The City of Red Deer is a vibrant, healthy, and diverse organization that supports a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone feels safe and can fully participate in community life. We have made it a priority to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion.

There are several options available for development activities including a mentoring relationship, job shadowing, stretch assignments and coaching.

• Development on the Job - The City provides employees with a number of development initiatives including: coaching, mentoring, acting appointments, and secondments.
• Coaching - Employees can explore and develop certain knowledge areas, skill development or competencies with a coach who encourages them by providing experience, perspective, and motivation.
• Mentoring - Employees gain advice and suggestions from someone who has direct and relevant experience and information on the opportunity at hand. The following development opportunities are offered through formal channels and are subject to department approval.
• Acting Appointments - An employee temporarily performs the duties related to a more senior position. To be eligible the employee must be fully qualified for the senior position and be performing a significant portion of the senior position’s duties.
• Secondments - An arrangement where an employee is assigned to work for another Branch no longer than two years in continuous duration. Secondments ideally provide an opportunity for the employee to develop new skills and to use their needed existing skills.

The City of Red Deer is committed to recognizing the excellent work of its employees through several programs.

Rise Above

Rise Above is The City's day-to-day employee recognition program. It is a quick and fun way to thank someone for a job well done!

Bob Stollings Memorial Award

The Bob Stollings Memorial Award is presented each year in recognition of an employee who exemplifies a high degree of adherence to The City's Cornerstone Values and Guiding Principles.

Green Tribute Award

The Green Tribute Award is designed to recognize individual staff, teams or groups of City of Red Deer staff who are spearheading green actions that make our corporation more sustainable.

Innovation Award

The Innovation Award is designed to seek out and recognize those ideas that staff think of, bring forward and successfully implement.

RISE-ing Star Award

The purpose of the RISE-ing Star Award is to acknowledge individuals who have demonstrated excellence within the first one to five years of their career at The City.

Long Service Awards

The City of Red Deer recognizes that the success of our organization depends greatly on employees who have rendered loyal and faithful service over a continuous long timeframe.

Our employees are encouraged to engage in lifelong learning. To this end employees receive support to achieve their learning goals as training and professional development contribute to productive, effective, and engaged employees.

Employee Orientation

• City Conduct - Our conduct is governed by policies, commitments, and procedures set out in initiatives such as Respectful Workplace, Ethical Standards, Diversity & Inclusion, Safety, and Information Technology Usage.
• RISE - The City prides itself on its RISE values of respect, integrity, service, and excellence. These values are infused in everything we do. All employees are expected to follow Policies and Guidelines that support our RISE values.
• Respectful Workplace - City employees work in a complex environment dealing with a variety of individuals whether it be colleagues or the public. This course helps employees identify inappropriate behaviours and promote a work environment free from discrimination or harassment.
• Health & Safety - The City promotes, fosters, and maintains a comprehensive occupational health and safety program designed to enhance the worker’s quality of life and prevent accidents, illnesses, and injuries by better educating and informing workers about occupational health, lifestyle and safety issues.

Continuing the theme of a lifelong learning, City employees can access a wide variety of courses with a focus on:

• Communication Skills
• Computer Training
• Leadership Skills
• Management and Supervisory Skills
• Safety and Wellness
• Continuing Education Advance
• Employees may also be eligible for association membership fee reimbursement and tuition reimbursement for courses offered through outside Associations and Educational Institutions. Reimbursement is subject to department approval.

The City of Red Deer cares about the health and well being of its employees. When you put your valuable time, knowledge, and expertise to work at the City of Red Deer, we will put together a lot of resources to take care of your well-being!

• Ergonomics - Ergonomics is the science of matching the work (job, equipment, tools, and environment) to the worker.
• Wellness & Safety Day - This is an annual event held in May each year. All employees are welcome and encouraged to attend.
• Health & Wellness Policies and Guidelines - Clear policies and guidelines regarding smoking, scents in the workplace and immunizations.
• Partners for Life - Blood Donor Clinic - The City of Red Deer is proud to be a part of Partners for Life – a life-saving program for organizations that are committed to giving blood and saving lives!
• Care Management Process - Care management means assisting the employee and working closely with their treatment providers and physician with the goal of recovery and safe return to work.
• Safety - The City of Red Deer recognizes that the safety and health of all workers is a prime consideration in the operation of this organization.
• Holidays - The City of Red Deer observes the following statutory holidays;
  • New Years Day
  • Family Day
  • Good Friday
  • Easter Monday
  • Victoria Day
  • Canada Day
  • Heritage Day/Civic Holiday
  • Labour Day
  • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Remembrance Day
  • Christmas Day
  • Boxing Day

Please Note: The City of Red Deer is willing to accommodate employees' specific religious beliefs, creeds, and festive days to allow employees to follow their faith. Time may be taken for holidays, other than those listed above, using vacation, Earned Days Off (EDO) or time off without pay. Time off is based on operational requirements of the work area at the discretion of the supervisor.

• Compressed Work Week - Employees may be eligible to participate in the compressed work week, which requires employees work additional time each day to earn their days off.

The City of Red Deer offers a cost-shared, competitive, and comprehensive benefit plan, which complements our overall compensation plan. Dependent upon union affiliation, status, and the terms and conditions of employment, variations of the following benefits may be offered.

Alberta Blue Cross

• Extended Health Dental Travel and Spending Accounts
• The City provides medical, dental and travel insurance as well as spending accounts through Alberta Blue Cross.

Employee Assistance Program

• EAP is a free, confidential, 24/7 service covered by The City and provided by HumanaCare to help you and your family with personal or work-related problems.

Illness and Injury

• Employees who are unwell and sick or injured need to take time off work to recover and you may have coverage for your time off.

Group Life Insurance

• Group Life Insurance (Basic Group Life, Spousal Group Life, Dependent Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance).

Leaves of Absence

• Leaves of Absences, including personal, apprenticeship, maternity, or parental leave.

Pension

• The City matches the employee's contribution to the Local Authorities Pension Plan, plus contributes an additional one per cent.

Vacation

• The City provides an annual paid vacation to give employees the opportunity for rest and to enable them to return to work refreshed.

Saving for the Future

• The City offers the option to invest in RRSPs and Tax-Free Savings Accounts through payroll deduction.

Employee Discounts

• Employee discounts include reduced transit fees, reduced admission to recreation facilities and discounts on home and automobile insurance.

Approximately 91 per cent of City of Red Deer employees are collectively represented by the unions. The City values its relationship with the unions and respects their purpose in speaking for the employees they represent. We believe that an open and honest relationship, strengthened through ongoing communication promotes our mutual interests and enhances our ability to provide superior services to the public. The relationship also provides a mechanism for airing concerns and complaints in a manner which leads to positive solutions. 

 Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 569 (ATU)

Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 417 (CUPE)

International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 1190 (IAFF)

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 254 (IBEW)