Top Employer: Alberta Health Services / AHS

Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2019) and Alberta's Top Employers (2018):

By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 8, 2018)

Here are some of the reasons why Alberta Health Services / AHS was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2019) and Alberta's Top Employers (2018):

Alberta Health Services maintains a dedicated Health and Wellness Action Plan in support of healthy and resilient employees -- the plan features a variety of online resources and training, a Wellness Champion Network (who lead local health and wellness activities), and the "What's Your Balance" wellness initiative to support healthy eating, mental wellness and physical activity
Alberta Health Services helps employees plan securely for the future with retirement planning assistance and contributions to a defined benefit pension plan -- and offers phased-in work options for employees nearing retirement
Many Alberta Health Services employees receive 3 weeks of vacation to start and move to 4 weeks after 2 or 3 years of employment (depending on their employee group) -- employees can also take advantage of paid personal days off, which can be scheduled at employees' discretion

Staff at Alberta Health Services providing learning support for newly graduated students (Photo credit: Michael Interisano)

Employer Background

Industry	Healthcare services
Major Canadian hiring locations	Fort McMurray AB, Medicine Hat AB, Lethbridge AB, Grande Prairie AB, Edmonton AB, Calgary AB, Red Deer AB, Ponoka AB
Full-time employees in Canada	46,765
Part-time employees in Canada	32,884
Workforce engaged on a contract basis	28.48%
Average age of employees in Canada	42.5 years
Longest serving employee	57.7 years

Physical Workplace Rating: A

Alberta Health Services has over 102,000 employees (including casual employees) and over 8,300 physicians at 650 sites in 145 communities across the province. The physical workplace featured in this section is the South Health Campus in Calgary and is one of AHS' largest facilities.

Commuter amenities	online car-pool sign-up, secure/sheltered bicycle parking
Workplace features	situated on a 44-acre campus, the hospital opened in 2013 and was designed to LEED standards, featuring rainwater collection, native plantings (eliminating the need for pesticides), and state-of-the-art digital lighting control systems, telecommuter workstations, religious observance room, outdoor patio, self-serve lunchroom
Employee lounge amenities	comfortable seating, television, multiple lounge and rest areas that offer refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, kettles and single-serve coffee makers
Onsite cafeteria	healthy menus, special diet menus, onsite food options include the Market Café, Pillars Café and the Good Earth Coffee House
Onsite fitness facility	shared-use facility, subsidized membership, treadmills, stationary bikes, stairmasters, instructor-led classes (spin, step aerobics, Zumba, yoga, drumming circle), rowing machines, weights, basketball court, shower facilities, general and family locker rooms, indoor running track, indoor climbing wall, wellness kitchen, knowledge resource service, outdoor "Scotiabank Sport Court" used for volleyball, basketball and floor hockey (facility was developed in partnership with the YMCA)
Other nearby amenities	Seton Recreation Facility, fitness club, Fish Creek Provincial Park, daycare, restaurants, shopping mall

Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B

Recent social events	annual Christmas party (and a Secret Santa gift exchange), comedy nights, employee recognition week, annual "AHS Be my Valentine", numerous local awards and events throughout the year such as the "Great Teams Great Care" contest and celebration, President's Excellence Awards lunch, and the Spirit Awards of Excellence celebration
Cultural aspects	employee sports teams, business casual dress, casual dress Fridays, music while working, can bring pets to work when needed, organized social activities for retirees
Employee communications	intranet site, company newsletter, traditional/email suggestion box, internal social media
Other in-house communications	weekly staff and bi-weekly management e-newsletters (Interchange, Leadership Matters), physician newsletter (Doc Talk), and a variety of communication initiatives for patients, families and residents across the province

Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: A

Financial benefits note	Alberta Health Services / AHS has multiple employee groups, financial benefits may vary by position
Long-term savings	defined-benefit (DB) pension, matching RSP
Long-term planning	retirement planning assistance, phased-in retirement work options, life & disability insurance
Additional financial benefits	recruitment bonuses for pharmacists (to $6,000 for a 1-year relocation to rural suburban locations, up to $12,000 for 2-year commitments, and supplementary allowance for northern-based pharmacists), home computer and software discounts, various corporate discounts (from dinners to tires), competitive salary levels determined through the collective bargaining process

Health & Family-Friendly Benefits Rating: B+

Health plan note	Alberta Health Services / AHS has multiple employee groups, health plans may vary by position
Health plan premium	as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 75% of the premiums
Waiting period for coverage	30 days
Family coverage option	yes
Dental coverage	routine, restorative, orthodontics
Traditional coverage (e.g. prescription drugs)	yes
Other health plan information	employee assistance (EAP) plan, semi-private hospital room, physiotherapy, medical travel insurance, homecare, medical equipment and supplies, massage therapy, nutrition planning, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. accupuncture, naturopathy)
Additional health and wellness information	smoking cessation prescription drugs (to $3,000), fitness club membership discounts
Family-friendly benefits note	Alberta Health Services / AHS has multiple employee groups, family-friendly policies may vary by position
Maternity top-up (mothers)	up to 95% of salary for 8 weeks
Alternative work options	flexible work hours, shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), compressed work week, telecommuting
Additional family-friendly information	3 locations also have onsite daycare facilities for employees, reduced rates at Kids & Company locations, flexible work options vary by position

Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: A

Vacation note	Alberta Health Services / AHS has multiple employee groups, vacation policies may vary by position
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job
Vacation jump	vacation increases after 2 years of employment
Maximum vacation allowance	employees move to a maximum of 6 weeks of vacation over their career
Previous experience	considers previous work experience when setting annual vacation for new employees
Personal paid days off	employees can schedule 3 personal days off each year, as needed
Unpaid leave of absence option	yes
Additional time-off information	long-serving employees will receive 5 supplemental vacation days for each 5-year period beyond the 6 week maximum

Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: A

Managers receive performance review training	yes
360° feedback option	as part of the review process, performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work
Confidential employee feedback	employees can also provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance
Exit interview	exit interview option is available for departing employees
Performance recognition	peer-to-peer recognition awards, long-service awards, Spirit Award of Excellence, Certificate of Excellence, President's Excellence Awards, non-union employees receive formal reviews on an annual basis, unionized employees' feedback process is governed by their respective collective agreement
In-house survey period	in-house surveys are conducted every 24 months
Outside survey period	outside consultant surveys are held every 24 months

Training & Skills Development Rating: A

Career planning	in-house career planning services
In-house training initiatives	apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, mentoring, in-house training, online training, leadership training, paid internships, subsidies for professional accreditation, mentoring to transfer retirees' skills
Tuition subsidies (related to job)	yes
Tuition subsidies (unrelated to job)	yes
Financial bonuses for course completions	yes

Community Involvement Rating: B+

Scope of charitable involvement	local, national, international
Employee charitable involvement	employees are involved in selection of charities
Total number of charities supported last year	approximately 166 charitable and community organizations were supported last year
Some of the community organizations supported	United Way, Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, YWCA Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, Calgary Mustard Seed
Community highlight	Alberta Health Services' charitable efforts are primarily focused on supporting the annual United Way campaign, with employees choosing to support and designate their donations to specific charities funded through the campaign (with over $350,000 raised last year). Additionally, through the "WinWin50" staff lottery, employees across the province helped raise over $3.1 million for over 145 foundations, programs and local facilities. AHS and its employees also support 69 affiliated health foundations and over 50 auxiliaries throughout the province.

Recognized as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2019):

By Kristina Leung and Richard Yerema, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Jan 17, 2019)

Here are some of the reasons why Alberta Health Services / AHS was selected as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2019):

Alberta Health Services manages a Transitional Graduate Nurse Program, a residency program to provide organizational, clinical and social support to recent Registered Nurse and Registered Psychiatric Nurse graduates
Additionally, the organization has developed a number of resources to help graduates transition to the workplace, including a transition guide, a companion document that features tips to enhance their learning experience, and dedicated learning plans
Through a longstanding partnership with Careers: The Next Generation, Alberta Health Services hosts high school students at a summer health career exploration camp, with learning opportunities in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Red Deer and Grande Prairie -- AHS recently expanded their reach to include Fort McMurray and Slave Lake as well

New grads working as physiotherapists at Alberta Health Services

Highlights

Industry	Healthcare services
Major Canadian hiring locations	Fort McMurray AB, Medicine Hat AB, Lethbridge AB, Grande Prairie AB, Edmonton AB, Calgary AB, Red Deer AB, Ponoka AB
Full-time employees in Canada	46,765
Student opportunities	summer jobs, co-op opportunities, paid internships
Tuition subsidies (related to job)	yes
Career development	in-house training, online training, in-house career planning services, mentoring, leadership training, apprenticeship/skilled trades programs
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job
Unique initiatives	a number of residency programs in various fields including pharmacy, clinical psychology and physician, internships for psychology students, participates in "High School Work Experience 15-25-35" to allow students to explore a non-clinical path with a matched mentor, partnerships to recruit Indigenous youth such as participation in career fairs, job-shadowing programs, and academic scholarships and bursaries, summer studentships for selected undergraduate and graduate students to receive training and mentorship opportunities in health research

The Career Directory

Alberta Health Services / AHS has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.

AHS Human Resources Analyst

Highlights for New Grads

Industry	Healthcare services
Major Canadian hiring locations	Fort McMurray AB, Medicine Hat AB, Lethbridge AB, Grande Prairie AB, Edmonton AB, Calgary AB, Red Deer AB, Ponoka AB
Student opportunities	paid internships, summer jobs, co-op opportunities
Training	subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services, leadership training
Other info for new grads	AHS provides a wide range of learning opportunities for students including clinical and non-clinical student placements, research projects, residencies, co-op work terms, job shadowing, high school work experience, health science career camps, and undergraduate nursing employment, to name a few.
Typical new grad positions	Analyst, Assistant, Cook, Diagnostic Sonographer, Dietitian, Emergency Medical Technician, Health Care Aide, Laboratory Technologist, Licensed Practical Nurse, Maintenance Worker, Occupational Therapist, Power Engineer, Psychologist, Registered Nurse, Researcher, Respiratory Therapist, Social Worker, Speech and Language Pathologist, Surgical Processor, Therapy Aide, Unit Clerk
Work benefits	health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job

Academic fields recruited

Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Information Systems
- Marketing
Bachelor of Science
- Audiology
- Environmental
- Health Sciences
- Immunology
- Kinesiology
- Microbiology
- Nursing
- Nutrition
- Occupational Therapy
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Psychology
- Speech Pathology
Community College Diploma
- Ambulance / Emergency Medical Care
- Business
- Dietitian / Nutrition
- Health Care Aide (HCA)
- Health Sciences (Other)
- Information Technology
- Laboratory Technician
- Orthotics / Prosthetics
- Other Trades
- Pharmacy Technician
- Radiation Therapy
- Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
- Respiratory Therapy
- Social Worker / DSW
- Ultrasound Technician
Master of Science
- Audiology
- Health Sciences
- Kinesiology
- Microbiology
- Nursing / Health Administration
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Psychology
- Speech Pathology
Secondary Education
- High School Diploma

Alberta Health Services / AHS

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