A connected executive and good benefits make corporation an employer of choice
Three years ago, Pilates classes, offered to Canada Post employees at the head office in Ottawa, were held in meeting rooms and in hallways. But that changed two years ago when the Crown corporation’s executive noticed these hallway workouts and built a wellness centre, complete with proper wood flooring and exercise mats.
“They care. They care about their employees. They care about our well-being,” said Hala Hawa, manager of retail design and specifications with Canada Post and one of the Pilates participants. “Canada Post provides the space and a committee of volunteers organize the different sessions.”
Class offerings, partially subsidized by Canada Post, also include Tai Chi and yoga, taught by qualified instructors.
Canada Post has fitness facilities in its large distribution and processing centres. It also offers discount memberships to a fitness chain so all 64,000 employees across the country can stay healthy and active.
“It’s a very physical job,” said Moya Greene, the president and CEO of Canada Post. “We really pride ourselves on being a company that recognizes the physical properties of the job. Health and safety is a very important factor for us.”
That kind of caring about employee well-being, as well as benefits such as a fully indexed defined benefit pension plan, helped Canada Post be named for the first time as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employersfor 2007 by job guide publisher Mediacorp Canada Inc.
“I think Canada Post offers one of the best benefit regimens,” said Greene. “I’m very proud, the senior executive team is very proud, to say that’s there, that’s basic, you can rely on that.”
While job requirements can make it difficult to offer flexible work arrangements, especially when mail needs to be sorted and delivered on time, flexibility is an important benefit to many employees and it’s one Canada Post tries to accommodate.
“Where possible we do try to be flexible and recognize people’s hours and recognize people’s special aspirations,” said Greene.
Some of those aspirations take employees all the way to the Olympics. Canada Post has employed several Olympians over the years, including letter carriers Eric Morin and Matthew Charlton who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens in Tai Kwan Do and swimming respectively.
When Greene first started as CEO, she invited all employees to write her and tell her what they thought about their jobs and the corporation. She especially remembers the letters from the Olympic athletes, expressing their gratitude for the support and flexibility their managers had provided so they could train and compete.
Another e-mail Greene received left an impact, both on Greene and Hawa, the letter writer.
“I sent her a welcome message and I received a message back from her. I was blown away,” said Hawa, who has worked at Canada Post for 14 years. Then, when Greene stopped at Hawa’s offices while travelling across the country to meet with employees, the CEO asked to see Hawa and the two of them talked privately for about 10 minutes.
“She’s a leader that’s very connected to the people,” said Hawa.
Greene, who became president and CEO about 18 months ago, is the first permanent woman CEO at Canada Post. Her policy is to respond to every query on her blog and every e-mail she receives. The communications she receives from employees help her stay connected with what’s going on in the corporation.
“You see it from their perspective what’s important, what’s troubling, what works and what could be made better,” said Greene.
When Greene first started as CEO, she took that desire to understand her employees one step further. While travelling across the country, she also did every job those employees do — from sorting mail to delivering it — and she’s the first Canada Post CEO to know what it’s like to heft a 25-kilogram mail bag.
“I didn’t come from the operation. I really needed to see how we do the business from the perspective of our people who are out there every day doing it,” said Greene. “I really came away with the sense of pride that our people feel in what they do.”
By putting herself in her employees’ shoes, she gained their respect and made them feel valued.
“She’s not just a figurehead,” said Hawa. “She’s someone employees have met, spoke to or heard.”
The kind of connection Greene has nurtured with employees is the kind of connection Canada Post likes to have with the surrounding community. The corporation is involved in various charities including the United Way, literacy programs and the Santa Claus letter-writing service — an involvement that translates into engaged employees, said Greene. Hawa agreed.
“You like to support a company that thinks about the people and not just the bottom line. You always feel better when you’re helping a higher purpose.”
“They care. They care about their employees. They care about our well-being,” said Hala Hawa, manager of retail design and specifications with Canada Post and one of the Pilates participants. “Canada Post provides the space and a committee of volunteers organize the different sessions.”
Class offerings, partially subsidized by Canada Post, also include Tai Chi and yoga, taught by qualified instructors.
Canada Post has fitness facilities in its large distribution and processing centres. It also offers discount memberships to a fitness chain so all 64,000 employees across the country can stay healthy and active.
“It’s a very physical job,” said Moya Greene, the president and CEO of Canada Post. “We really pride ourselves on being a company that recognizes the physical properties of the job. Health and safety is a very important factor for us.”
That kind of caring about employee well-being, as well as benefits such as a fully indexed defined benefit pension plan, helped Canada Post be named for the first time as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employersfor 2007 by job guide publisher Mediacorp Canada Inc.
“I think Canada Post offers one of the best benefit regimens,” said Greene. “I’m very proud, the senior executive team is very proud, to say that’s there, that’s basic, you can rely on that.”
While job requirements can make it difficult to offer flexible work arrangements, especially when mail needs to be sorted and delivered on time, flexibility is an important benefit to many employees and it’s one Canada Post tries to accommodate.
“Where possible we do try to be flexible and recognize people’s hours and recognize people’s special aspirations,” said Greene.
Some of those aspirations take employees all the way to the Olympics. Canada Post has employed several Olympians over the years, including letter carriers Eric Morin and Matthew Charlton who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens in Tai Kwan Do and swimming respectively.
When Greene first started as CEO, she invited all employees to write her and tell her what they thought about their jobs and the corporation. She especially remembers the letters from the Olympic athletes, expressing their gratitude for the support and flexibility their managers had provided so they could train and compete.
Another e-mail Greene received left an impact, both on Greene and Hawa, the letter writer.
“I sent her a welcome message and I received a message back from her. I was blown away,” said Hawa, who has worked at Canada Post for 14 years. Then, when Greene stopped at Hawa’s offices while travelling across the country to meet with employees, the CEO asked to see Hawa and the two of them talked privately for about 10 minutes.
“She’s a leader that’s very connected to the people,” said Hawa.
Greene, who became president and CEO about 18 months ago, is the first permanent woman CEO at Canada Post. Her policy is to respond to every query on her blog and every e-mail she receives. The communications she receives from employees help her stay connected with what’s going on in the corporation.
“You see it from their perspective what’s important, what’s troubling, what works and what could be made better,” said Greene.
When Greene first started as CEO, she took that desire to understand her employees one step further. While travelling across the country, she also did every job those employees do — from sorting mail to delivering it — and she’s the first Canada Post CEO to know what it’s like to heft a 25-kilogram mail bag.
“I didn’t come from the operation. I really needed to see how we do the business from the perspective of our people who are out there every day doing it,” said Greene. “I really came away with the sense of pride that our people feel in what they do.”
By putting herself in her employees’ shoes, she gained their respect and made them feel valued.
“She’s not just a figurehead,” said Hawa. “She’s someone employees have met, spoke to or heard.”
The kind of connection Greene has nurtured with employees is the kind of connection Canada Post likes to have with the surrounding community. The corporation is involved in various charities including the United Way, literacy programs and the Santa Claus letter-writing service — an involvement that translates into engaged employees, said Greene. Hawa agreed.
“You like to support a company that thinks about the people and not just the bottom line. You always feel better when you’re helping a higher purpose.”
