A well-developed on-boarding plan will help employees fit in, learn how your company does business and shorten the time frame for new-hire productivity.

Starting a new job is stressful. The first day and often the first few weeks can be uncomfortable for new employees. New team members may experience doubt and decision regret about their job change. The success or failure of a new hire often depends on their experience in the first three months of work.  In fact, some stats show turnover as high as 20% in the first 45 days of work. As a manager you can do a lot in the first day, week, month and beyond to help your new employee fit in, understand their role, and have some fun! 

You have invested time and money to find the best new hire for your company, so it only makes good business sense to have an on-boarding plan in place to help your new hire succeed. A quality on-boarding program will help you welcome new employees and assist them to quickly become an engaged and efficient member of your team.

On-Boarding Goals

Your on-boarding program should help new employees:

• Understand your company culture,
• Develop positive relationships with other members of your team,
• Be productive, and
• Deliver high-quality work. 

On-Boarding Tips for the first day, week month and beyond…

• Put a plan in place for your new hire before their first day of work.
• The first day is very important – make a good impression.
• Plan to have coffee or lunch with your new employee on their first day of work.
• Welcome your employee and encourage others to make them feel welcome.
• Pair new hires with a mentor.
• To keep compliant with workplace legislation and best practices, orientation involves completing paper work, participating in mandatory training and reviewing company policies, rules, and standards.
• Avoid information overload and spread out the necessary paper work.
• Develop a training plan for the first day, first week, first month, and beyond.
• Training may include:
  • Mandatory legislation training (health and safety, accessibility, human rights, employment standards…) 
  • Technical training on company systems, software, equipment or processes, 
  • Culture, values, and ethics, 
  • Common jargon and acronyms,
  • FAQs – How we do business around here… 
  • On the job training
• Check in regularly to see how things are going, offer support, and help new employees connect with your team. 
• Managers should review performance at the end of the first week, at one month, at three months, at six months and beyond for more senior roles.

Interested in more information on what goes into a quality on-boarding program? Check out the Fusion Managers’ guide to on-boarding

 

 

Employers must meet obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and file a compliance report with the Ontario Government by December 31, 2017.

What is the AODA?

In 2005, the provincial government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act with the goal of making Ontario accessible by 2025. People with disabilities face obstacles that make it difficult, sometimes impossible, to do the things most of us take for granted. Things like going shopping, working, or taking public transit; organizations can remove some of these obstacles by doing things differently.

Ontario Employers must implement Accessible Standards

The purpose of the AODA is to involve Ontario employers in the development and implementation of accessibility standards in their workplaces in key areas that impact daily living. The AODA has 5 components:

• Customer Service
• Communication
• Employment
• Transportation
• Built Environment (public spaces)

Does the AODA apply to all Ontario Employers?

Employers with 1 or more employee must implement AODA standards. Accessible standards, requirements and implementation deadlines vary depending on the organization size and for private, non-profit or public sector organizations.

AODA Compliance Report Due December 2017

All employers with 20 or more employees must file an AODA compliance report by December 31, 2017.

Large Private Sector Organizations (50 or more employees) should have the following policies, programs, practices and training in place by the end of 2017: 

• Develop a Customer Service policy, procedures and practices for providing goods and services to persons with disabilities. Customer Service Standards apply to businesses serving the public or business to business.
• Develop an accessibility policy and multi-year plan on how to implement the requirements of the legislation.
• Train all employees on accessible customer service and the requirements of AODA.
• Implement accessibility across all stages of the employment relationship.
• Create accessible public spaces such as waiting areas, service counters, walkways and parking. This only applies to new or major renovations to existing public spaces.

Small Private Sector Organizations (fewer than 50 employees) should have the following policies, programs, practices and training in place by the end of 2017: 

• Develop a Customer Service policy, procedures and practices for providing goods and services to persons with disabilities. Customer Service Standards apply to businesses serving the public or business to business.
• Develop accessibility policies.
• Train all employees on accessible customer service and the requirements of AODA.
• Implement accessibility across all stages of the employment relationship.

Where can I learn more about AODA Accessible Standards?

A summary of implementation deadlines for private sector companies is available here:

Managers’ guide to accessibility large organizations

Managers’ guide to accessibility small organizations

Learn how to file an AODA Compliance Report, more about accessibility in Ontario and the AODA.

“Don’t bother coming back!” This is the text message sent after a heated exchange with your employee. Can you terminate employment by text message?

There are two issues to consider in this situation. The impulsive reaction to an argument or incident and the method of communication.

Follow the “24 Hour” Rule 

Managers should avoid making an impulsive or snap judgement regarding the termination of employment. It is always a best practice to follow what is called the “24 hour” rule. Don’t make decisions in the heat of an argument or in response to an incident. Allow for a cool down period. Take the time to discuss the situation with your management team, human resources or an employment lawyer. You may end up firing the employee, but by thoughtfully responding to the situation and preparing the termination you may save yourself future litigation in a wrongful dismissal case.

Fired by Text Message

Is text messaging a legitimate method for communicating a termination? Most people would agree that important communications should occur face to face. As a manager, you need to ensure your message is received and understood. Therefore, face to face communication is ideal. Treating your employee with respect and dignity is a very important best practice in employment, even during a difficult termination.  

However, since text message is the preferred method for communication in many workplaces it needs to be considered. Texting is a quick and direct method to communicate. Verifying that the message was delivered and read is possible depending on the phone plan.  Managers can use text messaging to inform the employee of an in-person or telephone meeting. If the employee does not respond to your efforts, you will need to use several options to communicate your message. In this situation, managers may decide to inform their employee about the termination by telephone message, text message, email and by registered mail. 

Once a decision has been made to terminate employment, managers should make every effort to conduct a face to face meeting with the employee. Managers should be very cautious about using text messaging during the termination process. The last thing your company wants to read is a news headline like this one “I was fired by text message, my boss is @#%!”.

For more information on managing workplace issues and terminations visit the Fusion Career Services Industry Resource page. 

It’s that time of year again, when colds and the flu are rampant and it seems like every other day another member of your staff is calling in sick.

Everyone gets sick occasionally, and in Canada flu season typically peaks in December and again in January – February with the cold temperatures. But for people managers, this time of year can be hard when deadlines need to be met and new year goals achieved. Managing chronic sick leave is even more difficult. 

According to Statistics Canada, the average Ontario worker misses 8.5 days per year (6.8 sick days & 1.7 days for personal or family responsibilities). For larger corporations and the government sector this number is troubling; but for small and medium sized businesses days off can culminate in huge losses to productivity and may affect the organizations bottom line. The best way to overcome the pitfalls that come with chronic absenteeism is to use a combination of methods to not only monitor frequent sick days but also to ensure a pattern of frequent sick days doesn’t become the norm for your staff.

Listed below are a few practical tips to help you manage chronic sick leave.

Track Attendance

Tracking attendance is important to identify any patterns in absenteeism early. This is your opportunity to start communicating and working with the employee when there are early signs of chronic illness or patterned absenteeism. Communication is key to ongoing dialogue and working with your staff to develop a suitable solution to manage chronic sick leave.

Understand your Team

Be on the lookout for warning signs. If there is a spike in employees calling in sick (and it’s not because of a bout of the flu that’s making the rounds) have a conversation to find out what the issue could be. It can be awkward to approach someone who may be feigning an illness. Asking the right questions can give you a good idea of your staff’s sense of stress or job satisfaction. It takes time to cultivate a trusting professional relationship with staff. Regular check-ins are important to show team members that management is invested in their professional development and well-being.

Identify Possible Causes

Absenteeism can be the result of stress (at work or at home), a poor match within the organization, childcare or eldercare responsibilities, disengaged employees, the list goes on and on. Identifying the cause will make it easier to find the best solution.

Request Medical Info

Know when to request a Doctor’s note to substantiate sick leave and to include as part of continued documentation.

Follow Up

Work collaboratively with the employee and their medical professionals to obtain relevant medical information that is specific to their limitations and to the workplace. Follow up regularly and provide the necessary tools to assist in making their working hours balanced and manageable.

Accommodate

Accommodating the unique needs of an employee at an early stage can avoid conflict down the road. There are often small changes that can be made to the employee’s schedule or work duties that may meet their accommodation needs. Make sure you are aware of the Employment Standards Act leaves of absence without pay that are available to employees.

Document

Of all tips, this is perhaps the most important. Always keep detailed notes about managing the illness at the workplace. These notes should include all communication with the employee, any accommodations considered, employee response, how the efforts to accommodate are impacting the workplace (good and bad) and any other pertinent information. Having this type of information can help in the long run in case other measures need to be taken.

Managing frequent absenteeism and employee sick leave is a very sensitive issue and has to be managed in a way that doesn’t hurt the organization but also helps the employee. Using these techniques will help you manage chronic sick leave while balancing that slippery slope by giving managers the tools that will put the business and the employee – on top.

For information on the Employment Standard Act leaves of absence read the Fusion Blog on Family Friendly Leaves or check out our Manager Guides.