biologist

operator

shop assistant

operations manager

deckhand

Acden Helios

The jobs they post pay decent and is great for what the work is, however there have been times where I questioned if I would be fired the next day for making simple mistakes. Before I give the negatives, here is the summary of how jobs at this company work:
-12 hour shift (occasionally will need to stay longer due for multitude of reasons. Drive to/from site from the camp isn't included in 12 hours).
-7on/7off or 14on/14off which gives lots of time for personal time/growth.
-pay is low-average for camp jobs and Fort McMurray jobs
-They provide the flights and camp accommodations (unless if you work for base plant)
-You will drive their trucks, and when it gets -30 degrees in Alberta, you will be expected to start the cold truck and sit in it until it warms up, then head to work.
-The workplace culture seems generally stressful, as most workers will complain to each other about management and this creates a negative atmosphere.
-Unfortunately some years you would only see management once or twice at site, and only hear of their names.
-Workers get swiftly laid off from this company for either voicing an opinion, or having a bad day with the weather conditions.
-Job security does not exist, if you give them a hard season of good work with your head down, they still will prefer to hire brand new biologists. This means every season even if you are re-hired, 80% of the faces you see will be new. 
-The hardest part of the job was receiving little training on environmental policies and being expected to implement them as soon as your on site. 
-The most enjoyable part of the job was the camp life, having free food and access to camp amenities.

My suggestion, If you apply, get your experience, and look elsewhere during the season, as your not learning much from this job besides how to cope with stress.

I was in a training course not long ago where the instructor said 
"If you can't go to your foreman with something, go to your supervisor.  If you can't go to your supervisor, go to your manager. If you can't go to your manager, you shouldn't be working there." And that is the case here. Management is not it. If you have a concern, it is generally ignored by anyone you bring it to.
Being in the favorites group is beneficial because if you're not your job security is non existent and possibility of promotion is gone. 
They don't care how much experience you have for promotion, they tend to just get yes men.
If your contract says one thing, they very well could say another and change everything on you in a blink of an eye. 
It's a good start job for biologists, but that's about it. 
Acden Helios has so much potential, but it's being squandered.
You are a number, not a person.

Working amongst your own crew is great. Everybody on the crew gets along and works well together, however there is a lot of highschool drama between the cross shifts and morale is quite low.
There is a lack of respect from upper management/owners. You'll only advance in the company if you're part of their clique and don't question what they tell you to do even if it goes against procedure/ethics. 
Management complains that nobody is qualified to do the job but then will hire people with a lack of experience/education. They don't care who works for them, they just need a body to fill the positions so they can keep getting money. 
They have also messed with the workers pay on multiple occasions and thought they could get away with it.. I don't imagine the company will be around much longer with the way they are handling their employees/contracts.

Not a great place to work. Very toxic in all levels of management. I think nepotism and hiring friends that then are kept immune to all feedback or issues seen by other workers, is rampant. If you are in the "good books" and don’t cause any issues or bring up concerns, you will be treated well. But if you do… be prepared to deal with toxicity and concerns going unheard. Unfair treatment (good or bad) if management chooses to like or dislike you. Good starting out job, but don’t expect to advance unless you're liked; lots of growth for people who don’t seem to have the experience or education for the role they get promoted into. Don’t recommend, unless for short time. Toxic, bad management that will never change. Have since rebranded to avoid accountability to the client. 

If you stick up for what you know/ what you feel is fair and right then they will just fire you. 

Treat staff as replaceable. You are just a number here to CEO and upper management. They would hire anyone just to fill the position. They have a huge turn around due to not treating their staff with respect. Also if they let you go while on shift they will take you to Fort Mac and expect you to get home on your own dime. Even though they fly you there to get money in their pocket, they don’t have the decency to get you back home! 

By far the worst place I have experienced so far. That is setting the bar fairly low if it has beat other horrible places! 

They might have good staff and stronger teams if they treated people right. 

I have extensive experience in the environmental industry with consulting and chose this company originally based off schedule, pay and opportunity.  
There is room for advancement and management supports growth, however you put in what you hope to gain, and attitude makes all the difference. I am fortunate that I work on a 7/7 rotation with an amazing team of biologists; with great pay and the ability to learn in my field.

Overall, I am satisfied and have a great work/life balance which I did not have coming from the consulting world!

Great job to get experience in the field. The people you work with are great and are the reason many people return… however upper management is questionable. Many things are not communicated down to the staff, many surprises throughout the year regarding staffing and plans for the future. Lack of appreciation for the staff working in the field with unrealistic expectations from upper management who are rarely on site. Management will give a lot of talk without action in hopes that people return the following season. 

Overall, apply to gain experience and then move on. 

Great work life balance with schedule. Client provides excellent services and camp life.

When working with a client directly, it is collaborative. Although internal culture within seems a little disorganized.
Work direction, methods and processes don’t align with industry norms. 

I have genuinely never been treated so well by a company in my life. I'm not sure why some of the negative voices are on here. I love my job and I have a deep respect and fondness for everyone I work with. 

Huge gratitude to our senior management because they are just all around good people. They care about you as a individual human being and will always answer the phone if you have a concern. 

Working here has made me a better person.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Co workers are  the best, laughs, team work 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Bosses always watching from afar knowingly work is being done.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It's very interesting to see how you'll field site is being done 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Every day is routine, some new twists

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Biologist 3 salaries reported	$32.00 per hour
Operator 3 salaries reported	$31.33 per hour
Shop assistant 1 salary reported	$25.00 per hour
Operations manager 1 salary reported	$100,000 per year
Deckhand 1 salary reported	$31.50 per hour

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