University of Calgary named one of Alberta's Top Employers for fourth year running

A day in the life of University of Calgary employees can go many ways. Some arrive to their jobs before the sun comes up, others stay into the night. Some work with animals, others with people. Some teach, some study. Some work with their hands, others with hypotheticals.

Despite the vastly different day-to-day experiences of approximately 6,000 university employees, they are all working for one of Alberta’s Top Employers.

This is the fourth consecutive year that UCalgary has been ranked among the province’s top employers that are leading in the creation of forward-thinking and progressive workplaces.  

President Elizabeth Cannon says this award reflects the high calibre of University of Calgary employees. “UCalgary faculty and staff are the face of our university, and they consistently deliver an exceptional student experience,” says Cannon. “This award is a tribute to our outstanding faculty and staff.”

What makes UCalgary a great place to work?  

With such a diverse employee population, no singular benefit, service or facility makes the university a Top Employer — it’s a combination of countless little things like covered bicycle parking, casual Fridays and tasty food offerings, coupled with the big stuff like health and financial benefits, professional and educational development programs and mental health initiatives.  

Alberta’s Top Employers are determined based on their offerings related to:

• physical workplace
• work atmosphere and social
• financial and family benefits
• vacation and time off
• employee communications
• performance management
• training and skills development
• community involvement

This year, Alberta’s Top Employers specifically highlighted the university’s mental health and wellness resources, Tuition Support Program, and support for new parents like maternity and parental leave top-up payments and the University Child Care Centres as their top reasons to work at UCalgary.

Attracting the best

Now in its 13th year, the competition to be among of Alberta’s Top Employers is about more than an award — it’s about appealing to the most desirable employees. The Internet and specialized job-seeking apps have taken pounding the pavement out of the job hunt and put thousands of career opportunities in the palm of your hand.     

President Cannon says Alberta’s Top Employers earn a competitive edge in attracting quality applicants. “For most people, there are multiple factors that determine which career opportunities they pursue,” she says. “Workplace and employer awards like this one help prospective employees see the less tangible — but tremendously valuable — benefits that come with joining the university.”

But striving to be a top employer isn’t all about attracting the best — it’s about retaining the tremendous talent already employed by the university.

“UCalgary is an employer of choice — the world-class faculty and staff working at this institution are proof of that,” says Cannon. “We will always strive to evolve and to cultivate a diverse, supportive and inclusive campus where faculty and staff enjoy coming to work every day.”

Psychological Support is one of the 13 factors illustrated in the National Standard. The University of Calgary is a recipient of the Excellence Canada Mental Health at Work Silver Level Certification in this area. Visit WellBeing and WorkLife to learn more about the implementation of the National Standard at the University of Calgary and to learn about existing programs and resources that support each of the 13 Factors.