This morning I learned that one of my previous employers has recently suffered some rather devastating financial set backs as a result of the economic downturn. While the news is unfortunate for many reasons, it has caused me to reflect on my time at that company. I wasn’t actually there for very long in the …
Tag: Corporate Culture
The Opportunity of Accommodation
As human resources professionals, the backbone that surrounds of much of the work that you do is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. You are all familiar with your duty to accommodate and what that means for your employers. Accommodation is deeply ingrained in the human resources profession and is part of something we …
You’ve Hired Em’, Now How Do You Keep Em’?
As Alberta still struggles with the economic downturn, we are starting to see more stability. According to results of the most recent Alberta HR Trends Report conducted by HRIA, fewer organizations are expecting further layoffs, with about 45% of Alberta companies surveyed expecting their staffing numbers to stay the same. In fact, about 25% of …
Removing Fear Of The ‘A’ Word
Duty to Accommodate. These 3 words can bring about fear in even seasoned human resource professionals. And why wouldn’t you be scared of it? When you typically think of accommodation, extra costs, extra effort and great difficulty and complexity probably come to mind. Human Resources is a field where there is not always a right …
R-E-S-P-E-C-T in the Workplace
Multiculturalism and unlimited opportunity are just two examples of values that are largely important and prevalent within our country’s society today. Diversity and inclusion are hot topics that are often discussed not only within the area of human resources, but across all functions and all levels of organizations. As a requirement from the Alberta Human …
The Role of HR in Health & Safety
Traditionally, the makeup of organizations have included departments like Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, Sales & Marketing, Operations, etc. This old-style model was quite rigid and didn’t allow for much fluidity in the structure, even when there was crossover between business units. Nowadays, although organizations may physically map out their structure, the lines between departments …
Age Discrimination in the Workplace
Canadian workplaces are diverse environments, comprised of individuals from varying backgrounds, cultures and experience. However with diversity, may come discrimination. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was created as part of our constitution to protect all Canadians from prejudice in the form of equality, language and legal rights, but the unfortunate reality is that …
Why We Run – Culture, Caring & Community
Salopek’s Run to Renew 10km charity run to support the Calgary Food Bank is this Saturday, and admittedly, I haven’t trained at all. For me it will likely be a gruelling run, completed in a time that won’t be announced, and I am half expecting my weimaraner Bluelle who is running with me to barf …
Becoming a “Best Place to Work”
According to Forbes, the Best Places to Work offer outstanding work environments and company cultures that clearly demonstrates their mission, culture and values through strong communication with employees and job seekers*. Best places to work also focus on building a collaborative employee environment; they are dynamic with a fast pace of growth; and these organizations …
Working With What You’ve Got
Realizing continued growth by maximizing current resources. The state of Alberta’s economy has settled in, and organizations are starting to realize that it is likely here to stay for some time. Our hopes of a quick rebound have dissipated, and companies are now faced with the challenge of figuring out how to survive a downturn …