HR Advice Blog

The following article was originally published in Cannabis Retailer, May/June 2023. See it online at:https://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=790972 by Emily Lord In today’s retail environment, where job openings are abundant and applicants are sparse, it’s more important than ever for managers to create a thriving employee experience. This includes fostering engagement, championing rewarding work, and ensuring the business is flourishing. So, what are some of the key skills that leaders need to possess to accomplish these goals and manage in a regulated environment? When to Manage Versus When to Lead In highly regulated workplaces, it’s crucial for managers to know when to manage—to focus on educating their staff, following the rules, and getting the work done. But it’s also important to be a … Read More

The following article was originally published in Cannabis Retailer, November/December 2022. See it online at:https://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?m=63950&i=765438&p=1&ver=html5 by Kevin Woolliams Do you have a pang of anxiety when you think about tackling employee performance issues? Dread having to lecture, cajole or—urgh—dismiss an employee? Done well, using progressive discipline should significantly reduce your pain and increase the overall performance of your entire operation. A great way to think about progressive discipline—and why it is effective—is to consider the root of the word “discipline”; it relates to disciple and teaching. Consider some of the synonyms for discipline: train, drill, teach, school, coach, educate, regiment, indoctrinate. Many of those words likely resonate with you more than discipline. Thought of as a path to teaching employees—and … Read More

Kevin Woolliams remembers learning about the #hr #labourrelations euphemism, “Miserly with the truth,” as a telltale sign that a witness has lied during arbitration.

The following article was originally published in Inn Focus magazine, Winter 2021 Issue. See it online at:https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/66022348/innfocus-winter-2021 by Amy Saini When it comes to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices, each sector, and industry has norms and best practices which they look to for guidance, support, and inspiration. In our contemporary world, we are constantly looking at diversity from many angles to measure whether our organizations are demonstrating DEI, in the people that work with us, in the clients we serve, and even in the way in which we make decisions and embrace change. Some workplaces and industries struggle with articulating their commitment to diversity initiatives and others jump forward without looking back. What is it that makes one industry … Read More

The following article was originally published in Cannabis Retailer magazine, November/December 2021 Issue. See it online at:https://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?m=63950&i=726810 By: Kevin Woolliams As businesses go, cannabis retailing is new-really new. While the business has a lot of rules from various levels of government, the “rules” for recruiting and retaining employees in cannabis retailing are being explored and updated on the fly as the industry grows and evolves. A key to recruitment is to step back and think about your desired result before starting the process. Knowing your end point-who is your ideal candidate-makes the whole process or recruiting easier. What To Look For Each business (and even different locations of the same business) should have different answers for this question. One common … Read More

The following article was originally published in InnFocus magazine, Summer 2021 Edition. See it online at:https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/65699940/innfocus-summer-2021 by Chantel Wellman “Productivity is doing things you were never able to do before.”-Franz Kaftka The Potential of Productivity! Almost overnight the world changed in March 2020 and now, as we slowly emerge and discover the “new normal”, it allows businesses a chance to reimagine their work processes and offers an opportunity to improve productivity. In addition to the new acronyms we’ve learned over this past year, like PPE and mRNA, words like “adapt” and “pivot” are now a part of our everyday vocabulary, and rightfully so—they have been the cornerstone to success for many during the pandemic. COVID-19 has had an extraordinary impact … Read More

Caressant Care Nursing and Retirement Homes Limited (CCRH) Woodstock provides care and services to residents that live independently at their retirement homes in Woodstock, Ontario. The CCRH location had not identified any positive COVID cases among the residents, staff, or management. Shortly after the introduction of mandatory surveillance testing of all staff, the employee’s union, the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) filed a grievance on behalf of several members. Background In June of last year, CCRH Woodstock management advised staff of a new policy requiring them to partake in bi-weekly COVID testing and provide proof to management. Participating staff would receive one hour’s pay and have hospital parking fees waved. The policy consisted, in part, of the following: All … Read More