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Johnston Group cares about its people and society

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This article was published 12/03/2024 (556 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For Kevin Reid, the philanthropy of Johnston Group Inc. is a key part of his job satisfaction. “I feel really proud to work for a company that is so engaged in the community,” says Reid, an administration specialist at the Winnipeg-based company’s life and disability claims office. “Few local firms are as involved to the extent that we are – we work with over 100 organizations.”

Moreover, he adds, “Johnston Group really shows us how to walk the talk. It encourages employee volunteerism – sometimes during work time – and it shares the impact of all the community work we do.”

The group benefit plan administrator serves about 33,000 businesses across Canada, including 350 Indigenous organizations and communities, with more than $800 million in premiums under its administration. The community beneficiaries of its financial support and volunteerism include the United Way, UNICEF, Habitat for Humanity and the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

Johnston Group is also committed to the environment and battling climate change. A few years ago, management was quick to commit to Reid’s proposal of a staff-led environmental sustainability committee, which he still leads. “A few months after starting it, we launched an office composting program, and it’s been hugely successful,” he says.

“Last year, the committee focused on what staff can do at home as well as reducing printing in the office by about 75 per cent.”

All that, says Johnston Group’s president, Dave Angus, reflects the company’s insistence on showing it cares at a number of levels. “Our rallying cry is putting people at the centre of this organization, demonstrated by how we treat our employees and how that flows out into how we treat our customers and our community.”

On the employee front, that concern about staff well-being includes a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

“We have a DEI advisor and a DEI committee who have been working with our senior staff for the past few years,” Angus says. “And we have reviewed all of our human resources policies to make Johnston Group more equitable and diverse.”

The company supports a number of employee resource groups (ERGs) based on diversity, and it recognizes and celebrates their milestones.

One of those ERGs is for LGBTQ+ employees and their allies, and Reid is a member. He is also part of Johnston Group’s DEI committee and leads its Pride initiatives. The company is an official sponsor of Pride Winnipeg.

“Last year,” he recalls, “we had the president of Pride come in and do a lunch-and-learn session. We had a drag show over lunch hour during Pride week, and then we got a group of staff together to walk in the parade and represent the company.

“It means a lot to me that Johnston Group wants me to show them that part of myself. They really empower me to be part of these initiatives.”

Reid has also benefited from Johnston Group’s emphasis on professional development. Soon after he was hired almost eight years ago, his manager encouraged him to pursue his certified employee benefits specialist designation. The firm paid for his online courses, which he was allowed to pursue during work hours. “It’s really helped my career,” he says.

Angus points out that Johnston Group is also committed to truth and reconciliation. It has established a committee that organizes activities such as marking Canada’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30. The company has planted a tree outside its Winnipeg lunchroom to commemorate children whose unmarked graves have been found near residential school sites.