Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Written by Cole Pinnow, President, Pfizer Canada

Today, we are incredibly pleased to share that Pfizer Canada has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2022 by Mediacorp Canada Inc. This award recognizes companies who are leaders in their industries in offering exceptional workplaces for their employees and progressive human resource policies. While this award recognizes corporate excellence, we know that it is our people that make Pfizer an exceptional place to be. Our employees’ talent, resilience, and tenacity, over the last two years, has helped shaped our workplace and supported the wellbeing and quality of life of many Canadians. 

“At Pfizer Canada, we strive to deliver breakthroughs that change patients’ lives, we know the only way to accomplish this goal is by having a healthy, engaged and highly collaborative workplace. As an organization wholly committed to the wellbeing of others, it is critical to in turn offer our colleagues an environment that supports their wellness and success.”  -Laura Larbalestier, Vice President, Human Resources, Pfizer Canada

The pandemic has affected individuals, families, and communities in many ways. The onset of COVID-19 left many Canadians feeling isolated and has significantly affected our own and our neighbours’ mental health. At Pfizer Canada, we recognize how important it is for us to stay connected to one another. We also know that we need to take care of our employees as they take care of others. Over the past year and a half, despite transitioning to a virtual world, we are pleased to see that our employees and teams have increased their levels of cross-collaboration all while rallying around the cause of improving the health and lives of Canadians.

One of the major challenges of working from home is that the lines between work life and personal life can become increasingly blurred. Encouraging colleagues to take time away from their desks at home has been critically important to supporting the sustainable wellness of our teams. All employees worldwide have been encouraged to take “breakaway time” away from their work daily. A new company-wide Wellness Day was added to the calendar, giving all employees one extra vacation day to focus on their personal wellness, to be taken on a day of their choosing. Finally, four Focus Weeks per year are now in the calendar – two consecutive weeks twice a year in which employees are encouraged to hold no meetings so they can focus on meaningful work without distraction. 

We are immensely proud of our employees’ ongoing commitment and contribution to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, all while maintaining access to Pfizer’s diverse portfolio of medicines. We know that the success of this work requires a supportive workplace environment with innovative HR initiatives that help inspire and uplift our team. 

Creative colleague and community engagement opportunities, including virtual team building activities, a drive-in movie event and drive-through food drives for local charities, have all been introduced to help reinforce a sense of belonging and connection and recognize the individual strengths each employee brings to their work at Pfizer. Initiatives focused on overall wellbeing, such as telemedicine, online mental health support, fitness and nutrition programs have been introduced and some, including a hybrid flexible work policy, are now permanent.  

With more than 894 full-time staff in Canada, the success of Pfizer Canada comes from its talented and diverse workforce. We know that effectively supporting our employees is an ongoing commitment that requires close attention to adapt to the evolving needs of our colleagues. Pfizer Canada is proud to be recognized as a 2022 Top Employer in Canada and remains committed to establishing our work environment as an excellent place to establish a career in Canada.

For more information, I invite you to read our official press release.

Cole Pinnow was appointed President of Pfizer Canada on January 6, 2020. Follow Cole on LinkedIn and Twitter for his perspective on various topics, including the pharmaceutical industry, the life science sector and matters related to Pfizer Canada.