Toronto Hydro Corporation

Toronto Hydro's physical workplace is rated as very good. Toronto Hydro's head office is located in a recently renovated building that was originally constructed in 1932 and features a vintage art deco exterior design. Interestingly, the facade of the building is built from limestone quarried from Queenston, where much of the electricity this utility sells is also generated. While most of the company's employees work outside the head office in service depots or maintenance yards, head office employees enjoy easy access to the subway, and hundreds of shops and restaurants within walking distance to the downtown location. The head office also features an employee lounge (with comfortable seating, table tennis, kitchen area and vending machines); religious observance room; onsite cafeteria; secure bicycle parking; transit subsidies; shower facilities for bicycle commuters; easy subway access with $10 monthly subsidy on transit passes; organized car pools; onsite credit union; energy efficient lighting throughout; subsidized car parking; self-serve lunchroom; discounts at local restaurants; and just a two minute walk to Tim Hortons, Second Cup and Starbucks.

Toronto Hydro's work atmosphere is rated as above-average. Depending on their position, employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress daily; employee sports teams; organized social events. The company-subsidized social committee (called the Toronto Hydro Club) has operated since 1961. The employee committee organizes a family Christmas party every year with gifts from Santa and over 1,800 guests in attendance. The company also hosts an annual banquet (with over 700 guests) to honour long-serving and retiring employees. In addition to sponsoring its own employee hockey team, the company recently hosted the 20th annual Canadian Electric Hockey Tournament. (The popular event drew 300 participants representing 21 teams from across the country -- and Toronto Hydro's team won.) In addition to a championship hockey team, the company also has an employee-led golf association that was established in 1923 and boasts over 60 members today. Employees are kept up-to-date and can provide direct feedback through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; traditional suggestion box; email suggestion box.

Toronto Hydro's financial benefits are rated as above-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 competitive compensation (determined through salary surveys and the collective bargaining process, depending on the position), Toronto Hydro also provides signing bonuses for some employees; year-end bonuses for all employees; year-end bonuses (to $37,680); share-purchase plan for all employees; defined benefit pension with employer contribution (up to 6.3% of salary); defined contribution pension plan with employer contribution (up to 9.5% of salary); life & disability insurance; retirement planning assistance; new "Gain Sharing" program for some unionized personnel; project completion bonuses; discounted banking fees through member credit union; discounted company products; discounted car leases.

Toronto Hydro's health and family benefits are rated as exceptional. Toronto Hydro's health benefits plan is managed by Manulife Financial. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. Employees who work 20 hours per week receive coverage. There is no waiting period before coverage begins. Employees receive full family coverage on the health benefits plan. The health plan also includes retiree coverage with no age limit. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; eyecare ($400 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; massage therapy; medical equipment and supplies; homecare; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance; healthclub subsidy ($400 each year). The health club subsidy ranges up to $1,600 for some employee groups. The company's family-friendly benefits include: maternity top-up payments (to 95% of salary for 52 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 95% of salary for 37 weeks); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 95% of salary for 37 weeks); pre-arranged emergency short-term daycare. Additional family-friendly benefits include: compassionate top-up payment (to 95% of salary for 8 weeks) while caring for a family member; flexible working hours; 35-hour work week (with full pay); compressed work week; earned days off (EDO) program; The company also offers a self-funded extended leave program, which lets employees work for two years at 80% of salary and then enjoy a six-month paid leave while receiving the deferred portion of their salary (also 80% of salary). Employees can also arrange to work four years and take a full year off while receiving their deferred pay.

Toronto Hydro'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 3 personal days off each year, as needed. Employees receive 1 personal day off, as scheduled by their employer. Employees receive 16 paid sick days every year. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. Employees can also take advantage of a self-funded leave program. As part of Toronto Hydro's United Way fundraising campaign, employees have the chance to win additional paid time off, from one day to a full week of vacation.

Toronto Hydro's employee engagement program is rated as above-average. 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. As part of its performance performance review process, Toronto Hydro awards individual employees and employee teams with gift certificates, pizza lunches, books, subscriptions and project completion celebrations, including special lunches and dinners. Toronto Hydro sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. (Surveys are conducted every 24 months); Toronto Hydro hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 24 months).

Toronto Hydro's training and skills development program is rated as exceptional. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. (The employer subsidizes up to 100% of tuition). Employees may also receive tuition subsidies for courses unrelated to their current position. (The employer subsidizes up to 100% of non-related tuition). In addition to full tuition subsidies, Toronto Hydro offers subsidies for professional accreditations; in-house apprenticeship and skilled trades internships; in-house training programs; formal mentoring program; career planning services; new employee orientation program; formal mangement training program.

Toronto Hydro's community involvement program is rated as exceptional. Toronto Hydro actively supports a variety of local 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. Approximately 317 charitable and community organizations were supported last year. Employees at Toronto Hydro have operated the "Employee Charitable Trust Foundation" since 1950, which supports over 100 community initiatives each year. The company provides automatic payroll deductions and absorbs the administration costs for the Foundation. Last year, the Foundation supported the United Way, the White Ribbon Campaign, One-on-One Mentoring, and school science fairs across Toronto, to name a few. Toronto Hydro recently introduced a new program (called Brighter Days) to encourage employees to volunteer in their communities. Through this initiative, the company: donates money (to $200 each year) to charities where employees volunteer; provides fundraising prizes for community raffles; and offers financial assistance (to $100) to help employees obtain coaching certifications for children's sports teams.

Toronto Hydro and its employees have been leading the charge to reduce energy consumption for a number of years, introducing numerous programs to conserve energy and minimize its own carbon footprint. Since 2005 their efforts have saved 355 megawatts of electricity -- the equivalent of removing over 240,000 homes from the grid. Toronto Hydro (with employee support) has introduced numerous initiatives over the years, including: extensive recycling programs (from office waste to electrical transformers); transit subsidies for employees ($10 each month); converting truck in its fleet to bio-diesel; switching to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper products; and support for wind and solar power generation projects. Employees and their families are also strong supporters of Earth Day (planting over 2,000 trees and shrubs since 2004) and the international Earth Hour initiative.

As a power company, Toronto Hydro has also introduced a number of creative initiatives to reduce energy waste, including the "Take a Load Off Toronto" campaign to give away over 75,000 retractable clotheslines; the "Festival Light Exchange" that provides one free string of LED Christmas lights for every two incandescent strings returned; and the "Summer Challenge" program that provides a 10% discount on summer electricity bills for those residential customers who reduce their electricity by 10% over the previous summer -- over 30% of its residential customers participated last year and reduced their consumption by 10%. (The successful campaign has recently been taken province wide by the Ontario Power Authority.) Building on this successful program, Toronto Hydro recently introduced the "Summer Challenge for Business", reaching out to over 50,000 business customers who account for 80% of the city's electricity usage. Like the residential program, businesses are encouraged to reduce their energy consumption by 10% during the summer months in order to receive an additional 10% credit on their electricity bills -- saving 20% on their bills and reducing their carbon footprints.