Hiring and labour practices
We attract and retain employees through a combination of:
- competitive compensation and benefit packages (including flexible and culturally-sensitive work arrangements)
- professional development and learning opportunities
- corporate initiatives
Research and development apprenticeships and programs aimed at recruiting and developing candidates from universities and local communities help to ensure we continually refresh our workforce and provide employment opportunities to the communities where we operate.
About a quarter of Cameco's workforce is covered by collective bargaining agreements, and we actively promote diversity and fair hiring practices throughout the company. Cameco hires on merit, based on an applicant's qualifications and experience.
We comply with Canada's Employment Equity Act by removing barriers that may make it difficult for some people to fully participate in the workforce, including:
- women in under-represented roles
- people with disabilities
- aboriginal peoples
- members of visible minority groups
Our commitment to diversity includes:
- implementing fair hiring practices
- recruiting and retaining qualified candidates from all four equity groups
- maintaining a corporate culture that fosters excellence, innovation, employee satisfaction and engagement, by respecting individual differences and encouraging a diversity of views.
Qualified equity group members are encouraged to apply for work at Cameco and to declare their designated equity status so that we can monitor our progress towards a more representative workforce.
In addition to our fair hiring and respectful workplace policies, we have a formal system to ensure human rights complaints are resolved in a timely matter, whether they're raised by an employee or someone outside of the company.
Success to date
In 2011, we hired 648 new employees – 7% more than 2010 and 40% more than 2009. This included 178 local employees in Northern Saskatchewan, a target region for local hiring for Cameco.
Like many industrial employers, the ratio of female to male employees in our workforce is lower than we would like it to be. Women also account for a higher proportion of our turnover than men.
However, at 24% the size of our female workforce exceeds the industry average of approximately 14%, and we hope that we can further improve in the future.
GRI Indicators
LA1 – Workforce (by employment type, contract, and gender)
^Safe, Healthy and Rewarding Workplace
This indicator provides information about the total number of employees directly employed by Cameco, broken down by employment type (full- or part-time), contract (regular, temporary or casual) and gender.
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | F | M | F | M | F | |
| Regular Full Time | 2344 | 671 | 2446 | 700 | 2556 | 746 |
| Regular Part Time | 3 | 27 | 6 | 33 | 10 | 31 |
| Temporary Full Time | 61 | 25 | 67 | 27 | 73 | 39 |
| Temporary Part Time | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Casual | 10 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 11 | 7 |
Includes all of Cameco except JV Inkai (Kazakhstan). Figures as of December 31 each year.
What it means
Cameco is a large and growing employer. We are improving our gender balance with more women working for us each year.
As of December 31, 2011, Cameco employed 768 women, representing 24% of our workforce. The Canadian mining and exploration industry average (according to Statistics Canada (2006)) is 14% female, so we exceed the industry average.
LA2 – Hiring and turnover (by age group, gender)
^Safe, Healthy and Rewarding Workplace
This indicator provides information about our annual rates of hiring and turnover, and the total number of employees who are hired or leave the organization, by gender and age group.
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hires | Year End | Rate | New Hires | Year End | Rate | New Hires | Year End | Rate | |
| Male | 315 | 2541 | 12.40% | 408 | 2632 | 15.50% | 453 | 2651 | 17.09% |
| Female | 146 | 609 | 23.97% | 199 | 670 | 29.70% | 195 | 823 | 23.69% |
| Up to 35 | 273 | 800 | 34.13% | 353 | 899 | 39.27% | 385 | 1038 | 37.09% |
| 36-55 | 158 | 1551 | 10.19% | 221 | 1641 | 13.47% | 224 | 1954 | 11.46% |
| 56+ | 30 | 326 | 9.20% | 33 | 385 | 8.57% | 39 | 482 | 8.09% |
| Total | 461 | 3150 | 14.63% | 607 | 3302 | 18.38% | 648 | 3474 | 18.65% |
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | Year End | Rate | Turnover | Year End | Rate | Turnover | Year End | Rate | |
| Male | 195 | 2541 | 7.67% | 275 | 2632 | 10.45% | 314 | 2651 | 11.84% |
| Female | 114 | 609 | 18.72% | 144 | 670 | 21.49% | 115 | 823 | 13.97% |
| Up to 35 | 166 | 800 | 20.75% | 229 | 899 | 25.47% | 219 | 1038 | 21.10% |
| 36-55 | 110 | 1551 | 7.09% | 132 | 1641 | 8.04% | 138 | 1954 | 7.06% |
| 56+ | 33 | 326 | 10.12% | 58 | 385 | 15.06% | 72 | 482 | 14.94% |
| Total | 309 | 3150 | 9.81% | 419 | 3302 | 12.69% | 429 | 3474 | 12.35% |
Includes all of Cameco except JV Inkai (Kazakhstan). Figures as of December 31 each year.
What it means
Cameco continues to hire a large number of people each year.
Our turnover rate is consistent with industry averages and our turnover rate for female employees declined between 2009 and 2011. Turnover remains high in the +35 years age group due to the high mobility of that demographic and competing opportunities in the mining and energy sectors.
Looking ahead
As we continue to expand production, we expect to see our workforce totals rise. We will continue to work to keep employee turnover as low as possible through proactive retention and talent management programs.
Definitions
Turnover
The number of employees who resign, are dismissed, retire or die while employed by Cameco each year.
LA4 – Collective bargaining
^Safe, Healthy and Rewarding Workplace
This indicator provides information about the total number and percentage of Cameco employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreements.
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Workers | 3,150 | 3,302 | 3,474 |
| Workers Covered by Collective Bargaining | 893 | 891 | 913 |
| % of Workers Covered by Collective Bargaining | 28.35% | 26.98% | 26.28% |
Includes all of Cameco except JV Inkai (Kazakhstan). Figures as of December 31 each year.
What it means
Cameco participates in collective bargaining with its unionized employees in accordance with applicable legislation. Approximately one-quarter of our workforce is covered by collective bargaining agreements.
The following sites have collective bargaining agreements:
- Key Lake
- McArthur River
- Port Hope Conversion Facility
- Cameco Fuel Manufacturing (Port Hope and Cobourg)
HR11 – Human rights complaints
^Safe, Healthy and Rewarding Workplace
This indicator provides information about the number of formal human rights grievances or complaints that have been filed against Cameco in Canada and the US.
What it means
Cameco has a system for ensuring human rights issues and concerns are addressed and resolved in a timely matter. As of the end of this reporting period, we had no outstanding human rights grievances or complaints.
Looking ahead
Cameco will continue to promote an inclusive and diverse workplace and ensure that employee human rights are protected. When grievances arise, we will continue to pursue a 100% resolution system within one calendar year.
Definitions
Formal grievance or complaint
- a human rights-related union grievance
- a formal respectful workplace complaint
- a complaint filed through a Human Rights Commission by an internal or external stakeholder