Our Actions in Six Areas
Human Resources Development
- Our commitment to the future
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- Develop our employees' skills
- Prepare a reliable, competent succession
- Be a modern, diversified company
Hydro-Québec needs to be able to rely on solid expertise assets to conduct its operations. However, the number of retirements is expected to exceed 1,000 per year from 2010 to 2012.
This situation heightens the importance of the corporate succession plan, which describes a number of measures for renewing expertise.
To attract and keep the skills necessary for its business, the company offers stimulating, secure working conditions, fosters a harmonious working atmosphere and maintains a constructive dialogue with unions (85% of the employees are unionized).
Furthermore, to promote employees' commitment to sustainability and improve their understanding of the concept, especially the social and economic aspects, we focus on training, awareness and guidance.
Our main achievements in 2008
Workforce management
- Average age of employees: 45.6
- New hires: of the 1,252 employees recruited in 2008, 66% were under age 35 (67% in 2007).
- Diversity: an employment equity program will be instituted in 2009. Target group representation in our workforce in 2008 was as follows:
- Aboriginals: 0.7% (0.7% in 2007)
- ethnic minorities: 1.0% (1.0% in 2007)
- people with disabilities: 1.4% (1.5% in 2007)
- visible minorities: 2.0% (1.9% in 2007)
- Student internships at Hydro-Québec: 170 university students and 35 college students.
Awareness and skills
- Training for employees who coordinate, guide or implement sustainable development activities: 111 registrants. Objective: train 40% of the workforce by 2011.
- Annual internal survey: 75% of employees said they had an excellent or good understanding of the concept of sustainability, a 17% increase over 2006.
- 16,329 employees participated in at least one training activity, including sustainability courses.
Working conditions
- Agreements in principle on the early renewal of seven collective agreements were ratified by a strong majority of unionized employees. As a result, the labor contracts for 91% of the unionized employees were extended for five years.
- Survey of new employees: satisfaction with induction and integration was 8.4 out of 10 (8.3 in 2007).
- The work-related accident frequency was 3.29 (3.24 in 2007).
