Best Workplaces, Company Culture
Article Highlights
- Trust and Transparency Build Stability: 86% of employees at Canada's Best Workplaces™ feel informed by management and believe layoffs are a last resort, reinforcing the importance of open leadership during uncertainty.
- Wellness Programs Strengthen Culture: 93% of employees feel comfortable taking time off, and 88% are encouraged to maintain work-life balance—highlighting wellness as a core pillar of workplace culture.
- Resilience and Empowerment Fuel Success: 91% of employees are trusted with significant responsibilities and 88% adapt well to change, proving that autonomy drives resilience.
- Proactive Leadership Secures Retention: In response to political and economic instability, top employers are communicating clearly, supporting mental health, and reinforcing job security to retain talent.
If the first quarter of 2025 is any indication, we are in for a ride! Canadians are navigating a lot right now and Canadian employers are facing a unique and urgent set of circumstances that make a positive workplace culture more critical than ever. With a snap election underway, an escalating tariff war with the United States, and economic pressures mounting, employees are grappling with a lot of uncertainty and stress.
Because we spend so much time at work and because work provides economic security, organizations play a significant role in helping people manage challenging times like these. And this is why knowing how to build a positive workplace culture becomes more important than ever.
When facing this level of uncertainty, your people need to know they can count on you to have their backs and that organizational resources exist to help them feel secure, valued, and prepared to face whatever comes next. In a nutshell, they need to trust!
And that fundamental level of trust in an organization is what underpins a truly great workplace culture. It’s not free snacks or ping-pong tables; a great workplace culture encapsulates the values and unwritten rules that shape how people pull together to support one another when times are tough, how they care for each other and encourage the best from everyone, and how they come together to find solutions and solve problems for long term success.
As we face these uncertain times, the Best Workplaces™ in Canada are doubling down on building a positive workplace culture and putting in place programs and resources to help their people thrive. They are leveraging the fundamentals of a great culture like trust, transparency, and employee well-being while providing programs and resources to ensure their people thrive.
How The Best Workplaces™ Build a Positive Workplace Culture
Provide Stability
Economic and political uncertainty is creating employee insecurity. Canada’s GDP growth forecast is down, many businesses are facing hiring freezes or layoffs due to increased costs and reduced cross-border trade. This leaves employees feeling very vulnerable, and people who were already feeling squeezed by the rising cost of living are now potentially concerned with larger economic downturns.
When you build a positive workplace culture it acts as a stabilizing force to counteract this uncertainty. By fostering trust, and transparency, and creating a sense of togetherness, employers can alleviate employees’ fears and build loyalty. People want to know they can ask leaders questions; they want to stay informed (no surprises!), and they want to know they matter. This is how leadership influences workplace culture and at the Best Workplaces™ in Canada employees agree that their leaders keep them informed and value them:
| Statement | Employee Agreement |
|---|---|
| Management keeps me informed about important issues and changes. | 86% |
| I can ask management any reasonable question and get a straight answer. | 88% |
| I believe management would lay people off only as a last resort. | 86% |
Best Practices for Building a Strong Workplace Culture for Stability
- Share Financial Information: Be open about the company’s plans to weather challenges like trade wars or downturns to reduce uncertainty.
- Prioritize Open Communication: Use regular town halls and weekly updates to keep teams informed about organizational responses to external issues.
- Encourage Questions: Create multiple channels for employees to ask questions and ensure responses are honest, timely, and empathetic.
- Address Job Security Concerns: Clearly explain business adjustments and help employees understand how they can contribute to improving performance.
Prioritize Wellness
The economic and political instability is also taking a toll on employees’ mental health. Aside from job security issues, the current economic and political climate is creating concerns around inflation. The tariff war is predicted to result in a higher cost of living, making it harder to afford essentials, and affordability is definitely one of the top issues in the upcoming election. This uncertainty leads to issues with work-life balance, as employees may feel compelled to overwork to prove their value or take on additional jobs to make ends meet. Faced with these additional sources of stress, wellness takes on a whole new level of importance for employees across Canada.
To build a positive workplace culture, employers need to pay particular attention to their wellness benefits. Initiatives like additional, or more targeted, mental health resources, flexible schedules, and recognition programs are imperative to help employees manage stress and stay engaged. Financial wellness programs that help people take more control over their finances are important too. Leaders at the Best Workplaces™ in Canada are doing exactly these sorts of things to build a positive workplace culture:
| Statement | Employee Agreement |
|---|---|
| I am able to take time off from work when I think it's necessary. | 93% |
| People are encouraged to balance their work life and their personal life. | 88% |
| You can count on people to cooperate. | 91% |
Best Practices for Building a Strong Workplace Culture for Wellness
- Expand Wellness Benefits: Offer free counseling, host wellness workshops and mindfulness sessions, provide paid mental health days, and train leaders to prioritize employee well-being.
- Introduce Financial Wellness Programs: Provide access to financial advisors or offer cost-of-living adjustments to support employees facing economic pressure.
- Support Flexible Work Arrangements: Implement remote work options or flexible hours to reduce daycare and commuting costs for employees.
- Promote Manageable Workloads and Cooperation: Ensure workloads are realistic, encourage teamwork, and maintain regular check-ins to provide timely support and reduce burnout.
Build Resilience
Resilience starts with a culture that empowers employees to thrive, no matter the circumstances, and it is key to building a positive workplace culture. Organizations can encourage resilience by helping people understand their own impact and empowering them to take control of their lives. Whether that’s through encouraging decision making or taking charge of their career path, increased responsibility is key. As such, resilience practices feature prominently at the Best Workplaces™ in Canada:
| Statement | Employee Agreement |
|---|---|
| People here are given a lot of responsibility. | 91% |
| People here quickly adapt to changes needed for our organization's success. | 88% |
| I am offered training or development to further myself professionally. | 85% |
Best Practices for Building a Strong Workplace Culture for Resilience
- Encourage Flexibility and Autonomy: Focus on outcomes, allow employees to work how and when they prefer, and trust them with the tools and space to succeed.
- Empower Through Delegation: Train leaders to delegate effectively and challenge their teams with just enough responsibility to build confidence and capability.
- Provide Growth Opportunities: Offer fair and accessible development programs that prepare employees to adapt to change and thrive under pressure.
- Align Work With Meaningful Goals: Help employees understand how their work connects to broader organizational outcomes and involve them in strategic planning where possible.
There is no doubt, Canada will weather this storm. It is however an opportunity for Canadian organizations to step up and show their people just how resilient, creative and resourceful they are. And by building a positive workplace culture they can do it together and achieve great things. By focusing on a positive culture, employers address employees’ immediate concerns, such as job security and mental health, while also setting themselves up for long-term success. And these times are showing us with great clarity that a great company culture is indeed what makes the Best Workplaces™ in Canada truly stand out.
FAQs
- What defines a positive workplace culture in Canada?
A positive workplace culture in Canada is built on trust, transparency, wellness, and resilience, where employees feel supported, valued, and empowered—especially during uncertain times. - Why is workplace culture so important during economic and political uncertainty?
In times of instability, a strong workplace culture provides employees with a sense of stability, security, and belonging, which helps reduce anxiety and maintain engagement. - How are the Best Workplaces™ in Canada supporting employee well-being?
They’re expanding mental health resources, offering financial wellness programs, allowing flexible work, and promoting work-life balance to help employees manage stress. - What actions can employers take to build resilience in their teams?
Employers can empower staff with autonomy, provide growth opportunities, delegate responsibility, and align work with meaningful goals to help employees adapt and thrive. - How can leaders maintain trust and transparency during tough times?
By communicating openly about business challenges, hosting regular updates, encouraging questions, and showing that layoffs or cutbacks are a last resort, leaders reinforce trust.
Tools & Resources
- Company Culture: Strengthen your workplace in uncertain times by fostering a culture rooted in trust, stability, and support—helping employees feel secure and connected when it matters most.
- Employee Engagement: Keep your workforce resilient and motivated through changing times. Use engagement tools that encourage open communication, teamwork, and a shared sense of purpose.
- Leadership & Development: Equip your leaders to guide teams through uncertainty with confidence. Our programs focus on trust-building, transparent communication, and employee empowerment.
- Trust Assessment: In times of instability, trust is everything. Pinpoint trust gaps within your organization and get actionable insights to help your people feel valued, heard, and secure.
Feedback
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