2007 Hewitt Survey Results
For the fifth time since we began to participate in the survey in 2000, Nexen has been named as one of the 50 Best Employers in Canada. Each year, Hewitt Associates and The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business magazine sponsor the Canada-wide survey. In the most recent study, Nexen placed 40th. Placement on the list is based on ‘employee engagement’, the state of emotional and intellectual commitment an individual has to his or her employer. Factors contributing to employee engagement include how employees speak about their employer, whether or not they have a desire to remain with that employer and the effort they are willing to commit to contribute to the success of the business.
New Compressed Work Schedule Program
As part of its strategy to be an ‘Employer of Choice’, Nexen introduced the Compressed Work Schedule (CWS) program, which became effective in September 2006. This program provides eligible employees with more flexibility in their work schedules by giving them the opportunity to earn up to two Fridays off each month. Each participating department or team has divided its eligible employees into two groups that alternate taking scheduled Fridays off each month to ensure appropriate coverage is maintained. In order to earn the maximum number of days off, the workday hours have varied slightly by location, depending on the current work schedule and amount of time off already provided. The CWS program is being implemented on a trial basis until the end of 2007. The total annual hours worked under the CWS program are the same as the original schedule. Therefore, productivity and profitability should be unaffected.
Reduced Employee Turnover
A variety of factors impact retention rates for any company. The oil and gas sector has experienced unprecedented activity creating an overheated labour market for many job functions. In 2005, the impact was further compounded for Nexen due to the divestiture of certain assets. In 2006, we saw some recovery in turnover following the introduction of a number of employee-focused initiatives. Toward the end of 2006 we also experienced some release in the employment market pressure. In addition, results of the 2007 Hewitt employee survey measuring employee engagement showed an improvement in the following categories: leadership; organizational support for the learning and development of employees; performance management; and career opportunities. We scored very high marks in the area of workplace safety and security. Areas where we have to improve include providing employees with necessary tools and resources, and attracting the people we need to achieve our goals.
Diversity in the Workplace
Nexen’s philosophy is to seek the best individual for every position, regardless of gender, race, national origin or other characteristic. We do not set targets or quotas for diversity. In Yemen, however, as part of our agreement with the Yemen government, we seek to maximize opportunities for Yemeni nationals who now comprise 79% of our Masila workforce (including contractors).
We continue to track the percentage of women in our workforce (33%) and women in management (14%), which remain virtually unchanged since 2005. Nexen added a female director to its Board of Directors in 2006.
Unions and Collective Agreements
Nexen’s Balzac, Alberta facility (represented by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union) and our operations in Yemen (Masila Labour Union) are our two unionized operations, with 64 and 799 unionized employees respectively. Based on Nexen’s total workforce of 3,244 employees, 26.6% of our employees are covered by collective agreements.
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