2026 Winner
Recognized as one of Saskatchewan's Top Employers (2026):
By Richard Yerema, Kristina Leung, and Sonja Verpoort, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Feb 3, 2026)
Here are some of the reasons whyUniversity of Saskatchewan was selected as one of Saskatchewan's Top Employers (2026):
- University of Saskatchewan's health benefits plan includes a generous mental health practitioner benefit of up to $2,000 annually -- and the university hosts monthly wellness events, including webinars, workshops and awareness challenges, mindfulness sessions every Friday, regular therapy dog visits, and more
- University of Saskatchewan offers tuition subsidies for academic courses and provides employees with the option to plan for unpaid, self-funded (through salary deferrals) and educational leaves of absence of up to one year in duration
- University of Saskatchewan supports all new parents with generous maternity and parental leave top-up payments (to 95 per cent of salary for 21 weeks) -- and offers returning parents the convenience of subsidized on-site child care services
Highlights
| Industry | Post secondary schools, university |
| Established in Canada | 1907 |
| Major Canadian locations | Saskatoon SK |
| Full-time employees in Canada | 5,246 |
| Part-time employees in Canada | 1,340 |
| Average age of employees in Canada | 42.77 years |
| Longest serving employee | 52.47 years |
| Benefits note | University of Saskatchewan has multiple employee groups, the following programs and policies may vary by position |
| Flexible work options | hybrid work option, flexible work hours, 35-hour work week (with full pay), shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), earned days off program |
| Long-term savings | defined-contribution (DC) pension |
| Health plan premium | as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 100% of the premiums |
| Health spending account | up to $900 each year |
| Wellness spending account | up to $900 each year |
| Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $2,000 each year |
| Parental top-up (mothers) | up to 95% of salary for 21 weeks |
| Parental top-up (fathers) | up to 95% of salary for 21 weeks |
| Adoption top-up | up to 95% of salary for 21 weeks |
| Vacation allowance | new employees receive 4 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
| Outside survey period | outside consultant surveys are held every 24 months |
| Employee performance reviews | employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 months |
| In-house training initiatives | apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, in-house training, online training, mentoring, leadership development programs |
| Related tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year |
| Employee charitable involvement | employees receive paid time off to volunteer |
USask inspires employees to go for the finish line
When she’s training five days a week at Saskatoon’s indoor track and field facility in preparation for future sprint hurdle competitions, Astrid Nyame draws on the ongoing encouragement she receives from her colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan.
“The support I get from the university is amazing,” says Nyame, team lead for payments and reimbursement services. “They have always been there for me throughout my journey as an athlete.”
Nyame’s journey at USask began in 2012 when she left rural Saskatchewan to study in the geography and planning department and became a member of the track and field team. In 2017, she struck gold at both the Canada West and U SPORTS championships in the 60-metre hurdles. She also finished third during a track and field event at the prestigious Park Avenue Armory in New York City. She went on to spend three years training at a high-performance facility in Arizona and attended the 2021 Canadian Olympic Trials for the 100-metre hurdles in Montréal. Soon after, she returned home and landed a full-time job at the university.
Having worked at the campus bookstore while completing her undergraduate degree, Nyame got a full-time job at the store in 2021. The following year, she joined payments and reimbursement services. Outside of work, she now trains and competes with Running Wild Athletics Club. When she needed time off last summer to travel to Europe to compete, she appreciated the flexibility her employer offered. It is that flexibility and the opportunities she sees for growth that keeps her engaged.
“I’ve gotten to experience so many different elements of the University of Saskatchewan and I’ve loved every part of that,” says Nyame.
USask is a world leader in water and food security, vaccine development, and human, animal and environmental health. As a research-intensive university with more than 26,000 students, it aspires to be “the university the world needs.”
The institution’s mission was front and centre last June when Kimberly Kroll-Goodwin, associate vice-president, development, joined close to 1,000 people — including volunteers, community partners and senior leadership — to celebrate a major milestone for USask.
At Merlis Belsher Place, a new recreational facility on campus, Kroll-Goodwin and her colleagues announced that the largest fundraising campaign in Saskatchewan’s history had surpassed its $500-million goal, reaching a total of over $570 million.
The money raised is earmarked for scholarships, bursaries and other supports for students, funding for 23 new research chairs and more than $90 million in enhanced learning and athletic facilities.
“It was an absolute career highlight,” says Kroll-Goodwin. “It’s very easy to get passionate about the work that we do.”
Having earned two bachelor of arts degrees and a business administration certificate from USask, Kroll-Goodwin joined the staff in 2023 and jumped into the fundraising campaign. She continues to develop a culture of philanthropy on campus and encourages employees to embrace the varied job opportunities on campus.
“This is one of the very few places in Saskatchewan that you can spend an entire career working for one employer but being able to have the opportunity to work in many different departments and many different jobs and see a growth trajectory,” says Kroll-Goodwin.
Nyame sees a clear growth path ahead. Last fall, she completed a three-day leadership essentials course off campus, paid for by her employer, and this year she hopes to complete the third level of the Greystone Leadership program. The on-campus program provides leadership skills development and creates communities of leadership practice in alignment with the university’s priorities and goals.
“For myself, the learning never stops, and what better place to do it than at a post-secondary institution?” says Nyame.
This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Saskatchewan's Top Employers, published February 3, 2026 in Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon StarPhoenix. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.
The Career Directory
University of Saskatchewan has been selected forThe Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.
Highlights for New Grads
| Industry | Post secondary schools, university |
| Full-time employees in Canada | 5,001 to 10,000 |
| Major Canadian locations | Saskatoon SK |
| Student opportunities | paid internships, summer jobs, co-op opportunities |
| Training | subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services, leadership training |
| Tuition subsidies (related to job) | yes |
| Work benefits | health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, transit subsidies, employees receive paid time off to volunteer |
| Vacation allowance | new employees receive 4 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Academic fields recruited
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Bachelor of Education
- Bachelor of Science
- Community College Diploma
- Secondary Education
- High School Diploma
Recruits at these schools
- University of Saskatchewan
