National Capital Region's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 12
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NAV CANADA
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
p Ottawa-based NAV CANADA reaches out to the next generation through summer jobs, paid internships and co-ops, apprenticeships and formal mentoring programs.
NCR’s Top Employers are improving employee offerings
While hybrid work arrangements are front and centre in the public sector, many employers focus on traditional benefits
T
he National Capital Region,
where a majority of the
federal workforce is based
and many workers live, is
reckoning with a reduction of
its workforce and a mandate for employees to return to the office. In a reversal of
the public service’s expansion over the
past decade and an abrupt shift to remote
work, it’s a jarring departure for a region
long known for employment stability and
progressive workplace policies.
However, that news hasn’t dampened
enthusiasm for fine-tuning and even
expanding benefits and initiatives offered
to attract and retain employees among
organizations recognized in the National
Capital Region’s Top Employers (2026)
winners’ list, part of the Canada’s Top 100
Employers program.
“We always look to this list as the gold
standard for traditional and family-friendly benefits,” says Kristina Leung, managing editor, Canada’s Top 100 Employers.
“Within the NCR, there’s a high representation of maternity and parental leave
top-up, notably full 35-week parental leave
top-up. We also see more benefits that
help set folks up for life after work. There
are health benefits that extend to retirees
and good pensions that are just a bit more
prominent.”
As for hybrid work arrangements, news
of their extinction appears to be premature, as the private sector continues to
recognize their benefits.
“There are advantages for many of the
smaller or private sector employers,
varying across different industries,” says
Richard Yerema, executive editor at
Canada’s Top 100 Employers. “People
working at home have learned to adapt
and appreciate the advantages of a better
work-life balance, and those organizations
that have enjoyed success with hybrid are
looking to fine tune and continue such
policies.”
Leung adds that these private sector
employers continue to embrace hybrid
work arrangements.
“We’ve learned that the best employers
will incorporate flexibility to suit what
their employees need,” she says. “With
employers outside of the public sector, we
saw that a lot of intentional hybrid
programs, and even fully remote programs, are still popular.”
As a private, not-for-profit corporation
that provides Canada’s civil air navigation
services, Top Employer NAV CANADA
remains attentive to broader workforce
trends in the NCR and across Canada with
an eye toward flexibility in employee
offerings.
“We take a holistic approach, looking
beyond specific events in the marketplace,” says Lyne Wilson, assistant
vice-president, talent management, at
NAV CANADA. “Our goal is to provide a
rewarding work environment and a
competitive total package along with the
right balance of flexibility for our people
and our company to enable collaboration
and both business and operational
success.”
Canada’s Top 100 Employers also notes
