An employee at Bethany Care Society assists a resident.
Bethany Care Society
For Giti Alaei-Far, a registered nurse at Bethany Care Society—which offers continuing care, housing and community-based services for seniors and adults with disabilities across Calgary and Central Alberta—a typical day includes helping seniors transition from hospital stays to new living spaces, assessing their cognitive abilities, and meeting with family members to determine the best next steps for their loved one. Though Alaei-Far is trained to care for clients, sometimes meetings or other routine interactions can be stressful, say if a resident is confused and disoriented. But in those instances, Alaei-Far knows that Bethany Care will be there for her, too.
Bethany Care offers its workers wellbeing programs including in-person group mental health sessions. “We call it a mental health gym,” says Alaei-Far, who adds that the company also provides employees with the Headversity app, which has self-care tips and tools, like personal breathing exercises and educational videos. These initiatives, says Alaei-Far, give employees ways to cope with stress and proactively prevent caregiver burnout “instead of waiting for it to happen.”
The company’s dedication to the wellbeing of its staff coupled with robust leadership development programs and recognition opportunities are just a few reasons why Bethany Care Society earned the No. 5 spot on Forbes’ list of Canada’s Best Employers For Company Culture 2026.
At Humber Polytechnic (No. 11), the focus is on building inclusive communities where staff and students feel encouraged to share their ideas and values, according to Jennifer O’Brien, the college’s vice president and chief people and student success officer.
“We want to make sure that the employees that we have here are representative of the community that we work in,” says O’Brien, and that all employees feel comfortable expressing their thoughts. “I can’t imagine coming to work thinking that I couldn’t talk about my weekend because it may not be acceptable for somebody who doesn’t have the same beliefs.”
To that end, Humber Polytechnic offers leadership-focused tools designed to help professors and other college leaders incorporate inclusion practices into their every-day decisions and team culture. The college also supports and develops employee resource groups (ERGs) where colleagues with shared backgrounds, experiences or interests can connect. Humber even provides budgets for big ERG events, such as a yearly Pride ceremony. Additionally, Humber offers perks like employee appreciation days and a $4,750 stipend for paramedic, chiropractic, and massage services.
As with all Forbes lists, companies do not pay to participate or be selected. To read more about how we make these lists, click here. For questions about this list, please email listdesk [at] forbes.com.