St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

St. Joseph's Healthcare's physical workplace is rated as very good. SJHH's main location features a large outdoor space with trees, benches, gazebos, and spiritual gardens. Situated in downtown Hamilton, the site is within minutes of YMCA, GO Station, a variety of restaurants, fitness club, and shopping mall. Inside, the building houses an employee lounge (with comfortable seating, television, and fireplace); religious observance room; onsite cafeteria (with healthy and special diet menus); secure bicycle parking; outdoor eating space; self-serve lunchroom; and discounts at nearby restaurants.

St. Joseph's Healthcare's work atmosphere is rated as above-average. Employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams; organized social events. The hospital operates the "Starry Night Committee", which is a subsidized employee social committee responsible for organizing events throughout the year including the annual nurses week dinner, "Summer Sizzler" employee appreciation event (with free barbeque and live music), annual long service recognition dinner, and Starry Night, a non-profit staff dinner/dance holiday event. St. Joseph's communicates with employees through staff focus groups, quarterly president's forums, and the president's intranet blog, sent to all staff on a regular basis. The hospital also keeps employees up-to-date and gathers feedback through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; traditional suggestion box; email suggestion box.

St. Joseph's Healthcare's financial benefits are rated as above-average. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Salary reviews occur every three years for unionized staff (in accordance with their collective agreements) and annually for non-union staff. In addition, SJHH provides defined benefit pension plan; life & disability insurance; retirement planning assistance; subsidized home and auto insurance; basic RSP plan with payroll deductions; and software discounts.

St. Joseph's Healthcare's health and family benefits are rated as very good. The hospital's health benefits plans are managed by Manulife. St. Joseph's maintains four separate health benefits plans for its non-union and union employee groups, with coverage varying with each plan (minimum coverages are highlighted below). As part of the health plan, the employer pays 75% of the premiums. Employees who work 38 hours per week receive coverage. The maximum waiting period for new employees is 90 days. Employees receive full family coverage on the health benefits plan. The health plan also includes retiree coverage up to 65 years of age. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; eyecare ($200 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; massage therapy; medical equipment and supplies; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. (Health benefits are also available for retiring employees, with the level dependent upon each employee group). The hospital's family-friendly benefits include; fertility treatments; maternity top-up payments (to 84% of salary for 27 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 84% of salary for 12 weeks); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 84% of salary for 12 weeks); health benefits during maternity and parental leave; extended unpaid parental leave option (beyond the first year). (CUPE and non-union personnel receive maternity top-up payments to 93% for 27 weeks and paternity top-up for fathers and adoptive parents to 93% for 12 weeks.) Additional family-friendly benefits include; flexible working hours; telecommuting; shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); reduced summer hours program; compressed work week.

St. Joseph's Healthcare'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 7 weeks of vacation each year. Employees receive 3 paid sick days every year. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. (Depending on their employee group, vacation entitlements increase by one week after 3 years on-the-job).

St. Joseph's Healthcare's employee engagement program is rated as above-average. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 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. As part of the review process employees can provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance. Exit interview provided for departing employees. SJHH recognizes exceptional performance through a variety of rewards including nursing excellence awards, long service awards, and mission legacy awards, for individuals who have made great contributions and left permanent imprints on the organization. St. Joseph's also operates rewards and recognition discretionary funds for managers to distribute to staff who demonstrate excellence. St. Joseph's Healthcare sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. St. Joseph's Healthcare hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 24 months).

St. Joseph's Healthcare's training and skills development program is rated as exceptional. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. (Employers pay up to $1,000 in subsidies). Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. (Employers pay up to $1,000 in tuition subsidies for non-related courses). St. Joseph's established a learning network of all staff responsible for training and education in order to track learning initiatives, share best practices, and support knowledge transfers. The hospital also partnered with University Health Network and Schulich School of Business to enable graduates of their Leadership Development Program to receive additional certification from Schulich. The hospital also supports ongoing career development with financial bonuses for course completions; 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 management training program; an in-house annual "Leadership Conference" for managers and front-line personnel; and new "Learning Network" that is comprised of employees who are responsible for the implementing training initiatives across the hospital.

St. Joseph's Healthcare's community involvement program is rated as above-average. St. Joseph's and its employees support numerous local and international charitable organizations every year. 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 25 charitable and community organizations were supported last year. Beyond its important role in the community and support for such initiatives as the annual United Way campaign, the hospital and its employees also manage an international outreach program that provides aid in the form of medical staff, medical supplies and equipment, to various countries in need.