Laurier earns Waterloo Area Top Employer recognition for fifth consecutive year

Dec. 1, 2022
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO – For the fifth year in a row, Wilfrid Laurier University has been named one of Waterloo Area’s Top Employers by Mediacorp Canada through the Canada’s Top 100 Employers initiative, an editorial competition that recognizes the nation’s best places to work.

“At Laurier, we are committed to fostering an inclusive community and a key part of that is ensuring our employees have the supports they need to thrive both professionally and personally,” said Laurier President and Vice-Chancellor Deborah MacLatchy. “It is the quality and engagement of the people at Laurier that make it an exceptional place to work.”

Canada’s Top 100 Employers is an annual competition recognizing leading national and regional organizations that offer exceptional workplaces. Organizations selected for the awards redefine how people work and live by developing and adapting policies and procedures to meet the changing expectations of today’s workforce. While the recognition is awarded at a regional level, it is based on Laurier’s efforts across its multi-campus locations.

“We are honoured to be recognized as a top employer in Waterloo Region for the fifth year in a row,” said Pamela Cant, chief human resources and equity officer at Laurier. “Laurier is an organization that values its employees and is committed to providing a positive and engaging employee experience. We want to foster a work environment where faculty and staff can thrive, experience a sense of belonging and feel valued for their many contributions to the university.”

Some of Laurier’s exceptional employer initiatives include:

• Maternity and parental leave top-up for new parents, including adoptive parents, to 95 per cent of salary ranging from 10 to 25 weeks.
• Continued commitment to fostering an inclusive community through Laurier's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Indigeneity Action Plan, including hiring six new Black faculty members and four new Indigenous faculty members through the Inclusive Excellence initiative.
• Generous vacation, benefits and leave allowances.
• Supporting the employee experience through the introduction of a flexible work policy, an asynchronous new manager onboarding program, curated wellness resources, remote and hybrid work guides, management toolkits and remote teaching support.
• Dedicated annual staff professional development and wellness events.

As an educational institution, Laurier inspires lives of leadership and purpose in its student community. As an employer, Laurier seeks, fosters and values the same qualities of leadership and purpose in its employee community. Learn more about what makes Laurier a great place to work.