Getting Hygge With It

I’m an avid reader. Sometimes, I read business books that make me think (like this one), other times, I read crime fiction for the escape from my everyday life (like this one), but most recently, I’ve been reading The Little Book of Hygge – The Danish Way to Live Well and it really struck a …

Celebrating Mamas (and Babies) at Salopek!

It’s amazing how fast time flies – and that’s especially true in the workplace when you have a team and colleagues that you respect and love working with. For me, this is the case at Salopek & Associates. Yesterday we had the pleasure of celebrating one of our amazing Consultants and rock star mamas, Clementine …

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 …

Managing Absenteeism

Chronic absenteeism is one of the most common and frustrating issues faced by employers. According to Statistics Canada, in 2012, the average Canadian worker was away from work for 9.3 days – the equivalent of almost 2 weeks. Almost 80% of those absences were considered “casual” and not supported by any sort of doctor’s note. …

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 …

Staying Positive in a Depressed Economy

2015 was a tough year for the province of Alberta and 2016 isn’t shaping up to be any better. The drastic dip in oil price has led to mass layoffs and unemployment rates that have not been seen since the previous recession in 2007-2008. Although there is no way to predict economic factors with 100% …

Lay-Offs – Moving Forward With Purpose

We have all either experienced it and/or read about it – the after effects of a lay-off. Staff leaving offices with their termination packages, stunned as they walk to their desk to pack up their belongings and looking embarrassed as they say a quick good-bye to those they meet in the hall. Those that remain stand …

The Quest for Work-Life Balance

Now, more than ever, employees have numerous commitments and obligations outside of the office and are constantly being pulled in many directions. A shift in technology in recent years has made it easier to stay connected to the workplace to the degree that some employees never fully “shut off” from work mode. It is because …

Fuelled for Work: Kale Caesar Salad

This post is Part 4 of a series called Fuelled for Work. Every few weeks we will share a post with recipes and ideas for workplace lunches and snacks that keep your brain fired up, your stomach satiated and your taste buds stimulated. Check out the last Fuelled for Work recipe for Curried Apple Quinoa …