Perspectives

Healthy workplace

Imagine a Healthy Workplace

Audra Sayn-Wittgenstein

Take a moment to imagine a healthy workplace.

A place that supports the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of employees. October is Healthy Workplace Month in Canada – a time to think about your workplace. Is it a healthy place?

The World Health Organization says physical, mental and social wellbeing are requirements for optimal health. Health is more than simply not having a physical illnesses. To be healthy, people must also be free of excessive mental distress and feel socially connected to others.

Similarly, a healthy workplace is an environment that promotes health for employees by preventing physical injury, undue stress and providing social support. Physical hazards are controlled. Employees feel their workloads are balanced and manageable. And, the social environment is positive.

Workplace activities that promote a healthy environment include:

  • Health & Safety programs and activities
  • Training opportunities to learn and develop skills
  • Opportunities to socialize and work with others
  • Wellness programs and activities
  • Discussions and evaluation of workplace health achievements

It doesn’t matter if you envisioned your workplace as healthy or you feel it needs some improvements. The status of workplace health changes often due to the normal variations in factors that influence businesses. Workplace health is achieved through commitment by individuals and employers who regularly choose healthful behaviours at work. Initiatives that manage physical, mental and social problems in the workplace will lead to happy and productive employees and a healthy workplace.

STEM Careers

STEM Careers

Michael Caicco

STEM Careers – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math

You may not be familiar with the term STEM but you will be hearing more about it in discussions about education and careers. STEM represents an acronym meaning careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As certain sectors continue to grow and others stagnate, more and more employment opportunities are in industries that are part of the STEM classification.

Currently, there is a lack of qualified STEM employees and statistics show that it is negatively affecting the operations of 40 percent of companies within the biotech sector, while more than 33 percent of firms report skill shortages among staff. To ensure Canada’s workforce is prepared for these new career options, and the change in the professional landscape, the federal government allocated more than $1.6 billion in funding over five years to go towards research and innovation.

With this growth, it is estimated that more than 70 percent of new jobs created by 2018 will happen in the higher skilled occupations in industries like the applied sciences, mining and many more. At Fusion, many of our current positions are part of the STEM classification. Roles like Senior Mining Engineer and Applications Engineer continue to be mainstays on our job board. With sustainable energy and environmental aspects being key areas of the required experience and knowledge for these STEM positions.

The five main sectors that experts say are likely to need new STEM workers include mining, biotechnology, oil and gas, electricity and the environment. Jobs within these sectors are virtually limitless, leading to well-paid, rewarding careers as bioengineers, physicists, chemists, geologists, engineering technicians, just to name a few. However, despite the rapid growth it is still quite difficult to connect qualified candidates to positions that have a rapidly growing skills shortage.

Using a staffing firm like Fusion Career Services can help you find candidates for these positions. Here are a few tips to help you successfully work with a staffing firm to attract and retain talented, STEM employees.

1. Be open and detailed about the job requirements. Having a good understanding of the job details and requirements and relaying the most important factors to your staffing firm is the first step to hiring a successful candidate.

2. Have a smooth quick hiring process. Your hiring process should be easy and seamless. Your hiring manager should have the leeway to make important decisions and act quickly on the recommendations of your staffing firm.

3. Act quickly when you have a strong candidate. This is very important with high demand STEM positions. If a candidate has the skills and education, and is a good fit for the company, act quickly to secure them.

4. Be flexible, consider candidates that have 80/90% of the qualifications. With STEM candidates being so highly sought after, be flexible and if a candidate isn’t fully qualified, consider potential training for the balance.

5. Use the staffing firm as your trusted advisor.  Leverage the vast amount of knowledge your staffing firm has and use it to your advantage. This will increase your chance of successfully hiring a great candidate.
 
The need for STEM workers will continue for many years to come, understanding the industry and the education required to fill these roles is just the first step to ensuring your organization can stay ahead of the curve by attracting and retaining great employees.

 

work breaks

Work Breaks – The importance of taking time away from Work

Carol Irwin

Work Breaks – Increase Productivity by taking a Break!

Why is it so hard to take a break from work? We know the benefits of taking time away, but many of us still find it hard to take breaks during our workday. We sit at our desks for prolonged periods of time during the day, we work through lunch or eat at our desk, we stay late and bring work home with us in the evening. The result is often mental and physical fatigue which results in reduced productivity. In the absence of breaks, we get sleepy, our reaction time slows, our critical thinking and problem solving is negatively impacted, and overall our productivity diminishes.

Our bodies need breaks for multiple reasons:

  • mental break – time away from a problem or task can actually speed up time to solve an issue or complete work

  • physical break – your body needs to change position, stretch and move

  • nutrition break – water, healthy snacks and meal breaks are essential

How can we encourage our staff to take breaks? Here are some ideas to share and try at your workplace. Make sure your managers lead by example and take appropriate breaks too.

Mini break

If you work sitting at a desk in front a computer screen, as many people do today, try these tips:

  • glance away from your screen every 15 minutes to give your eyes a rest and refocus on a point in the distance;
  • stand up and stretch at least 1 time per hour;
  • take short mini breaks of 1 1/2 to 2 minutes – fill up your water glass; get up and walk around the office; use the washroom on another floor in your building and take the stairs;

Coffee break

In some jobs it is not possible to take 1 to 2 minute mini breaks. If you work in customer service or in a job where you cannot take mini breaks, take a 15 minute break to enjoy a coffee, cold drink or snack, check your social media, take time to stretch and take a short walk.

Lunch break

Eating lunch at your desk is not the best option for taking a break, especially if you continue to work between bites. If you can, leave the office or eat your lunch away from your workstation. Try these other tips:

  • If the weather is nice, eat outside or have lunch on a patio;
  • Go for a walk, to the driving range or to the gym;
  • Try learning something new at lunch – schedule a webinar or listen to a podcast;
  • Schedule a few errands that require you to walk and will take your mind off work in a pleasant way – for example, pick up a new golf club or browse for birthday cards, don’t schedule a phone call to your cellular company to dispute a bill;
  • read the news, a magazine or a novel;
  • Take time to call a friend or check your social media.

Downtime after hours

Many people work long hours at the office and bring work home with them in the evening. With todays communication technology it can be hard for some people to stop working in the evening. Every workplace has different norms and expectations, but more and more workplaces are finding it necessary to put limitations on their employees’ work activities afterhours. Concerns for employees mental health, stress management, work and family balance, as well as responsibility for overtime pay are just some of the reasons employers are “putting the breaks” on after hours work.

communication workplace

Workplace Communication – Impact of Technology on how we Communicate at Work

Michael Caicco

How has Technology changed Communication in the Workplace?

There is no disputing that the single most significant invention in the 20th century had to be the computer. It started a wave of amazing and life changing improvements in technology from Atari to PlayStation and the evolution of old-fashioned tube televisions to the current best, Smart TV’s. The changes are quite evident in our daily lives, including our work lives; most significantly in the way we communicate. Fifty years ago, operating a business was all about building relationships, and having “face time” with clients and colleagues.

In the workplace, communication is mainly done via conference call, email and sometimes even video-conference. It has evolved from the fax machine and simple email to new online technologies that allow for better collaboration. Now we have mobile phones, tablets, and web-conferencing and social networks. Communication is instantaneous, simple and cheap. We can transmit documents, videos and images anywhere in the world, instantly and at no cost. You need never be out of reach (unless you want to be, of course).

Technology allows employees to work effectively with people anywhere in the world, as if you are virtually in the room with them. This relatively new phenomenon of a virtual workplace is making it easier to collaborate and get things done.

Here are the top three ways in which technology has changed workplace communication, for the better!

  1. Collaboration. There are many times when team members cannot be in the office physically. New technology offers a number of different methods that allow for easy collaboration to facilitate continued discussion amongst working teams. Web based solutions like Asana or Trello, are great for project management and the ability to video-conference allows those who are off site to be a part of the team whether they are 10 minutes or 10 time zones away.
  2. Productivity. One of the best results of improved technology is better productivity. The use of computers to oversee certain operational or technically driven priorities, frees up time of the employees who would normally oversee these tasks. For many organizations it has driven down costs as well.
  3. Interaction and participation. This is seen through the impact of social media in business. It provided businesses with another platform to interact with customers, for marketing and promotions and to share information. Social media gives consumers a voice that they previously did not have, and now organizations can capitalize on this new opportunity to secure positive feedback on their products and services.

Although many have complained about the rapid infestation of technology in the workplace, it has now become the norm in their daily lives. With so many workers around the world, having the ability to work in virtual teams allows businesses to grow and flourish in a different way. As a result, many business relationships do depend on technology to thrive. This is not a bad thing — as long they’re using the right technologies in the right ways and evolving to allow technology to help their business, not hinder it.

ontario retirement pension plan

Feds will not support New Ontario Retirement Pension Plan

Carol Irwin

Federal and Ontario Government Fighting over New Ontario Retirement Pension Plan

Last Thursday the Federal Finance Minister, Mr. Oliver, formally advised the Province of Ontario that it will not help administer the new Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP). The Province has requested assistance from the Federal Government regarding the collection of contributions and legislation changes required to treat the ORPP like the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) for tax purposes.

The Federal Position:

The Federal Government does not support the new Ontario mandatory plan and believes it will have a negative impact on workers and business and may even result in job losses. The Federal Government is advocating for a voluntary approach to pension reform using the existing Canada Pension Plan (CPP).

Ontario’s Position:

Last year Ontario attempted to work with the Federal Government and the other provinces and territories to expand the CPP. No agreement could be reached with the Federal Government, so Ontario decided to move ahead with its own plan. The Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) became law May 5, 2015. Mr. Sousa, the Ontario Finance Minister, responded to the announcement made Thursday by stating the province was “incredibly disappointed” and indicated that the lack of cooperation would mean higher costs for Ontario Businesses.

There seems to be agreement that a long term retirement solution is needed for Canadians.

  • CPP will not provide an adequate retirement income for most Canadians.
  • 2/3 of Canadians do not have an employer sponsored pension plan.
  • Canadians have billions of dollars in unused RRSP Contributions.
  • There appears to be a lack of financial literacy among many Canadians regarding retirement planning, particularly among younger workers.

Is this pension dispute politically motivated? What do you think about a mandatory plan versus a voluntary plan? What pension solutions do you think will work for Canadians?

Need more information about Pension Plan Reform? Read the Fusion Career Services Blog – Pension Plan Reform from June 2, 2015. Note: Since this Blog was posted: Bill 57, Pooled Registered Pension Plan Act also became law on May 28, 2015.

Employee Opinions about Workplace Safety

Employee Opinions about Workplace Safety

Audra Sayn-Wittgenstein

Employees may hesitate to voice their opinion about workplace safety problems.  

Employee opinions are an important source of information.  Personal opinions are the expression of what individuals believe to be true. Though not always objective, employee opinions about workplace safety can be an indicator of the safety culture of a company.

Supervisors should find out what their employee think about workplace safety.   Do your workers feel safe at work?  What problems are employees coping with on the job? Are work days stressful and do unreported injuries or near-misses occur?  Are workers concerned that their job is compromising their health?

Engaging employees in non-judgemental conversations about what they think about the status of the workplace safety helps builds positive relationships and trust. Dialogues, including casual conversations, safety meetings and anonymous surveys, provide opportunities for employees to  express opinions and ask questions.

Awareness of employee concerns about workplace  safety allows managers to better train and supervise employees.  Understanding what employees think can help managers correct problems and create a better employment experience.  Employees often have practical solutions to workplace safety problems.

Start by asking this simple question: Do you feel safe on the job?  Openly talking about workplace safety is an important step towards developing a work environment where employees are safe, healthy and enjoy their jobs.