WestJet – Progressive Employers of Canada List

WestJet prides itself on creating a world class guest experience. This is evident with both our guests and our people. Moms across the WestJet world are proud to be part of such an evolving, flexible and innovative company.

WestJet offers many benefits to its employees allowing for an amazing work-life balance.
We would be honoured to be part of the Progressive Employers of Canada List and here is why we believe that our workplace qualifies for such a prestigious accolade.

➢    Part-time/Casual/Shift work/Flexible hours & days – WestJet offers the majority of our people a variety of shifts and work hours allowing for a great work life-balance. At WestJet, retention of key talent is our focus. Our corporate positions don’t have a formal agreement with   regards to work hours and days. However, we do encourage our managers to take into consideration the needs of each WestJetter on a case by case basis allowing for the ultimate work-life balance. Employees are able to access e-mail and most work applications from home, allowing them the flexibility to work remotely on days they are not able to make it into the office. WestJet provides a wide variety of shifts to suit our people’s needs.  Individuals in frontline positions have the opportunity to trade shifts with each other, allowing for some flexibility as well.

➢    Flexible Health Benefits Program - Both part-time and full-time employees are able to enjoy the perks of our flex benefits program which allows WestJetters the opportunity to customize their health benefits according to individual family needs.

➢    Travel Benefits – WestJetters, their spouse or travel companion, and their   children, as well as parents or in-laws are eligible for unlimited standby travel anywhere WestJet flies. Travel benefits are maintained throughout a WestJetter’s maternity leave. Employees can fly parents in for the birth of their grand children and to help assist new WestJet mom’s transition back to work. WestJetters also get corporate deals with other companies, from insurance to phone companies to shoe stores and restaurants. WestJetters can fly on employee interline agreements with over 50 other airlines around the world.

➢    Kids & Company Child Care – WestJet has partnered with Kids & Company to bring our people reliable, high-quality child care that is flexible enough to meet each WestJetter’s specific needs. With 20 locations across Canada, Kids & Company offers a variety of child care options to help working parents achieve a better work-life balance. Kids & Company services include high-quality full-time and part-time child care, back-up care in case a caregiver is sick, school is cancelled or the parent is called in to work on an emergency, extended care for employees working weekends or taking overnight trips, and no late fees for arrivals after 6 p.m. to pick up your child!

➢    Maternity Top-Up Plan - Part-time and full-time female employees on maternity leave are eligible to receive benefits from the maternity top-up plan during the six-week health-related portion of the maternity leave. If medically substantiated, top-up benefits may extend beyond the six-week period for a continuing disability due to childbirth.

➢     Employee and Family Assistance Program – EFAP is an independent group of professional psychologists, social workers and addiction counselors that provide confidential counseling and information services sponsored by WestJet. This program is designed to help WestJetters and their immediate family members with any problems that affect   family life, work life or well being. EFAP also provides information on schools, day cares and specialty programs in the employees area and assistance in selecting after school and summer programs for dependent children; information resources for the elderly such as finances, home support and legal advisory services. WestJetters can call from any WestJet city and the EFAP counselor will be able to refer them to any advisor or service nearest to them.

➢    WestJet-Boeing Scholarship Program – In 2001, WestJet proudly took possession of its very first Next-Generation Boeing 737 aircraft. As the first of many new planes, this aircraft symbolized WestJet’s growth, maturity, diversity, and commitment to excellence. These same attributes can certainly be used to describe the characteristics of students deserving scholarships. In celebration of our dedicated WestJet family and an investment in the future of their children’s lives, WestJet and Boeing offer two scholarships in the amount of $2,500 annually each. The purpose of these awards is to provide added incentive to WestJetters who are students, and students who are children of current WestJetters, who wish to further their education in post secondary education.

➢    WestJet Campus – Our brand new campus facility offers many exciting amenities to assist with a better work-life balance. We offer a variety of services such as a fitness center where working moms are able to access our fully equipped gym at no cost 24 hours a day seven days a week. Sunterra Market provides catering to our Campus and WestJetters are able to pick up healthy meals to bring home for family members to enjoy. There are ATM services, as well as dry cleaning pick up and drop off service. We also have our own WestJet store full of WestJet apparel, luggage and even toys – something for everyone in the family. Many WestJetters shop here for birthdays and other occasions eliminating a stop on the way home from work.

➢    Employee Share Purchase (ESP) – One of WestJet’s sweetest perks! WestJetters are eligible to participate in our ESP plan and in doing so they will join about 85 per cent of the company as a “WestJet Owner”. Employees are eligible to purchase up to 20 per cent of their base salary in WestJet shares and WestJet will match this amount dollar for dollar.

➢    737 Fun Club and CARE Department (Creating A Remarkable Experience) We have a whole team of people dedicated to providing WestJetters the opportunity for many discounted Family activities. Here is a snapshot of different activities that take place throughout the year: Skate with Harvey the Hound at the Saddledome, a private screening of Madagascar II, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean, private events at the Science center, family ski days with significantly reduced lift tickets and discounts on sporting events and local attractions.

➢    Map Your Career – It is important for WestJetters to be given the opportunity to learn which skills, training and experience are required to move up within their department or team, or to transition to an entirely new role in a different department. To ensure that this happens, we provide our employees with an interactive bi-annual job fair. All departments are represented which allows employees an opportunity to talk to people, find out about different departments and find out about different roles available in their area. This allows employees an amazing opportunity to grow within the company and familiarize themselves with the dynamics of each department. WestJet also offers career development though our employee learning and development team who offer a variety of courses for self growth from presentation skills to leadership development.

➢    WestNet – Our company intranet is called Westnet. It is an effective and interactive communication channel. The recently launched For Sale by Owners classifieds section where WestJetters can list items to buy, sell, give away or advertise is very popular. WestJet moms find this service extremely convenient as they are able to find or sell baby items such as car seats and strollers, clothes or toys, as well as advertise for shared nanny opportunities from trusted peers they work with.

➢    The WestJet corporate culture – defined by WestJetters as ‘we succeed because I care’. Every WestJetter contributes to WestJet’s caring corporate culture, and our culture is the foundation of our great airline. Our culture is the reason that people want to work with us, guests want to fly with us, and it’s how we’ve redefined Canadian air travel. We’re a deeply committed, caring family that works together, shares together, and celebrates together. Cultivation of our culture is always a top business priority; decisions made throughout WestJet – in all departments and teams – reflect considerations to our people and our culture.