Nurse Next Door Healthcare Services

Number of employees: 250
Head office: Vancouver
Quote: “My mom lives in Europe and all of a sudden got very sick last summer. I only needed to mention this and the co-owner got me on the first plane to Belgium within 24 hours”

If my company were a celebrity, it would be: RICK HANSEN
“He showed the world that a disability is not a handicap, and we’re showing the world that aging is not a disability, but a time to be celebrated”

At home-care provider Nurse Next Door – B.C.’s top company with more than 100 employees – you’d never know we’d just been through a recession. The Vancouver-based franchisor added three B.C. locations this year. With that expansion comes a strong focus on employee retention via mentorship, ongoing appeals for feedback and a new-this-year Dreams Program aimed at helping workers fulfill their personal goals. The company even slips handwritten personal notes into every pay stub. Scheduling, particularly the 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. “mommy shift,” is designed with families in mind. This survey response indicates just how accommodating the company can be: “One time I was offered a last-minute client but had no babysitter. I was able to drop off my kids at the office, where the staff ordered the kids pizza, rented a movie and took care of them.” The most empathetic workers are honoured as “all-stars” and rewarded with “flower bucks,” the in-house currency used to bid on prizes.