Canada's Top 100 Employers (2026) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 5
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UAP
( 2026 )
UAP Inc. recently expanded its paramedical coverage for employees, adding a wider range of practitioners for mental-health benefits.
Staying the course
In challenging times, Canada’s Top 100 Employers winners come through for their employees
I
n addressing Canada’s economy,
Prime Minister Mark Carney often
speaks of “global shocks” and “a
rapidly changing and uncertain
world.” Indeed, the uncertainty is
often palpable at ground level – felt
among job-seekers and employers alike in
every corner of the country. So what can
employers do to reassure their workforce?
“During times of challenge, Top
Employers remain steadfast in their
commitment to their employees,” says
Kristina Leung, managing editor of
Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2026). “By
engaging their employees, listening to
their concerns, and using their feedback to
make meaningful changes, these organizations show that even in uncertain times,
their employees are a priority.”
Bear in mind, these are Canada’s Top 100
Employers (2026), with top-quality
approaches to the workplace and employee needs. Even now, Leung notes, benefit
enhancements continue, from health
plans and time-off policies to resources to
improve financial literacy.
Just recently CBCL, a Halifax-based
engineering firm, moved to a defined
benefit pension plan to ensure employees
have access to a predictable lifetime
income. That in itself was unusual, since
it’s more common for companies to switch
to a defined contribution plan. Or take the
Business Development Bank of Canada
(BDC), the federal Crown corporation
dedicated to helping businesses grow.
Along with its defined-benefit pension,
BDC now offers a set of financial wellness
initiatives, such as personal finance
coaching from professional advisors and
educational workshops covering such
topics as budgeting, saving, investing, debt
management and retirement planning.
There is continuing progress in wellness
too. In the past year, UAP Inc., a leader in
vehicle parts distribution, doubled
coverage for paramedical services by
introducing a separate category for mental
health practitioners and including a
broader range of specialists. Many other
Top Employers have increased mental
health coverage as well.
What these employers know is that
maintaining the most talented and loyal
workforce possible will help them get
through just about any challenge, which is
among the reasons they were selected as
winners in the first place. “Employers in
Canada are at a remarkable juncture,
facing once-in-a-generation challenges in
artificial intelligence, trade and demographics,” says Richard Yerema, executive
editor of Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2026).
“However, I think the essence of the
project itself speaks to people. There’s
something reassuring about organizations
that are serious about building careers
with training, education, long-term
financial savings and benefits for families,
over a lifetime. These are organizations
that want to support you.”
– Berton Woodward
