Manitoba's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 30
MANITOBA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
30
Well-being for all is vital at Manitoba Blue Cross
K
aryl Grasparil
appreciates the time
she has at the end
of her workdays at
Manitoba Blue Cross
to work out or go for a run with
her husband. That’s especially
so after several hectic years
working as a schoolteacher in the
Philippines and Malaysia, where
the workday never seemed to end.
It’s the kind of place
where the work
you do inside the
office contributes to
something much bigger
outside of it.
— Karyl Grasparil
Business Intelligence
Data Analyst
Employees at Manitoba Blue Cross fundraise for MS Canada, helping to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis.
“Having defined work hours
gives me a chance to build healthier routines in my personal life,”
says Grasparil, a business intelligence data analyst. “Our on-site
fitness centre is important to me.
It helps me care for my physical
health and supports my mental
well-being by giving me a positive
way to process the workday.”
After returning to school to
start a new profession, Grasparil
did a co-op placement last year
with Manitoba Blue Cross as an
associate data analyst. When her
placement ended, she graduated
from RRC Polytech with an honours diploma in data science and
machine learning and, last May,
was hired full-time.
That same sense of well-being
she feels today as a full-time
employee was there from the
start because of the respect her
colleagues showed her.
“Even as a student, I was treated
as a full member of the team. My
manager mentored me, my teammates collaborated closely with
me and colleagues across different
departments encouraged me to
share my ideas,” says Grasparil.
Manitoba Blue Cross is a notfor-profit organization with more
than 350 employees providing
health coverage to over half a
million Manitobans.
“Our vision is to be the essential
health and wellness partner for
all Manitobans,” says Benjamin
Graham, president and CEO.
“You don’t have to be a customer
of Manitoba Blue Cross to
experience the good things we are
doing in the community.”
To encourage giving back,
employees are given two paid
volunteer days a year. Last
year, Grasparil coordinated a
collection drive for Koats for
Kids in Winnipeg and used her
paid volunteer time to help
process donations at the charity’s
warehouse.
“I’ve seen first-hand that
Manitoba Blue Cross does not just
talk about community support
but really invests in finding ways
to help,” says Grasparil. “It’s the
kind of place where the work you
do inside the office contributes to
something much bigger outside
of it.”
For example, Manitoba Blue
Cross holds an annual bed build
with Sleep in Heavenly Peace
(SHP), assembling beds for
children and families in need. Last
year, there was room for 45 staff to
participate, though more were
interested. To further support
SHP, Manitoba Blue Cross funded
a five-year building lease allowing
the charity to go from assembling
400 beds per year to over 1,000.
The benefits provider also
recently announced a $3-million
donation over 10 years to the
rescue organization STARS,
helping to provide critical care
to patients across Manitoba in
life-threatening situations. In
recognition of this transformative
