Employees at Fundserv highlight their heritage on a world map during Diversity Day.Supplied
When you walk into the office of Fundserv in downtown Toronto, one of the first things to catch your eye is a world map marked with flags denoting the places the company’s employees come from. Fundserv, a financial technology firm serving the investment industry, doesn’t just celebrate this diversity: it gives workers with at least two years of tenure the chance to work from alternate locations for up to 20 days a year.
“We understand that employees have lives outside of work, caregiving responsibilities, family obligations, et cetera, and we want to offer a benefit that supports employees in balancing work and life,” says Danielle Slack, director, human resources. “Our office is in Toronto but people have connections and responsibilities that are outside of that location.”
Not only does Fundserv offer a competitive — and 100-percent company-paid — suite of health, dental, vision, and wellness benefits for a small organization, they include thoughtful perks found at few other workplaces. One of the company’s rare offerings is 65-Plus, a benefit program specifically for employees aged 65 and over.
“That’s one I’m particularly proud of,” Slack says. “A lot of companies don’t provide programs for employees aged 65-plus or if they do, the coverage is lower.” Fundserv makes sure to offer the same level of health, dental, and vision coverage for this age group as for those under age 65. The fact is, the average age of retirement is increasing in Canada. “The landscape is changing. If you don’t change with it, you’re going to be left behind,” says Slack. Fundserv instituted these programs based on a combination of employee feedback, market assessments and understanding its employee demographics.
“Because we’re small, we’re able to really understand our employee population and provide them with benefits and programs that are relevant to them,” Slack says. “Our goal is to offer benefits that truly matter to our people — ones they’ll genuinely use and appreciate.”
Alexandre Tomovic, bilingual relationship manager, has made use of the out of province work policy to visit family.
“When I go back to Québec, I have more time to see my parents face-to-face and I can work from there as well,” he says. Tomovic knows colleagues who’ve done the same in other locations. “They’re still doing their job. They’re just doing it elsewhere.”
While other employers — especially in the financial sector — have instituted back-to-office mandates, Fundserv has stuck with its hybrid work policy. The understanding, Tomovic says, is that “the hybrid model is there to give people flexibility, accommodating both work from home and in-office work.”
Fundserv may have just 150 employees, but it understands that staff still have a range of needs and circumstances. Hence, it endeavours to offer flexible benefits to cover every life stage and be more inclusive. It recently increased coverage for fertility treatments and extended orthodontic coverage to all ages. Additionally, employees can make use of up to $1,000 a year for health services not otherwise covered and $2,000 for mental health services.
The company also has an active social committee that puts on events ranging from Blue Jays outings and Paint Night to bowling and cider tasting. The first Friday of every month is known as Focus Friday, when no meetings are scheduled. Fundserv is also known for its company-wide mental health days every quarter, typically on the Friday leading into a holiday weekend.
“You end up having a longer long weekend,” says Tomovic, who has an infant and toddler and values work-life balance more than he used to. “It’s been a blessing because you get time to actually reset beyond taking care of your own stuff at home.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.