Employees at Ford Motor Company of Canada volunteer to pack kits for the Sashbear Foundation in Toronto.Supplied
This year marked the 15th annual Peter Klosch Ball Hockey Tournament at Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd., an event that brings employees together to raise funds for local mental health initiatives.
The event is named for a late colleague who “always had a smile, always was positive,” says Meredith Keenan, vice president, human resources. “And nobody knew what was going on in the background.”
Mental health isn’t always an easy topic to broach, especially in a work environment. But Ford of Canada doesn’t shy away, Keenan says. The company works hard to reduce the stigma around mental health and to treat employees with empathy when they are facing issues and concerns. “It’s important to ensure no one feels like they need to face challenges alone,” she says.
Headquartered in Oakville, Ont., Ford of Canada has been producing cars, trucks and engines in Canada for more than 120 years. The organization also includes three parts distribution centres and three Connectivity and Innovation centres. Today, it employs approximately 7,000 people, with an additional 20,000 employed in approximately 430 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across the country.
Keenan acknowledges that the auto company is operating in a business world full of uncertainty, which can take a toll on employees. “The magic word is resilience,” she says. “We’re committed to our employees’ overall wellness and their professional growth. What that brings back to us is people that want to come to work and enjoy coming to work.”
One way Ford of Canada focuses on the well-being of employees is to help them contribute to their community, with programs such as the Peter Klosch Ball Hockey Tournament. From United Way fundraising and networking events to naming September as Ford Global Caring Month, and more, the company encourages employees to get involved in programs that have a positive impact on their communities. It backs that up with 16 paid hours to do volunteer work.
Susan Gamble, a service transformation manager, appreciates the caring culture. “How Ford of Canada supports people is extremely important — it’s the people, the business, the benefits, and the opportunities that are some of the reasons I’ve been with Ford for 25 years.”
Gamble champions a program that supports a local grassroots charitable organization. Her passion for the organization is palpable. “Here’s where I take my glasses off and start using my hands,” she, says with a grin. “The Sashbear Foundation is really, really close to my heart. Its goal is to reduce stigma around mental health. That is our whole mission.”
Gamble has organized teams of Ford employees to participate in fundraising walks to raise money for Sashbear and, just this past September, she pulled together a group of fellow employees to assemble training materials for the foundation’s clients, using a grant from Ford Philanthropy for supplies. “We were creating these kits of training materials in Ford assembly-line fashion,” she says. “Good ol’ Henry would have been proud.”
Gamble herself is proud of her employer and the support it offers to her and others. “Our Ford of Canada CEO talks in our town hall about volunteering. We’re actually encouraged to go and volunteer,” she says. “The power of Ford is our people. This is what we do. We pitch in. We’re part of the community.”
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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.
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