BC's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 30
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BC’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
Health and wellness are widely championed at BCIT
N
early everyone at the
British Columbia
Institute of
Technology (BCIT)
knows Chris Hudson
is a soccer buff who seldom misses
one of his son’s practices. As vicepresident of people, culture and
inclusion, Hudson intentionally
sets an example to staff by
prioritizing wellness and family.
“I speak at employee town halls,
I talk about it, I share my story,”
says Hudson. “For many people,
it’s time with family that builds
resilience. We try to prioritize that
support for family into our culture
and show it through our values
and actions.
We’re always looking
at our mental health
initiatives, making sure
they’re providing the
supports our employees
value.
— Chris Hudson
Vice-President,
People, Culture and Inclusion
“Most employees have flexible
schedules and hybrid work
arrangements which lead to
a better work-life balance,”
he continues. “For instance, I
organize my remote workday on
Fridays to make picking up and
dropping off my son easier. Others
have different needs. We really try
to have relationships with people
to know what works for them in
order to stay well.”
Community building is another
The applied research team at BCIT designed an award-winning wheelchair with students, earning gold at
the CYBATHLON competition in Switzerland.
focus. BCIT recently returned to
hosting more events in person for
celebrations, such as long-service
awards or employee excellence
awards and recently, take your
kids to work day.
“When the pandemic ended,
we continued online but then
we discovered that people were
craving to see each other for these
celebratory events,” says Hudson.
“Now we’re more strategic about
getting people together in person
to connect socially. The feedback
has been incredible — so much
happiness and joy.”
Additional health and wellness
benefits include paid time off for
medical and dental appointments
for employees and their families,
dedicated mental health coverage
that can be used for psychologists,
clinical counsellors and social
workers, plus a flexible health
spending account. BCIT also
provides training for leaders on
how to support employees’ mental
health.
“We’re always looking at our
mental health initiatives, making
sure they’re providing the
supports our employees value,”
says Hudson. “It’s critical for our
employees and their families to
have access to these supports
without the added burden of
financial stress.”
Heather Thomas, benefits and
wellness advisor, says BCIT has a
very comprehensive wellness plan
called Wellness Works.
“Ours is a learning culture, so
we make sure people have access
to all kinds of different ways to
learn — whether it’s workshops,
trainings or just reading articles,”
she says. “And not just mental
health-related learning, but
financial or emotional. We try to
hit all the different dimensions.
“We also have wellness
champions — volunteers
throughout BCIT at our different
campuses and departments —
who help to spread the word
about wellness, because it means
more coming from a colleague.”
Thomas says highlights include
BCIT’s maternity and parental
leave program with salary top-ups
anywhere between 75 per cent and
95 per cent up to 52 weeks, as well
as the extended parental leave
