Congratulations to the 2013 Employers of Distinction winners and to all employers that competed in their respective categories.

In 2013, Marine Atlantic invested extensively in the continued education and professional development of their employees, resulting in 40,776 dedicated training hours at a cost of $2.33 million dollars.

Marine’s employee recognition program is a fantastic example of how they celebrate their employees, accomplished through a variety of internal awards including, “the Ripple Awards,” “Awards of Distinction” and “President Awards.” The most novel initiative is their “Bright Ideas Award,” which challenges employees to think of creative measures to improve the company’s operations. Workforce diversity is a major contributing component attributed to the organization’s success.

In 2013, the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities awarded Marine with the, “Disabilities Inclusion Award.” This award acknowledges the outstanding achievements of organizations that demonstrate a commitment to encourage and support persons with disabilities in the workplace and community. Marine Atlantic maintains a positive labour relations environment, with no work stoppages in the 30 years prior to being deemed an essential service.

Dynamic have several best practices in terms of employee appreciation and development. This is accomplished through a variety of methods including formalized job coaching from direct supervisors and through online courses to aid in continued education. In 2013, Dynamic had 27 employees enrolled in 79 courses, allocating three paid hours per week for employees to focus solely on their studies.

Dynamic’s focus on safety is grounded in initiatives that promote continual improvement. These initiatives range from daily warm up exercises, to corporate wellness projects like the “biggest loser,” to more direct investments including $16,900 in safety training in 2013.

Evidence of their accomplishments in health and safety can be noticed in their statistics, noting zero lost time injuries in 2013, down from five in 2009.

What does it mean to be an Employer of Distinction?

Becoming an Employer of Distinction means more than building a good place to work. It means becoming an organization that encourages excellence in all areas of progressive employment relationships. The award recognizes leadership, innovation, creativity and a fundamental belief in the value of a healthy, safe and motivated workforce. An Employer of Distinction is, simply put, one who views employees as vital and integral to the organization’s success.

Award Criteria:

• Best Practices Approach
• Health, Safety & Disability Management Practices
• Presence in the Community
• Stakeholder Awareness
• Compensation & Advancement

Award selection:

If the nominated organization scores at least 80% on the award criteria in the nomination form, it will be short-listed for the award. Short-listed organizations must then complete a more in-depth questionnaire that delves deeper into the five awards criteria. These questionnaires are evaluated by an independent judging panel.

The judging panel for the 2013 award consisted of: Vince Withers, NLEC Founding Chair and John Peddle, NLEC Founding Board Member.

These awards are proudly sponsored by: