The Forbes Canada employer culture ranking includes 42 Ontario-based organizations among its first 100 positions, including Ontario Power Generation, which operates major nuclear facilities in Pickering and Clarington.
Forbes released its second annual list of Canada’s Best Employers for Company Culture after surveying more than 37,000 employees working at organizations with at least 500 employees in Canada.
The complete national ranking recognizes 200 employers. Ontario organizations accounted for 42 of the first 100 positions.
Forbes Canada Employer Culture Ranking Includes OPG
Ontario Power Generation placed No. 42 nationally.
Although Forbes lists OPG’s headquarters in Toronto, the company has a significant presence in Durham Region through the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Clarington.
The two stations have a combined generating capacity of approximately 5,600 megawatts and supply a substantial portion of Ontario’s electricity.
OPG’s ranking gives the national list a direct connection to employees, contractors, businesses and communities across Pickering and Clarington.
How Forbes Created the Ranking
Forbes partnered with market-research company Statista to produce the ranking.
Employees were asked whether they would recommend their current employer and to evaluate workplace-culture factors such as:
- Fairness and inclusivity
- Work-life balance
- Recognition for good performance
- Collaboration between employees
- Opportunities for advancement
- Whether management values employee input
Participants could also evaluate former employers and organizations they knew through professional experience, friends or family.
Forbes incorporated survey results from the previous three years, placing greater weight on recent responses and recommendations submitted by current employees.
Organizations did not pay to participate or receive a position in the ranking.
Ontario Employers in the Top 100
The following Ontario-based organizations appeared among the first 100 positions:
- Oak Valley Health — Markham
- George Brown College — Toronto
- Canadian Blood Services — Ottawa
- Niagara Health System — St. Catharines
- Home Hardware — St. Jacobs
- Humber Polytechnic — Toronto
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health — Toronto
- Intact Financial — Toronto
- VHA Home HealthCare — Toronto
- CIBC — Toronto
- Michael Garron Hospital — East York
- HCLTech — Mississauga
- Sun Life Financial — Toronto
- Cisco Systems — Toronto
- McMaster University — Hamilton
- EY Canada — Toronto
- Randstad — Toronto
- TekSavvy Solutions — Chatham
- University of Toronto — Toronto
- The Co-operators — Guelph
- Ontario Power Generation — Toronto
- Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance — Stratford
- OSL Retail Services — Mississauga
- Aviva — Markham
- The Hershey Company — Mississauga
- Brookfield Renewable Holdings — Toronto
- Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre — Barrie
- Indigo Books and Music — Toronto
- Peterborough Regional Health Centre — Peterborough
- Bimbo Canada — Etobicoke
- Marriott Hotels Canada — Mississauga
- BofA Canada Bank — Toronto
- Toronto Metropolitan University — Toronto
- Scotiabank — Toronto
- The Ottawa Hospital — Ottawa
- VON Canada — Ottawa
- Brock University — St. Catharines
- Xerox — Toronto
- Glencore — Toronto
- Teva Canada — Toronto
- Hallmark Canada — Markham
- Johnson & Johnson — Markham
Ontario Organizations Place in National Top 10
Oak Valley Health was the highest-ranking Ontario organization, placing third nationally.
George Brown College ranked sixth, followed by Canadian Blood Services in eighth place, Niagara Health System in ninth and Home Hardware in 10th.
Université Laval earned the top position for the second consecutive year. Université de Sherbrooke ranked second, Manitoba Public Insurance placed fourth and Alberta-based Bethany Care Society rounded out the national top five.
Workplace Culture Influences Employee Retention
Forbes said workplace culture can affect employee engagement, productivity and retention.
The ranking recognizes employers whose employees reported positive experiences involving collaboration, opportunity, fairness and work-life balance.
For Durham Region, OPG’s inclusion is particularly significant because of its extensive operations, workforce and ongoing energy projects in Pickering and Clarington.
