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Bank of MontrealFernando Morales/The Globe and Mail

Agriculture Financial Services Corp., Lacombe, Alta: Financial services; 491 employees. Manages an academic scholarship program (to $1,000) for children of employees attending postsecondary institutions.

Bank of Montreal, Toronto: Commercial banking; 26,781 employees. Offers a sick day policy called People Care Days that may be used for everything from moving to extended family responsibilities.

British Columbia Lottery Corp., Kamloops, B.C.: Gambling; 779 employees. Promotes wellness with free memberships to an onsite fitness facility, secure bicycle parking and healthy cafeteria menu options.

Business Development Bank of Canada, Montreal: Credit intermediation; 1,835 employees. Helps staff save for retirement with matching RRSP contributions and a defined benefit pension plan.

Cameco Corp., Saskatoon: Uranium mining; 2,800 employees. Nurtures an ownership culture with nearly half of all employees eligible to participate in the company's share purchase plan.

Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Ottawa: National security; 3,009 employees. Hires older workers and considers previous work experience when setting paid vacation entitlements.

EllisDon Corp., Mississauga, Ont.: Building construction; 910 employees. Offers retirement planning assistance along with phased-in retirement work options.

Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd., Mississauga, Ont.: Dairy products; 488 employees. Encourages employee development through in-house training programs and tuition subsidies for courses taken at outside institutions.

Office of the Auditor General of Canada, Ottawa: Government support; 698 employees. Offers alternative working arrangements, including flexible hours, telecommuting and shortened or compressed workweek options.

Ontario Public Service, Toronto: Government support; 64,725 employees. Offers career advancement and specialization opportunities.

Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto: Commercial banking; 51,100 employees. Offers discounted (and waived) fees on banking services and products as well as discounted mortgage and personal loan rates.

Saskatchewan Government Insurance, Regina: Insurance carrier; 1,710 employees. Offers a compassionate leave top-up payment (to 100 per cent of salary for six weeks) when caring for a close family member.

Shell Canada Ltd., Calgary: Oil and natural gas extraction; 8,224 employees. Offers work-life balance initiatives, helping employees find child care and schools for their children and senior care facilities across Canada for aging parents.

Siemens Canada Ltd., Burlington, Ont.: Engineering services; 4,218 employees. Pays referral bonuses (up to $2,000) to employees who recommend someone who is hired by the company.

University of Toronto: Postsecondary education, 8,400 employees. Offers a health benefits plan that extends into retirement, with no age limit.

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METHODOLOGY

Age and experience matter to winners of this year's Top Employers for Canadians Over 40 competition. These companies offer programs and benefits that are increasingly important to Canada's aging work force, and to employers who want to retain their older workers' expertise for as long as possible.

Organized and evaluated by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers, contestants are judged on whether they offer the following: Initiatives and programs to assist older employees; active recruitment of new workers older than 40; policies that address concerns of older employees; pension plans with employer contributions; retirement assistance and succession planning; organized social activities and volunteering to maintain connections to retired former co-workers; extended health benefits; mentorship to ensure skills are passed to the next generation; and phased-in retirement.

Another factor considered is whether a company offers training and development to mid-career or end-of-career workers. The availability of flexible and alternative working options is taken into consideration as well.

The winning companies are selected from the 2011 Top Employers national competition winners and are compared to other employers in their industry and region.

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Tickers mentioned in this story

Study and track financial data on any traded entity: click to open the full quote page. Data updated as of 28/03/24 10:39am EDT.

SymbolName% changeLast
BMO-N
Bank of Montreal
+0.55%96.91
BMO-T
Bank of Montreal
+0.44%131.35
CCJ-N
Cameco Corp
+1.87%43.51
CCO-N
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings
+0.76%1.6625
CCO-T
Cameco Corp
+2.19%59.22
RY-N
Royal Bank of Canada
+0.26%100.66
RY-T
Royal Bank of Canada
+0.23%136.55

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