McGill has been named to the Montreal’s Top Employers list for the 15th consecutive year. Compiled by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, the list features the employers in Greater Montreal that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. This year’s winners were announced recently in a special magazine insert in the Montreal Gazette.
For Diana Dutton, Associate Vice-Principal, Human Resources, the key to the University’s success is commitment – employee commitment to McGill and McGill’s commitment to employees.
“Our employees are the backbone of the University. They bring a richness and variety of skillsets, passion and ideas to their work that is truly impressive,” said Diana Dutton., “McGill as an employer has put in place a range of benefits and programs to support the diverse group of individuals who make up our staff community, from those who have just joined, to those who have been here steadfastly for many years.”
Wide-ranging employee benefits
The University earned praise for a wide-range of employee benefits, including generous vacation plans; flexible work arrangements; and, as highlighted by the Top Employers list, a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“McGill University maintains an action plan to address anti-black racism and is committed to increasing the representation and career opportunities for Black administrative and support staff as well as tenure-track or tenured professors (with targets for 2025 and 2032),” read the citation.
Top Employers also highlighted McGill’s family-friendly benefits, from maternity leave top-up payments for new mothers to parental top-up for adoptive parents. Additionally, employees have the option to extend their leave to an unpaid leave of absence and may take advantage of onsite daycare at McGill’s main campus, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Montreal employers are evaluated using eight criteria: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement. The list compares employers to other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.
I can not begin to express my concern regarding the publication of such overt propaganda. Since I neither wish to begin reciting the very basics of journalistic ethical standards, nor call attention to the absolute fight the majority of non-academic employees have had to endure just to receive less than inflationary cost of living wage increases, I will leave it at that.
100% agree with Kara. McGill makes it in the top 15 for its Academics, not the people in the trenches.
The McGill Reporter is published by the university. Hence, its coverage can be expected to feature good news. If the Gazette or the CBC published a similar story, it would be considered in breach of ethical standards. (BTW, I teach a course on ethical communications an once, nay years ago, was in charge of The McGill Reporter.) That said, I agree with your main point: many of those in the trenches (even academics) are overworked, underpaid and taken for granted, because they can be squeezed without major cost to reputation . . . so far. I speak from experience.
Thank you Lynda and Elizabeth for having the courage [ethical backbone] to share your comments. Elizabeth, while it’s truly unfortunate you no longer hold the position you had at the Reporter, the very fact that you commented is significant and very much appreciated; you’re insight is invaluable. Sincere thanks.
Breach of ethical standards? How so? Because the Reporter covered a list prepared by an independent organization that was published by the Montreal Gazette? Since when is it a breach of ethical standards to cover this kind of story? Is it a breach of said standards when the Reporter covers rankings stories? Or when it writes about researchers, teachers or students winning awards? Both the Gazette and CBC post stories about awards they win all the time. Google “CBC/RADIO-CANADA CELEBRATES 52 WINS AT THE 2022 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS” for the most recent such story (April 10) posted by CBC. You… Read more »
Hi Elizabeth. I echo Henderson’s concerns. As the author of this article and the editor of the McGill Reporter for the past 15 years I take allegations of breaching ethical standards very seriously. Can you please explain to me exactly how reporting on a list/ranking/article written by a third party entirely unaffiliated to McGill breaches any ethical standards. If the Reporter won a CCAE award (which we have a number of times during my tenure as editor), should we not report on that?
Well let’s call it what it is, the “ranking” is nothing more than paid advertising. The Gazette doesn’t report this or their other “ranking lists” as news. The group that is responsible for this ranking, pays the Gazette to include their “magazine report” as an insert. Mcgill pays every year to be included in their ranking, the questionnaire is completed and submitted by only one person at McGill, there is no peer review process prior to being submitted which doesn’t require any employee involvement or input, at all. What is submitted is entirely at the discretion of the employer. So… Read more »
Propaganda? How so? McGill didn’t commission the Top Employer list, did it? McGill didn’t write the Top Employer list, did it? The article in question merely reports on the list that was, in fact, prepared by an independent organization and published by the Montreal Gazette. So how exactly were “journalistic ethical standards” compromised? You may not agree with the Top Employer list, but suggesting that the McGill Reporter is somehow engaging in propaganda or, worse yet, breaching basic journalistic standards is ludicrous. Is the Reporter breaching journalistic standards when it reports on university rankings done by an independent organization? No.… Read more »
I completely disagree. This ranking is not news, it’s advertising that McGill has paid for. What’s published is simply a list of companies that paid a fee and completed a lengthy questionnaire which is a platform used for advertising. No employees were actually involved in this “ranking” of employers, no businesses other than those who pay are included in the “ranking”.
So who are the top 14?
You really should read the article more closely. McGill isn’t ranked 15th. It was included in the Montreal’s Top Employers list for the 15th straight year.
Has McGill no shame? Let us not forget what MUNACA president Thomas Chalmers wrote in response to yet another intentional misdirect of the public at large, and blatant propaganda published on behalf of McGill wherein the Reporter announced that McGill had offered a 21% pay increase to which MUNACA refused. here is an excerpt of Thomas’ response: Obviously, we disagree with McGill’s contention that they are offering our members a 21% increase. They are offering cost of living increases of June 1, 2019 1.5%, June 1, 2020 1.5% June 1, 2021 1.5% *This represents a 4.5% increase when we have… Read more »
Happy to say that of these 8 criteria used so McGill may boast being a top employer: “physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement”, were all conditions NEGOTIATED BY, AND CONSTANTLY ENFORCED BY OUR CAMPUS UNIONS, not freely given to employees by the administration. So, well done to UNIONS like AMUSE, AMURE, AGSEM, MUNACA, SEU and others! These allocades in fact belong to the UNIONS for their ongoing work at negotiations tables, and in labour relations meetings to protect the rights… Read more »
“Our employees are the backbone of the University. They bring a richness and variety of skillsets, passion and ideas to their work that is truly impressive.” So stop intentionally short-staffing offices and contributing to burnout, stop allowing for the casualization of permanent jobs, and stop nickel and diming your staff during salary negotiations. Stop wasting money on union-busting activities, like trying to appeal the AMPL certification.
This article is dishonest and doesn’t reflect the experience on the ground of employees who are constantly ignored by McGill, much like McGill also ignores the students we serve.
McGill can pay for all the awards and accolades it wants. Doesn’t mean it is true! Clearly the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers does not speak to many (if any) employees.
Because my first post was not approved I will post again slightly modified.
Top employers should not leave their employees without a union contract for 4 years!
The proposed cost of living increases do not reflect the CPI being reported. E.g.: average CPI for 2022 was 6.8%, McGill offered 2% for 2022.
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/prices_and_price_indexes/consumer_price_indexes
Hope to see that McGill lives up to the title of “best employer” in the coming year, and MUNACA employees (and all other employees) get what they deserve.
I’m curious to know why ‘competitive salaries’ was not one of the criterion used as a comparator? Who picked these criteria? Who was interviewed? Seems like much nuance was overlooked or undervalued.
Although no employer is perfect and I understand there are union issues for some and salary issues for others mentioned in the comments, I am proud and thrilled to be working at McGill and feel it’s worthy of the recognition as one of Montreal’s top employers through https://www.canadastop100.com. As a working parent, I appreciate the work-life balance, work-from-home opportunities, and all the great benefits McGill offers. Coming most recently from private sector, I can tell you the grass isn’t always greener. At McGill, I’m lucky to be working in an atmosphere where I feel valued and am connecting with colleagues… Read more »
The things they only do right because unions have fought them tooth and nail for it.
Exactly. I imagine this ‘ranking’ would look a lot different if other measurable data were considered, such as: % job vacancies in overall workforce, % of workforce currently on leave, annual turnover rates, # of early retirements (indicators of recruitment and retention), hours of overtime paid out (workload and possible burn out), # of active grievances (usually a direct result of problem managers), # of letters of agreements (out of court settlements) signed. For those who’ve been around a while, we’ve even seen a mass exodus of HR staff. That speaks volumes in and of itself.
I worked at McGill and was burned out. I now work for a different university with higher pay (30% more for the same job), better benefits, and half the workload. Unlike you, I had no work-life balance and was delegated tasks above my pay grade. The environment is toxic. When I expressed concern to HR and my union, no one helped. So happy I left.
I used to work at Mcgill and left for a similar job at another university with higher pay.
I totally agree with Kara comments. It is sad that the newspapers today have no journalistic integrity and print only what they feel is in their best interests to serve the rich and powerful of this country.