UCalgary named one of Alberta's Top Employers for 7th year

Alberta’s list of Top 70 employers 2021 has been released, and the University of Calgary has made the list for the seventh straight year. This award is largely due to the efforts of our employees who are committed to our vision of being the entrepreneurial university — one where students, faculty and staff face fewer barriers to innovation and more tools to change the world around them.

We know we’re not perfect; we have lots of work still to do. In these challenging times, this is a nice reminder of some of the things we can celebrate.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for people. Employers across Alberta have also faced numerous obstacles keeping operations running and employees safe. Many of the employers who made the list this year rose to the challenge when faced with an uncertain, shifting landscape.

“The UCalgary community has weathered the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic because of our workplace culture of resilience. I credit our instructors and professors who quickly transitioned to online learning, and our employees who maintained university operations while adapting to remote work,” says UCalgary President Ed McCauley. “Our faculty and staff worked together to pivot quickly, and this reflects the entrepreneurial, innovative mindset that characterizes the UCalgary community.”

UCalgary’s COVID-19 supports for faculty and staff included:

• regular COVID-19 information bulletins
• training and interactive workshops to help employees and managers adjust to working from home
• flexible work schedules to allow employees to manage their workloads and respond to their personal circumstances
• implemented a COVID-19 Community Support website for the public (tips and advice from experts, webinars, tools, articles, resources and celebrations of acts of kindness and collaboration)

Other highlights on why UCalgary was selected as one of Alberta's Top Employers (2021):

• University of Calgary helps employees save for the future with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan and  phased-in work options to help employees nearing retirement transition
• the university implemented a mental health strategy which includes awareness events for staff and faculty, workshops, training and resources, an annual wellness fair, and a dedicated UFlourish Week to support and build positive mental health
• as part of its raison d'être, UCalgary offers a variety of professional development opportunities including in-house apprenticeships, leadership development programs, and many learning and development programs