LiveWorkPlay Ranked #2 “Best Places to Work” 2026 (Ottawa Business Journal)
Today the Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) announced that LiveWorkPlay has been named a recipient of the Best Places to Work for 2026. This is the first year LiveWorkPlay has participated in the program, and we are honoured to be in the company of such an amazing group of recipients. Of the 20 recipients, LiveWorkPlay was ranked #2 overall and #2 in the 15-49 employees category.
Now in its 12th year, this annual Best Places to Work in Ottawa program invites local organizations to complete in-depth employer questionnaires and conduct employee engagement surveys. This year’s program, managed by the Workforce Research Group in partnership with OBJ, engaged more than 1,300 employees from dozens of participating organizations in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. The top 20 companies are recognized as “Best Places to Work” and receive a numerical ranking, as well being celebrated in the September OBJ magazine and at the Best Places to Work Employer Summit, one of the most prominent HR and talent events in Ottawa.
While LiveWorkPlay is excited to be a part of these festivities, our participation in the program was driven be a desire to learn more about the results of an investment that began more than 10 years ago, with the adoption of our Vision 2020 strategic directions. This was a comprehensive undertaking, delivering practical workplace changes such as new competitive salary bands, the introduction of a health plan and pension plan, as well as significant operational shifts.
This included the establishment of new collaborative performance management processes with an emphasis on coaching, learning, and growth, as well as the adoption of leading-edge technology. In 2023, LiveWorkPlay moved on from traditional office space, joining Bayview Yards and providing our highly mobile staff team with a flexible home base, and the benefits of being a part of an exciting innovation community.
The Best Places to Work survey process for employees is individualized and anonymous, collecting responses to almost 100 questions related to core employee experience, specific jobs, communication and culture, relationships with managers, training/technology/professional development, diversity and inclusion, leadership, employee benefits, and work-life balance.
or above in all categories, and 98% overall, with half of the responses at 100%
Additionally, staff contributed 30 written comments. The survey data and comments were analysed and a 20-page feedback report was presented to the staff team on August 4. 100% of comments received a direct response, including identification of those areas in need of further information and/or improvement.
“I joined the board as a rookie member in 2017, when the design of our new strategic pillar Building A Leaderful Organization was in the early stages of implementation” recalls current board chair Daniel Spagnolo. “Participation in the Best Places to Work program has helped us understand the degree to which these investments have impacted so positively on our staff and the quality of our workplace. In human services, the quality of your work always comes down to the quality of the humans who are on the ground making it happen. We’ve got an amazing team and it is very rewarding to know that they feel respected and valued at LiveWorkPlay, and to see this validated by objective analysis and comparative data.”
On July 14, the LiveWorkPlay staff team spent the day with Paul Miles Managing Director/CEO at The BUSY Group
and Eileen Barak Managing Director/CEO at The BUSY Group Canada
Although all of the required survey data for Best Places to Work was submitted in May, the staff team knew that a formalized nonprofit acquisition by The BUSY Group was close to being finalized, and was able to consider this potential in responding to the survey process. On June 1, Following more than a year of exploration, due diligence, consultation, and governance review, LiveWorkPlay officially joined The BUSY Group an international not-for-profit organization delivering employment, education, training, and community services across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
LiveWorkPlay Co-Leader Keenan Wellar shared the news about joining The BUSY Group
via a live June 26 interview on CTV Your Morning Ottawa!