TD Bank Group

TD Bank's physical workplace is rated as very good. Located in the heart of downtown Toronto's financial district, the bank's offices are located in TD Centre, a six office tower complex surrounded by a four acre plaza. Conveniently linked to Toronto's underground PATH walking network, employees have all-weather access to the city's subway as well as an incredible range of shops, restaurants and services. Inside, the head office features religious observance room; transit subsidies; free coffee or tea; self-serve lunchroom; onsite public art gallery that houses TD's Inuit art collection (available to the public and employees free of charge); lunchtime concerts at the Oscar Petersen Plaza; walking distance to many of the city's recreational and entertainment amenities, including major league sporting events and live theatre in the nearby theatre and entertainment district. The bank recently introduced "FlexWorkPlace" pilot program to accommodate changing and flexible work patterns. The redesigned floors include more meeting rooms, no traditional offices, a "collaborative" cafe (where employees can meet and work in a comfortable and informal setting). The uniquely re-thought workspace is designed to complement the bank's flexible and alternative working arrangements, including working from home.

TD Bank's work atmosphere is rated as exceptional. Throughout the year, employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams; organized social events. Across the country, the bank encourages a range of social, cultural and recreational activities through employee-led social committees. The bank also celebrates a unique employee appreciation week each year (called "You Make TD") to acknowledge its employees (the bank allocated $2.4 million last year for celebrations across the bank). At the head office and across the country, employees gather for a variety of employee and family events throughout the year, from family holiday parties and days at Canada's Wonderland in Toronto to Burin Village in Newfoundland and Labrador to cruises on the St. Lawrence River in Montréal. In addition to maintaining its own online "White Pages" directory to help employees keep in touch across the bank, TD Bank keeps employees informed about company happenings throughout the year and encourages feedback through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site.

TD Bank's financial benefits are rated as exceptional. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. In addition to competitive compensation, TD Bank also provides signing bonuses for some employees; year-end bonuses for all employees; share-purchase plan for all employees; defined benefit pension plan; life & disability insurance; retirement planning assistance; share purchase plan (with matching company contributions); referral bonuses for certain positions; low-interest home loans; discounted home and auto insurance; waived banking fees; reduced credit card rates.

TD Bank's health and family benefits are rated as very good. TD Bank's health benefits plans is comprised of insured and self-insured programs, administered by ClaimSecure Inc. (Drug plan), Manulife Financial (Medical, Disability, and Life plans), and TD Insurance (Critical Illness and Accident plans). 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 15 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 with no age limit. Traditional medicine coverage; medical equipment and supplies; homecare; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. Dental coverages (from basic check-up to orthodontics); and a flexible health spending account to cover additional expenses outside the basic coverages, including vision care, alternative medicine and private hospital accommodation. The bank also has a flexible retiree benefits plan that offers varying levels of coverage and premium coverage. Most recently, the bank introduced a "wellness account" that employees can use for a variety of pre-emptive health-related initiatives, from the purchase of home fitness equipment to fitness club memberships to health-focused counselling and support services. The bank's family-friendly benefits include; maternity top-up payments (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks); health benefits during maternity and parental leave; optional extended maternity leave for up to 1 year; extended unpaid parental leave option (beyond the first year); pre-arranged emergency short-term daycare. TD Bank also maintains a corporate membership with "Kids & Company", which provides employees with emergency childcare services when required. As part of this service, employees receive a special corporate rate and have access to 30 childcare centres across the country. Additional family-friendly benefits include; flexible working hours; telecommuting; shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); compressed work week; phased-in retirement work options.

TD Bank'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 9 years on the job. Long-serving employees receive a maximum of 5 weeks of vacation each year. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. All occasional sick days are paid, however employees must apply for short term disability after 5 consecutive absent business days. Employees can also take unpaid personal days (to 5 days each year) as well as days for religious observance and political involvement. Long serving employees receive an additional week of paid vacation on their 25th anniversary, and every 5th year thereafter. The bank also provides additional days off for a variety of special circumstances, from education study days (3 each year) to bereavement leave (up to 10 days) to military reservist training leave (up to 15 days each year).

TD Bank's employee engagement program is rated as exceptional. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 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. TD Bank rewards exceptional performance through a variety of business recognition programs, including on-the-spot awards, performance awards and nomination based awards. Through the bank's previously mentioned employee appreciation week and the "You Make TD" program, departments across the bank can tailor their reward initiatives in ways that prove most meaningful to their employees. TD Bank hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 6 months).

TD Bank's training and skills development program is rated as exceptional. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. TD Bank also supports ongoing employee career development with subsidies for professional accreditations; 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; three paid study leave days each year; and extensive leadership development programs.

TD Bank's community involvement program is rated as exceptional. TD Bank supports a variety of local and national 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. Employees also receive 15 paid days off to volunteer; Approximately 2,100 charitable and community organizations were supported last year. TD Bank is one of Canada's largest corporate donors, directing millions of dollars to charities and non-profit agencies every year. In addition, employees raise millions of additional dollars every year through personal contributions and through fundraising efforts across Canada. The bank and its employees support numerous initiatives, including Habitat for Humanity, the United Way, the Children's Miracle Network, Junior Achievement, the Mentoring Partnership, and the TD Grade One Book Giveaway (in support of child literacy and to encourage reading), to name only a few.

Moving far beyond it corporate colours, the TD Bank has a number of impressive green environmental initiatives, from in-house energy conservation measures to promoting environmental stewardship to employee green teams to setting LEED standards for new construction to funding community initiatives through its "TD Friends of the Environment Foundation", which has provided over $53 million to thousands of environmental projects across Canada since 1990. Impressively, TD Bank became of the first financial institutions to achieve carbon neutral status in 2010 -- and has recently set a three year energy strategy to focus on energy reduction, the purchase of renewable energy and development of carbon offsets.