weights, and shower facilities); employee lounge (with comfortable seating, television and DVD player, and board games); secure bicycle parking; transit subsidies; car pool sign-up system. The building is also conveniently situated to provide easy access to Canada Line Skytrain station (a five minute walk), YWCA, YMCA, and the Coal Harbour Community Centre.

 Rating: A+Work Atmosphere & Communications

Rescan's work atmosphere is rated as exceptional. On the job, employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams; organized social events. The company subsidized employee social committee, called the "Rescan After Hours Committee", is comprised of 12 members who organize approximately 20 events every year for employees as well as their family and friends. The committee arranges regular events to suit all tastes and even conducts an annual survey to determine the most popular activities. Past events include Dim Sum lunch, pub quiz night, curling bonspiel, skating and hockey, bowlerama, an annual picnic in Stanley Park, Halloween pumpkin carving and costume contest, and an annual Christmas party. The company encourages employees to make their opinions known through a variety of means and keeps employees up-to-date about new company developments through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; traditional suggestion box; email suggestion box; exit interviews with departing employees.

 Rating: B+Financial Benefits & Compensation

Rescan'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. In addition to ensuring competitive compensation, Rescan offers [+387]; profit-sharing plan for all employees; signing bonuses for some employees; year-end bonuses for all employees; generous year-end bonuses (to $12,000), depending on the position; defined contribution pension plan with employer contributions (up to 3% of salary); new employee referral bonuses (to $1,000 for some positions); life & disability insurance; retirement planning assistance; phased-in retirement work options; and discounted company products.

 Rating: BHealth & Family-Friendly Benefits

Rescan's health and family benefits are rated as average. Rescan's health benefits plans are managed by Pacific Blue Cross and RBC Insurance. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. The health plan is a flexible plan with adjustable premiums and coverage levels. Employees who work 30 hours per week receive coverage. The maximum waiting period for new employees is 90 days. Family coverage is available on the health benefits plan. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; eyecare ($250 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; employee assistance (EAP) plan; medical equipment and supplies; massage therapy; homecare; travel insurance. The company's family-friendly benefits include; maternity top-up payments (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks); health benefits during maternity and parental leave; extended unpaid parental leave option (beyond the first year). Additional family-friendly benefits include (and vary on a case-by-case basis); flexible working hours; shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); compressed work week; telecommuting; Rescan also provides a short compassionate leave top-up for employees needing to care of an ill family member (to 100% of salary for half a week).

 Rating: BVacation & Personal Time-Off

Rescan's vacation and personal time-off are rated as average. New employees receive 3 weeks of vacation allowance after their first year. Vacation increases after 8 years on the job. Long-serving employees receive a maximum of 4 weeks of vacation each year. Employees receive 5 paid sick days every year. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. The company has also given several employees leave to complete post-secondary studies.

 Rating: AEmployee Engagement

Rescan'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 interviews are provided for departing employees. (In addition to the annual employee review, employees also receive interim reviews as necessary.) Rescan recognizes exceptional performance by rewarding employees with hockey tickets, social events, as well as cash rewards for the employee of the month. In a unique and fun initiative last year at the company's Christmas Party, one lucky employee won a all-expenses paid ($2,500) trip to Las Vegas. Rescan sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. (Surveys are conducted every 6 months); Rescan hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).

 Rating: A+Training & Skills Development

Rescan's training and skills development program is rated as exceptional. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. (Employer covers up to 100% of tuition). Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. (Employer covers up to 100% of non-related tuition). In addition to tuition subsides, Rescan provides subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house apprenticeship and skilled trades programs; formal mentoring program; financial bonuses for course completions; career planning services; in-house training programs; online training programs; online employee skills inventory; new employee orientation program. In association with the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, the company created the Rescan Management Development Program to encourage the continued development of its high-performing employees. Courses include project management, cost control, negotiation skills, finance, and accounting.

 Rating: ACommunity Involvement

Rescan's community involvement program is rated as above-average. Rescan and its employees support a variety of local, national, and international charitable organizations. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. Employees receive paid time off to volunteer with their favourite charitable organizations. Approximately 22 charitable and community organizations were supported last year. Last year, the company and its employees supported the annual Mining Industry Blood Donor Challenge, the Vancouver Food Bank's annual food drive, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, the Arctic Winter Games, the Canadian Blood Services, the Special Olympics, the Mining for Miracles fundraiser for the BC Children's Hospital Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Prostrate Cancer Foundation of BC, and Engineers Without Borders, to name a few.

This Employer Review has been viewed 52,635 times.
©2013 Mediacorp Canada Inc. All rights reserved. Used by Eluta with permission. For comments or questions on this employer review, please contact Mediacorp's editorial team.



   

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