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Starling Community Services.

Lutherwood One of Canada’s Best Workplaces, Again


WATERLOO – For four consecutive years, the Great Place To Work Institute has identified Lutherwood as one of Canada’s Best Workplaces. This year, Lutherwood placed 8th overall in the medium-sized category (compared to 12th last year), was recognized as the 6th best workplace for women, and was one of 6 organizations that stood out in the credibility dimension of the study.

“We are honoured to be named one of the Best Workplaces in Canada for a fourth time,” said Lutherwood CEO, Dr. John Colangeli. “I am extremely proud of our staff and the work they do in our community. I believe this award reflects our healthy and supportive workplace culture and stands as a testament to the caliber of our employees, their dedication to their work and their commitment to our clients.”

For more than a decade, Lutherwood has focused on building a workplace culture that invests in employee development, actively seeks and acts upon employee input and creates a partnership with employees based on mutual trust and respect.

“Having a great workplace isn’t something that just happens,” added Colangeli. “It is earned over time by hiring people with values that align to those of the organization, and by building a solid foundation of trust, respect and a genuine sense of caring. When employees feel valued, cared for and invested in – they want to come to work, the organization thrives and clients experience service excellence. It just makes good sense.”

The annual Great Place To Work survey measures employee trust in their leadership, pride in what they work and the working relationship amongst employees. Their Trust Index focuses on five dimensions: Credibility, Respect, Fairness, Pride and Camaraderie. The two part evaluation includes a questionnaire for all permanent employees and an audit of Human Resources policies, procedures and practices. The results are compared to benchmarked results of other organizations. More information is available on the Great Place to Work website at www.greatplacetowork.ca.

Lutherwood is a not-for-profit organization that provides a wide range of children’s mental health, employment, housing and family counselling programs. Lutherwood annually serves more than 22,500 people in Waterloo Region and Wellington County.

"We all know someone who has turned to local agencies for support. When we review our charitable giving every few years, we ask our employees for their thoughts."