The word ‘bullying’ and ‘harassment’ are thrown about and sometimes as jokes – but what do those words really mean? How do you know if a behaviour really is bullying or harassment in the workplace? A bully is not someone who is miserable. A bully is someone who is nice to some people but picks on an individual or group with the intent of undermining their dignity at work. A more complete definition is in the video, but it is NEVER helpful to business performance. Sometimes the target is one of your most competent people, but the bullying eroded their confidence to the point that they become ineffective. This video with Denise Koster, discusses bullying and harassment and what you can do about it.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Best Practices
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
Compliance in HR
Compliance in HR seems simple but it is not. We have to obey the laws and that means knowing which laws to obey, where to find them and how to read them – all while paying attention to jurisdictions and changes of which there are many.
Gayle Wadden is a lawyer and the Chief Compliance Officer for Compliance Works. We talked in general about compliance in Canada because employers have a lot to concern themselves with including OH&S, labour relations, employment standards, privacy, human rights, pay equity and accessibility.
Gayle has tips to share on how to stay abreast of legislation and changes. See the full video.
Innovative Recruitment Strategies
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
WCB Basics
This covers the Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB) basics from an employer and HR’s perspective. It’s the bigger picture of managing claims costs and a compelling reason you need to get employees back to work as soon as possible. Better still you should avoid accidents altogether (but that’s another episode).
When a supervisor would rather leave a worked at home than bring them back to modified work… watch this. It’s soooo expensive not to manage your claims.
How Cross-Training Can Help Boost Productivity in a Post-Pandemic World.
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
COVID Surveillance Testing
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
COVID-19 & Labour Relations
More than eight months ago, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 virus a pandemic. Since then, the pandemic has impacted more than just our health, it has impacted our day-to-day lives and every sector within our economy. We have been forced to adapt to a new way of doing things in an effort to slow down and stop the spread of the disease. Some of these changes have exposed us to a better way of doing things, and others have caused us more hardship. Work is a major component of our day-to-day lives, and with over half of Canadians working in full-time positions it has created compelling needs for organizations to modify their practices. This includes processes as we … Read More
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
When it comes to sexual harassment in BC, employees are protected by the Occupational Health and Safety regulations (WorkSafeBC) and the B.C. Human Rights Code. Though these laws are put in place to address workplace bullying and harassment and protect individuals against sexual harassment, at times it can be difficult to distinguish between acts of sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace. An example that demonstrates the factors that are considered when distinguishing between the two is a labour arbitration involving a relationship between a subforeman and an apprentice, employed by BC Hydro, that took place in 2015; the arbitration decision was made recently, on September 11, 2020. The Back Story The subforeman, a male employee of 17 years, was … Read More
Celebrating Diversity & Inclusivity in the Hotel Industry – InnFocus Fall 2020
The following article was originally published in InnFocus magazine, Fall 2020 Edition. See it online at:https://www.emcmarketing.com/sites/emcmarketing.com/files/file_upload/InnFocus/2020/InnFocus_Fall_2020.pdf by Amy Saini BC has long held a reputation of a highly desirable destination for tourism and adventure. The province has much to offer with rugged and awe-inspiring nature, vibrant cities, and a strong multicultural and diverse society. It is no surprise that tourism numbers continue to soar year after year in beautiful British Columbia. Tourism has been a driving force in the globalization that shapes BC. Consequently, the hotel industry is always in the forefront as the world changes around us, pushing the industry to continuously evaluate its practices, stay competitive, and meet the needs of its guests and workforce. Successful hotels are … Read More