Campus & Community

It’s a hat trick for Western. For the third consecutive year, the university has been named one of Southwestern Ontario’s Top Employers. Since its launch in 2024, Western has made the list every year. Run by Mediacorp Canada Inc., this year’s competition recognizes fifty leading employers in the region between Lake Huron, Georgian Bay and Lake Erie (excluding the Toronto and Niagara areas). “Western continues to advance its teaching and research mission around the world, but Southwestern Ontario is our home base,” said Jane O’Brien, associate vice-president, human resources. “We’re proud of our roots in London and of the impact our faculty, staff and students make in our city and across the region.” With up to 14,000 people working at Western during the academic year, it is the second-largest employer in the city. Four other workplaces in London, Ont. made the list: Digital Extremes, LBMX, London Hydro and StarTech.com. “Western is honoured to be in such good company on this year’s list of top employers. We partner with some of these organizations, and many of our alumni are leaders within these companies as well,” O’Brien said.  

Western earns high marks for family-friendly policies, investing in faculty and staff

To determine competition winners, employers are evaluated on eight selection criteria: workplace; work atmosphere; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development, and community involvement. Western stood out for its family-friendly policies, investment in ongoing training and learning and progressive coverage for mental health care. The university provides:

• Support for new parents, with maternity and parental leave top-up payments
• Unlimited support for mental health care services
• A generous defined contribution pension plan
• Discounted memberships at campus recreation facilities, and free weekly fitness classes, wellness walks and social activities through the Living Well @Western program

Faculty and staff benefit from a range of professional development programming from leadership training to educational assistance funding to cover the cost of university and continuing studies courses. “Supporting the career progression and leadership development of our faculty and staff is fundamental to who we are as a university. The emphasis we put on learning starts with students and extends to every employee as an important factor for their success and Western’s success in achieving our ambitious goals,” said O’Brien.  

Creating positive change in the community

Western was also lauded for the ways staff and faculty reflect the university’s strategic commitment to serve the public good. For over three decades, the university has supported United Way Elgin Middlesex.  In the 2025-26 campaign, Western raised $515,669 for the local agency, delivering the largest university fundraising effort in the country and one of the region’s most significant employee gifts from a single organization. Within the region, Western staff and faculty support hundreds of community organizations as volunteers or through-Western led initiatives. The university, which ranks among the top one per cent of universities worldwide for sustainability, also encourages staff and faculty who initiate projects with positive sustainability outcomes.