Posts Tagged ‘Link’

  • 22 Dec

    Posted by
    Erik Bartz


    Category

    4 Considerations Before Using a Bring-Your-Own-Computer to Work Program

    0

    High angle view of a young man sitting on a couch and using a laptop

    ITBusinessEdge wrote a great piece yesterday, Employeed-Owned Computer Programs: Diving into Murky Waters which brings up an interesting trend in the workplace and raises some potential legal, security and HR issues.  A “BYOC” program could be a fantastic way for businesses to save money, improve employee performance and engagement, etc, but here’s 4 implications to consider first:

    1. Who “owns” the data? Make sure all employees are covered under data ownership agreements, that state all work-related data and applications are the property of the company.  And at the time of termination, etc that transfer and erasure of the data must be witnessed and verified by the internal IT resources.  Update and utilize intellectual property and confidentiality agreements.
    2. A Security Blackhole?! Provide all your staff with security and anti-virus programs, and conduct occasional audits to verify proper security measures are in place.  Include a security agreement stating the employee will take all necessary and mandated precautions.
    3. Who owns the laptop? Your company puts in a couple grand, but the employee bought it, so then who owns it?  Before the employee gets the money, require a “graduated pay-back” of the funds.  For example, each month represents $200 depreciation of the funds – so if you gave $2000 and the employee leaves 6 months later, they owe back $800.  Check with your accountant for the best way to handle it.  Utilize a waiver to satisfy any employment standards requirements regarding pay deductions.
    4. Make it a choice.  Allow employees the option of a company provided computer or participating in a BYOC program.  Some employees may not be interested in purchasing another computer.
  • 08 Dec

    Posted by
    Jennifer French


    Category

    Resignation vs. Termination Notice

    2

    Recently, a client contacted me with the following question:

    “If an employee has provided 2 ½ months notice for resignation but we don’t require (or want) him here for more than two weeks – how do we handle it legally?”

    The answer is that it depends on the employee’s service with the company but it is the lesser of the resignation notice or the termination pay that would be owed under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 minimums.  For example, if the employee has 2 years of service, you would owe 2 weeks pay under Employment Standards (rather than 2 ½ months) because in essence you are terminating his employment (see section 56 subsection (1)(a) of the Act).  However, if the employee has 10 years of service, you may be obligated to pay the 2 ½ months (or continue to have the employee work for this period of time).  If severance is applicable, then the employee would be entitled to 8 weeks notice and 10 weeks of severance.  Therefore, the 2 ½ months of resignation notice would be less.  If severance is not applicable, then the employee would be entitled to 8 weeks notice only which would be less than the resignation notice of 2 ½ months.  You would be terminating his employment and paying (or having him work) the 8 weeks of notice.

    So, the next time you have an employee submit a resignation letter with a significant notice period, double check his/her service date!

  • 18 Nov

    Posted by
    Pam Mihailoff


    Category

    Revisiting your Mission Statement

    0

    As an HR Consultant for the last 13 years, I’ve been exposed to a diverse group of organizations, across many different industries and in those years I’ve seen A LOT of mission statements.  They usually get framed and posted on the wall somewhere in Reception.  What is interesting is that very few of those mission statements were memorable to me – it was rare to see a statement that truly defined, in a clear and concise way, the company’s purpose and end-state goal.  Often the statements I read sounded all too similar, i.e.  “To be the best in the industry,” “To continually provide exceptional customer service to our valued customers,” and “To be flexible to our clients ever changing needs.”  It seems to me these declarations were more of a marketing statement than a mission statement.

    Illustration by Patrick Leger

    Illustration by Patrick Leger

    I recently came across a fantastic article entitled “How to Write A Mission Statement that isn’t Dumb” that contains wonderful insights on writing a Mission Statement that has true value.  What I learned from this article, is the most effective mission statements are:

    1. simple
    2. quantify the organization’s goal
    3. completely void of meaningless statements like “To strive towards excellence”

    If you develop a mission statement that EVERY employee can remember and understand, they could use it as a guiding tool when making every day decisions in their job.

    You may have heard this famous story about President Kennedy that exemplifies my point. During a visit to the NASA space center in 1962, President Kennedy noticed a janitor carrying a broom.  He interrupted his tour, walked over to the man and said, “Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?”

    The janitor responded, “I’m helping put a man on the moon, Mr. President.”

    How’s that for simple, goal-oriented and completely void of meaningless statements?

    Now the bigger question – have you read your mission statement lately?

  • 05 Oct

    Posted by
    Teresa Cirillo


    Category

    Flu Season Approaches…

    0

    Has your inbox been inundated with emails regarding the 2009 H1N1 Flu Pandemic?  The truth is…IT’S UPON US…..
    Spread of the H1N1 virus (“Swine Flu”) is thought to occur in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people who are infected with influenza.  You could be infected by touching something – such as a surface or object that have flu viruses on it and then touching your mouth or nose.
    The symptoms of 2009 H1N1 flu virus include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.
    In seasonal flu, certain people are at “high risk” of serious complications. About 70 percent of people who have been hospitalized with this 2009 H1N1 virus have had one or more medical conditions previously recognized as placing people at “high risk” of serious seasonal flu-related complications. This includes pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney disease.
    People infected with seasonal or the 2009 H1N1 flu may be able to infect others from 1 day before getting sick to 5 to 7 days after. This can be longer in some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems and in people infected with the new H1Na1 virus.
    So how does an organization address what could be the “Perfect Storm” as it relates to flu season?  A suggestion is to take a two-phased approach:
    Phase 1 is all about Flu Prevention – Provide your employees and managers with practical tools to help prevent the transmission of the flu (seasonal and H1N1).
    Phase II is all about a Business Continuity Plan – This assumes a severe flu outbreak whereby business continuity is threatened in certain markets or regions.  This phase requires that you give careful thought to how you would continue to operate under a severe labour shortage.
    WHAT CAN YOU DO TO STAY HEALTHY?
    • Stay informed. Keep informed by visiting websites, such as www.Fightflu.ca, as important information becomes available
    • Take everyday actions to stay healthy. As influenza is transmitted person to person, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing or use your upper sleeve and not your hands.  Throw tissues in the trash after you have used them.  Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective
    • Stay at home if you get sick. Limit your contact with others to keep from infecting them.
    • Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

    Has your inbox been inundated with emails regarding the 2009 H1N1 Flu Pandemic?  The truth is…IT’S UPON US…..

    Spread of the H1N1 virus (“Swine Flu”) is thought to occur in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people who are infected with influenza.  You could be infected by touching something – such as a surface or object that have flu viruses on it and then touching your mouth or nose.

    The symptoms of 2009 H1N1 flu virus include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.

    In seasonal flu, certain people are at “high risk” of serious complications. About 70 percent of people who have been hospitalized with this 2009 H1N1 virus have had one or more medical conditions previously recognized as placing people at “high risk” of serious seasonal flu-related complications. This includes pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney disease.

    People infected with seasonal or the 2009 H1N1 flu may be able to infect others from 1 day before getting sick to 5 to 7 days after. This can be longer in some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems and in people infected with the new H1Na1 virus.

    So how does an organization address what could be the “Perfect Storm” as it relates to flu season?  A suggestion is to take a two-phased approach:

    Phase 1 is all about Flu Prevention – Provide your employees and managers with practical tools to help prevent the transmission of the flu (seasonal and H1N1).

    Phase II is all about a Business Continuity Plan – This assumes a severe flu outbreak whereby business continuity is threatened in certain markets or regions.  This phase requires that you give careful thought to how you would continue to operate under a severe labour shortage.

    WHAT CAN YOU DO TO STAY HEALTHY?

    • Stay informed. Keep informed by visiting websites, such as www.Fightflu.ca, as important information becomes available
    • Take everyday actions to stay healthy. As influenza is transmitted person to person, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing or use your upper sleeve and not your hands.  Throw tissues in the trash after you have used them.  Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective
    • Stay at home if you get sick. Limit your contact with others to keep from infecting them.
    • Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

    Here is another recent post with a great list of 8 Steps for HR to Create a Plan B.

  • 15 Jul

    Posted by
    Erik Bartz


    Category

    Writing a Resignation Letter

    1

    I’ve noticed this blog has received a number of hits on our previous post concerning resignation notice.  So when I came across this article with Sample Resignation Letters I should share it for all of those who might be looking for some samples.

    The page comes from a site called emurse.com, which is an online application for building and sharing your resume.  I’ve used it myself and recommend it anytime a friend or relative asks for help formatting their resume.  Emurse handles it all, and you don’t have to be good with computers or design.  Go check it out.

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