Chosen as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, Greater Toronto's Top Employers and Canada's Top Family-Friendly Employers for 2010:
By Richard Yerema and Rachel Caballero, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 2, 2009)
Some of the reasons why Toronto Community Housing was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2010:
provides excellent parental leave top-up benefits to adoptive and new mothers (to 93% of salary for 52 weeks) as well as new fathers (to 93% of salary for 37 weeks)
offers employees generous compassionate care leave top-up benefits (to 93% of salary for 8 weeks)
recently introduced a new healthy workplace plan, whose initiatives include an employee walking club, free health clinics, and lunch and learn sessions on a variety of wellness topics
offers a variety of in-house training initiatives and supports continuing education through tuition subsidies (to $1,000) for courses at outside institutions
supports a variety of alternative work options including an earned leave of absence program that lets employees take up to a full year off while receiving their deferred pay
Employer Background
Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCH) is one of North America's largest social housing providers, providing housing to over 160,000 low and moderate-income residents in one of Canada's most expensive cities.
TCH manages 360 low- and high-rise properties throughout the city. The housing corporation operates through two subsidiary companies, including: HSI Construction and Maintenance Solutions (which oversees all building maintenance); and Housing Connections (which oversees the application process). With roots dating back to the late 1940s, the TCH's founding organizations were established by the respective municipal governments of that era to create housing for the poor and prevent the development of city slums -- a significant challenge and achievement noting post-war development as practiced in cities across North America. Today, the TCH continues to evolve and build upon its experiences and is central in the redevelopment of the city's Regent Park neighbourhood, which is a $1 billion undertaking (to be completed in 2015) and one the largest developments of this kind in North America. The TCH is run by a 13-member Board of Directors appointed by the City of Toronto. The Board is comprised of three City councillors, the Mayor (or a mayoral representative), and nine citizens, two of whom must be community housing residents.
Industry:Residential Property Managers. Established: 2002. Revenues: $623 million. Full-Time Employees in Canada: 1,403. Full-Time at this location: 197. Part-Time employees in Canada: 30. New jobs created in Canada last year: 91. Voluntary employee turnover last year: 1%. Longest serving employee: 37 years. Workforce engaged on a contract basis: 11%. Number of applications received at this location last year: 2,500. Percentage of employees who are women: 40%. Of managers: 46%. Percentage of employees who are visible minorities: 54%. Of managers: 24%. Average age of all employees: 46.
Rating: B+Physical Workplace
Toronto Community Housing's physical workplace is rated as very good. Most of the Corporation's employees work at one of the 12 community housing units throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The TCHC's head office location is housed in a modern seven-floor office tower just north of Toronto's Yorkville shopping district. The downtown location is only a short walk to the Rosedale subway station as well as the popular Ramsden park, which offers public tennis courts in the summer and free skating and shinny in the winter. Inside, the head office features an employee lounge (with comfortable seating, television and great views of adjacent ravine parkland); religious observance room; secure bicycle parking; free parking; onsite restaurant and café; outdoor patio area.
Rating: B+Work Atmosphere & Communications
Toronto Community Housing's work atmosphere is rated as very good. Throughout the year, employees at their main location enjoy business casual dress; casual dress daily; casual dress Fridays; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams; organized social events. The social committee organizes a variety of cultural events, including an employee party during the Christmas season, a summer picnic and numerous cultural celebrations such as African Heritage Month, Asian and South Asian Heritage, Caribana and Pride Week. TCH also hosts sporting events, retreats, lunch and learn sessions (on various topics) and wellness clinics for employees throughout the year. Toronto Community Housing encourages feedback and keeps employees up-to-date through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; email suggestion box.
Rating: BFinancial Benefits & Compensation
Toronto Community Housing's financial benefits are rated as average. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. In addition to utilizing salary surveys, pay levels for union personnel are established through the collective bargaining process. Along with competitive compensation, TCH provides defined contribution pension plan with employer contribution (up to 6% of salary); life & disability insurance; retirement planning assistance; subsidized auto insurance; performance bonuses (for non-union and management personnel).
Rating: AHealth & Family-Friendly Benefits
Toronto Community Housing's health and family benefits are rated as above-average. TCH has four separate health plans for each of union and non-union employee groups. All of its health benefits plan are managed by Great-West Life and all plans include the following minimum coverages. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 75% of the premiums. Employees who work 36 hours per week receive coverage. The waiting period for new employees is 180 days. Employees receive full family coverage on the health benefits plan. The health plan also includes retiree coverage up to 70 years of age. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; massage therapy; medical equipment and supplies; homecare; travel insurance; healthclub subsidy ($250 each year). TCH's family-friendly benefits include: maternity top-up payments (to 93% of salary for 52 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 93% of salary for 37 weeks); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 93% of salary for 52 weeks). Additional family-friendly benefits include: compassionate top-up payment (to 93% of salary for 8 weeks) 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; earned days off (EDO) program; earned deferred leave of absence program.
Rating: BVacation & Personal Time-Off
Toronto Community Housing'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 10 years on the job. Long-serving employees receive a maximum of 6 weeks of vacation each year. Employees can schedule 2 personal days off each year, as needed. Employees receive 6 paid sick days every year. Employees can also apply to take an earned leave of absence, working four years at 80% of their salary and enjoying the fifth year off while receiving the deferred portion.
Rating: B+Employee Engagement
Toronto Community Housing's employee engagement program is rated as very good. 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. (TCH's performance management program is of non-union and management employees.); Toronto Community Housing sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. (Surveys are conducted every 6 months); Toronto Community Housing hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).
Rating: ATraining & Skills Development
Toronto Community Housing's training and skills development program is rated as above-average. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. (The employer provides up to $1,000 in subsidies). Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. (The employer provides up to $1,000 in tuition subsidies for non-related courses). In addition to tuition subsidies, TCH also supports ongoing career development with subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house apprenticeship and skilled trades internships; in-house training programs; online training programs; online employee skills inventory; formal mentoring program; career planning services.
Rating: ACommunity Involvement
Toronto Community Housing's community involvement program is rated as above-average. In addition to its role of providing affordable housing in the community, Toronto Community Housing and its employees are strong supporters of the annual fundraising drive for the United Way as well as a number of other local charitable initiatives, including Cops for Cancer, Habitat for Humanity and the Toronto Challenge Run. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. Employees receive paid time off to volunteer with their favourite charitable organizations. Last year, employees donated over 8,295 hours volunteering with charitable projects. In addition to is outside charitable work and as part of its mandate to create urban environments where residents participate in the building and development of all aspects of their communities, TCH operates three impressive in-house community programs: Making Work Work for Youth; Combating Crime through Leadership and Education; and KEYS. The three initiatives are part of Toronto Community Housing's Sustainable Livelihoods initiative that focuses on community building through developing job and leadership skills.
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