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Duty to Accommodate
May 19, 2009
Your "duty to accommodate" stems from the provisions of the Human Rights Code (HRC) requiring that you to provide inclusive working environments that respect the differences and the rights of a diverse society. The statutory prohibition against discrimination, and the duty to accommodate that arises from this prohibition, are intended to eliminate barriers, standards, requirements, practices, policies and rules that adversely affect people on the basis of one or more proscribed grounds.
Termination Clauses
May 05, 2009  Editor's Pick
Termination Clauses: Creating clarity in severance obligations
Setting out termination entitlements in hiring letters and employment agreements can significantly limit your severance liability but there are pitfalls that need to be avoided to make this effective. In this newsletter, we set out a number of key legal considerations that you should be aware of in setting termination entitlements up front.
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Enticement
April 14, 2009
In employment law circles, the terms "enticement" or "inducement" refer to the more aggressive methods by which an employer will woo an individual to accept an employment offer. In a competitive job market, employers will often go to great lengths to convince a person to leave his/her existing employment and join the team.
Transitional Periods Are Crucial
April 06, 2009 Editor's Pick
Ivan, who trained as neurosurgeon, decided, after considerable soul searching, not to take a lucrative offer to practice neurosurgery. Instead, he chose to follow his passion of helping to make the public aware of preventative health measures. So he created his web site, www.wellnessaid.com. Ivan says, "My passion is to help people preserve their health, improve their quality of life and reach their true potential." Ivan, 38 years, is experiencing the Age-40 Transition which used to be called the Mid-Life Transition.
Questers and the Contemporary Career: Interview with Carole Kanchier, PhD
March 10, 2009
The second part of this interview series for the Galt Global Review focuses on Questers and the contemporary career, in particular what organizations can do to attract and retain Questers.
Carole Kanchier, author of Dare to Change Your Job and Your Life, is uniquely qualified to write and talk about change. With over 25 years of demonstrated success in the career, psychology, education and business fields, she has researched career/life transitions and counseled individuals experiencing change. Part I of this article series focused on the connection between career and life transitions, and the people whom Kancher calls "Questers."
People with Disabilities Benefit from Set-aside Programs
February 17, 2009
National studies consistently prove that most people with disabilities want to work, but more than two-thirds remain unemployed due to incorrect perceptions, unfair employment practices, and barriers to accessibility.
Recession Busters
February 04, 2009
Now is an opportune time for people to consider returning to school to upgrade their skills or transfer their existing skills to industries which experience growth, no matter what the economic climate. "Recession-proof industries," as they are dubbed, are not as dependent upon consumer demand as other industries are, meaning that what they produce is essential enough to have little to no fluctuation in consumer spending.
Employers and Employees Can Weather The Storm
January 28, 2009
Don't be fooled into thinking that, just because the overall economy has slowed, there won't be job openings. There are always vacancies, in bad times as well as in good. Employers restructure their operations, they weed out poorer performers, and employees choose to relocate.
What Shapes Careers: Tracing the Twists of a Career Path
January 07, 2009
The findings of a survey recently by McKinsey Quarterly look at the big moments that shape our careers. Thoroughly investigating the twists and turns in the career courses of nearly 900 international executives, the results indicate what motivates employees to change jobs, companies, and industries.
Questers: An Interview with Carole Kanchier
January 02, 2009
Carole Kanchier, author of Dare to Change Your Job and Your Life, is uniquely qualified to write and talk about change. With over 25 years of demonstrated success in the career, psychology, education and business fields, she has researched career/life transitions and counseled individuals experiencing change. In an interview with the Galt Global Review, she discusses the connection between career and life transitions, and the people whom she calls "Questers."
Friendship at Work
December 02, 2008
Studying the relationship between employee engagement and workplace friendships
Questers and The Contemporary Career
October 17, 2008
You probably know some Questers.
The Millenials: Part I
September 26, 2008
“Millennials” is the name most commonly applied to people born in the 1980s and the 1990s, the generation now graduating from college and university.
Recouping Costs on Expatriate Assignments: Part II
July 18, 2008
As part II of this article series explains, there a number of areas that companies can monitor closely to ensure that they are not "incurring added expenses or overlooking costs that can be recouped."
Expatriate Assigments: Recouping Costs
July 04, 2008
Companies trying to establish a global presence or maintn an existing one are faced with a dilemma. They airealize the need to develop and/or expand their expatriate presence abroad and seize opportunities. At the same time, overseas assignments represent a tremendous cost center.
Change your Paradigm
June 18, 2008
Are you in the driver’s seat deciding when you will move and where you will land? Or are you sitting in the back of a taxi cab with an erratic driver zooming and weaving and bobbing, hoping you make it to your destination alive and on time?
Canada's Dynamic Youth Labour Market
June 13, 2008
Canada has a dynamic youth labour market outperforming most OECD countries, according to the just-released OECD report on Jobs for Youth: Canada. Sustained economic growth and a very flexible labour market by international standards have contributed to rising employment rates and falling overall unemployment for all, including for youth.
The New Norm
April 10, 2008
Sarah James doesn’t have to worry about finding a carpool partner. The 65-year-old from Long Island, N.Y., rides three days a week with her granddaughter to a nearby warehouse store, where they both have regular shifts.
Low-Wage Work: Myths & Facts
March 20, 2008
Facts brought to you by the Fairness Initiative on Low-Wage Work.
Mature Workers Vital to Success
February 13, 2008
How important are workers 50 and older to a nation’s economy? Steve Wing will tell you.
Fire-Fighting at the Office
February 07, 2008
Fire-fighting is still an insidious pattern in a lot of organizations. It causes untold frustration, overwhelm and stress, not to mention the larger productivity loss costs to an organization. If you find yourself fighting fires more than a few times a week, consider putting that energy to better use and volunteer at a crisis centre or even the local fire department.
Employee Health and Wellness Programs - Pt. 2
January 25, 2008
Wellness programs are instrumental in keeping people healthy, especially in office environments where employees are often sedentary for significant portions of the day.
Employee Health and Wellness Programs
January 09, 2008
Over a decade of research has effectively shown that employee wellness programs help to create a happier, healthier, and more productive workforce. Indeed, wellness programs may be one of the few employee benefits that pays money back to the organization.
Green Collar Careers
December 16, 2007
Employment related to environmental sustainability and ecological trade is anticipated to grow in the decades to come, leading media pundits to call blue collars "green."
Energy Management
October 16, 2007
According to Tony Schwartz, president and founder of The Energy Project in New York and a co-author of The Power of Full Engagement (Free Press, 2003), when people are exhausted, disengaged, getting sick, and leaving their jobs, they are in the thralls of a full-blown "energy crisis."
The Colour of Business
September 12, 2007
When Deputy Chief Jim Chu was appointed as the Vancouver Police Department’s new chief — the first Chinese-Canadian to achieve that post in any major Canadian city — it didn’t really raise any eyebrows, but attention was certainly focused on his ethnicity.
Career Development: A Perspective for Employers
August 01, 2007
Employees will often develop their careers with their same employer if they can foresee challenges in their future and increasing opportunity to develop new skills, receive promotions or make a lateral move. To achieve this, organizations must make clear the link between career development and business priorities.
Research Shows Greater Self-Reliance
June 27, 2007
Everyone has their own agenda when it comes to their career. Why should organizations care about this?
When Words Hurt
May 02, 2007
Search for “workplace bullying” on the Internet and you will find a plethora of websites, articles and books devoted to describing, analyzing and eliminating the behaviour. Bullying is a widespread and enormous problem that seriously affects productivity and the emotional well-being of those who are bullied. Luckily, interest in the topic is booming while tolerance for the behaviour is waning.
The Hardest Part About Being A Manager Isn't The Work
April 18, 2007
Supervision in the workplace can be a challenge and is often the part of being a manager that we’re least prepared for.
The Nature Of Ambition
January 17, 2007
In literature, ambition is consistently portrayed as a complex attribute that can swing a protagonist from hero to villain upon a single act.
Overqualified, Eh?
December 05, 2006
Immigrants have to have a good sense of irony while looking for a job in Canada - when they apply for positions at their skill level, they're told their qualifications are not good enough; when they apply for lower level positions, they are told their qualifications are too good … they are "overqualified."
The Wage Dispute
October 04, 2006
This is not a story about union vs. non-union. It is not a story of evil intent. Nor is it a story about profiteering. Although it may reach into all of these realms, it is ultimately a story about indifference –of how fellow workers can find themselves tolerating the intolerable.
When Zero Tolerance Policies Fail
July 19, 2006
As a diversity consultant, I’ve witnessed how proclaiming a “zero tolerance” policy for harassment and discrimination does not deal effectively with the issue of micro-inequities. These are the words and behaviors that are not so blatant, are often “below board,” and are much harder to understand without the willingness to listen and engage in cross-cultural conversations.
Value Expansion: When Values Become Incongruent
July 05, 2006
Sandra Cha, an assistant professor at McGill University, and Amy Edmondson, of Harvard Business School, recently published a surprising study on both the rewards and risks of interpreting corporate values.
Talk Of The Sandbox
June 21, 2006
BOB HOOVER of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was interviewing me when he remarked that after years of coaching boys' softball teams, he was now coaching girls and they were very different. I immediately whipped out my yellow pad and began interviewing him -- and discovered that his observations about how girls and boys play softball parallel mine about how women and men talk at work.
Australian Maternity Leave laws
June 08, 2006
Australia currently provides a few different arrangements for maternity leave. While Australia’s unpaid maternity leave arrangements are generous by international standards, existing paid maternity leave arrangements are limited and fall significantly below what could be considered a national system. There are no legislated rights governing paid maternity leave, and the paid maternity leave options that do exist are created by the initiative of individual employers, the average duration of paid maternity leave in this arrangement being approximately anywhere from six to 12 weeks.
The Indebted Generation
April 12, 2006
The weight of debt doesn’t only plague the bank account, it burdens the psyche. Owing money — especially large amounts of it — spawns shame, rage, seemingly endless frustration and a level of anxiety that shouldn’t be felt in rich nations. When scores of people add up their net worth and come up with a total of less than zero, crisis looms.
Trust Relationships: The Work Of Karen Stephenson
April 05, 2006
"It's amazing how patterns, if you understand them well, can be shifted and moved. When a culture shifts, then you can turn around small communities and small nations even," says Dr. Karen Stephenson, an anthropologist who has been studying the human networks in corporate boardrooms for over 20 years.
A Product Worth Buying
March 15, 2006
"You are the product," says Barbara McCleave, a career management consultant based in Long Island, N.Y. "And products need good marketers."
Career Advice: Don’t Know What You Want? Join the Club
January 18, 2006
There are many people in careers today who are tolerating this unsatisfying work environment. The principal causes of this epidemic are people who don't know what they want. For many people, all they really know is that they don’t like their job, but they don’t know what will make them happier, thus they remain inactive and hollow. To stop this cycle, the worker should identify the source of their unhappiness by asking themselves if they feel challenged and utilized.
Why Office Design Matters: Part II
January 11, 2006
Numerous studies are revealing how some of the greatest ideas occur from contact between members of different groups within the same company. Therefore, the design of an office needs to invite social interaction between people who normally wouldn’t go out of their way to communicate with each other.
The Value of Corporate Social Responsibility
January 04, 2006
More and more, corporate decision-makers are enacting principles meant to meet or exceed the public’s vision for what a business should contribute to humanity and the environment. Unlike some programs drawn
up in boardrooms, Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives are not being closely guarded. In fact, these platforms are making public appearances like never before.
New Energy: Alternatives to Oil
December 14, 2005
Climate Change Specialist Ian Bruce of the David Suzuki Foundation says that "the vast amounts of oil and gas we consume on the planet is sending us down a path that is neither economically nor ecologically sustainable."
The Science of Happiness: Part I - What Makes Us Happy?
December 07, 2005
By studying people who are exceptionally happy, exceptionally depressed and neither, psychologists have compiled some fascinating evidence regarding what produces and maintains a happy mood.
Why Office Design Matters: Part I
November 03, 2005
When engineers for US furniture manufacturer Herman Miller designed steel frameworks to surround their metal desks in the late fifties they called it the "Action Office".
Job Sharing- Having it all
October 12, 2005
Job sharing, or flex time, has become common in the US, particularly amongst women who want to work and have a family. Job sharing enables women to have the best of both worlds- they are able to work reduced hours, work from home, they have flexible holidays and most importantly, more time.
The Consequence of Attitude
September 21, 2005
I don't know a single manager who hasn’t had an experience with bad attitude. Looking over my own management career I’ve fired three people, two of which were for performance issues ultimately related to "having a bad attitude." To determine if this is normal, I conducted a quick survey and garnered more than 100 responses
Career Profiles Part II
September 14, 2005
In an ongoing series, the Galt Global Review will look at the recently named fastest growing occupations in more detail regarding what the job entails, the knowledge and necessary skills required, as well as education and salary information.
National Happiness
August 31, 2005
In our age of "faster, cheaper and better," many Canadians are feeling the stress to perform with greater efficiency and to work longer hours. But are they happier?
Career Profiles Part I
August 17, 2005
In an ongoing series, the Galt Global Review will look at the recently named fastest growing occupations in more detail regarding what the job entails, the knowledge and necessary skills required, as well as education and salary information.
UK Maternity Leave Laws
August 10, 2005
Maternity leave legalities are an on-going process in the UK, with rates for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Maternity Allowance (MA) subject to revision by the Department for Work and Pensions each April.
Careers after Retirement
July 20, 2005
Every seven seconds, someone is turning 50 years old. With 76 million American Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964, the potential of this group is enormous. In fact, this market is the largest, best-educated and wealthiest generation in U.S. history.
What are they doing with the rest of their lives?
Canadian Maternity Leave Laws
July 13, 2005
The Canadian Labour Code defines maternity and parental leave laws in Canada. Under the legislation of this Code, female employees are entitled to a standard 17 weeks unpaid, job-protected maternity leave.
PhD Benchmarking: Getting it right the first time
July 06, 2005
Traditional hiring methods are about as scientific as flipping a coin or analyzing a job applicant’s handwriting, and they often create results that can cost an organization time, money and energy to train a new hire who was not the right aptitude fit for the job in the first place!
Generations X, Why, and Because
June 15, 2005
Are traditional management strategies appropriate for Generations X, Y and Z? On one hand, the post-Baby Boomer generations represent a new breeding in techno-savvy and creativity, the cornerstone of the notorious “Talent Wars.” On the other hand, the ability to reign-in, retain, and direct these so-called young super-stars provokes new strategies in management structures. New business management and human resource structures are not isolated phenomenon directed just to the young person. New strategies offer innovative ideas for the overall flow of business in the new millennium, regardless of generational paradigms.
Debunking some myths about Executive Coaching
June 01, 2005
You’ll never see a football team run onto a field without a coach at the sidelines. There’s a reason for that. Every team needs someone to motivate and encourage, but more than that, coaches hold players accountable when they don’t play by the book.
The Female Business Traveler Experience: Changing an industry
May 18, 2005
The hotel industry is learning quickly that it takes a lot more than a few "feminine touches" to attract women who are travelling on business, and many are revamping their décor and mediocre amenities as a result. Some hotels have created 'women-only floors', such as the London Hilton and Singapore's Gallery Hotel, 'women-only rooms', such as the Kempinski Hotel Beijing and women's only hotels, like The Wellington in New Zealand.
Dealing with Workplace Depression
May 11, 2005
The University of British Columbia is not timing the announcement of its new centre of excellence in depression research to coincide with its Health Work and Wellness conference. But both imminent events will chip away at the stigma of depression and its devastating impact on business, said UBC’s head of clinical neuroscience Raymond Lam.
Generations X, Why and Because
April 20, 2005
When we think of the changes made to the world economy over the past century, defining a generation’s contribution to this economy may be as important an influence as transnational trade agreements and the Internet. Each succeeding generation is more information-age-savvy as the generation before them.
States of Well Being: Modern Health Care
April 12, 2005
Maintaining a universal or near universal health care system holds many challenges in the new millennium. The following profiles outline healthcare coverage in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, identifying the benefits and the issues of each unique system.
Flight or Fight
March 23, 2005
When the New York Times newspaper's young rising star Jayson Blair was forced to resign his prestigious post for plagiarism many wondered: Are the pressures on a new generation of young professionals too much to live up to? Is there space for a strong work ethic in a young professional's career?
Internships: Benefits for the Employers
March 02, 2005
Students approach internships as opportunities to learn more about an industry or job role, to develop new skills, and to expand their professional networks and strengthen their resumes. With these specific goals in mind, they also search for internships that provide challenging and varied work experiences.
Forecast of Job Growth: To 2012 and Beyond
February 15, 2005
Which careers are on the hot list for the next decade and beyond? The accurate first guess is computer jobs. Yet the computer industry isn't the only growing career field. Employment is expected to increase in fields as diverse as education, restaurant management and health care as the baby boomer generation ages, creating a need for higher numbers in the service-oriented occupations.
Fitness in the Workplace: Part 1
February 09, 2005
In 2005, the definition of fitness means being mentally and physically fit. Wellness means not only the absence of illness but the presence of a relaxed mind, a positive attitude, high energy level, the ability to handle stress effectively, and the ability to maintain a healthy physical condition.
Ten Secrets of Super Successful Meeting Planners
September 21, 2004
Whoever said that being a meeting planner was easy, lied! Rather, it should be classified under the tough and demanding job category. But, along with being tough, it’s also fun, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating, and never, never boring. You have the opportunity to go to exotic places, stay in luxurious hotels, and experience life from a completely different angle. Who could ask for anything more? For those of you ready to shoot me at this point, know that I fully understand your pain!
Meetings Beat E-mail and Voicemail
September 01, 2004
Many of us just don't meet our goals when it comes to communications in the workplace. It's because we're not meeting enough. With the proliferation of email, voicemail, faxes, and teleconferencing, we've lost that human contact.
Employer Branding: Putting Together a Team
August 11, 2004
An effective Employer Brand involves advertising and marketing, market research, customer service, public relations, human resources management, psychology, and organizational development and management. As any marketing expert will say: The most successful brands are built upon an intimate knowledge of their customers.
Employer Branding: The Major Players
July 28, 2004
Employer branding campaigns are being created by most of the major employers in North America and Europe. According to a 2001 The Conference Board study, two-thirds of corporate communications directors were planning to increase their budgets for employer brand development.
Employer Branding: A New Era of Workforce Attraction and Retention
July 14, 2004
Employer Branding takes the elements of branding –creating a particular thought, emotion and image around a particular product or service - and applies them to create a strong brand to recruit employees. It is a concept that is rapidly gaining exposure in the corporate workforce, especially with companies who deal in international markets and who seek to attract employees with cross-cultural experience.
Bonus Plans: Focus on Performance
June 30, 2004
A bonus plan can be an extremely effective tool to drive behavioral change and increase business performance, but only if it is focused on the measures that really count. This article outlines the primary design issues that need to be considered in developing an effective bonus arrangement.
Internships: Learning on the Job
June 02, 2004
Internships are becoming a necessary stage one goes through in his or her journey to become a professional in their career. At their best, internships create opportunities to network, provide mentors, and present an environment for learning and growth. They are entry-level work experiences that provide students, recent graduates, and those seeking a career change with opportunities to gain experience in a particular field.
By Faye Mallett
HR Unplugged - Part 2
May 19, 2004
For a manufacturing company, OSRAM SYLVANIA is on the cutting edge of workplace flexibility. Although shift work and other circumstances don't always lend themselves to an anything-goes policy, the company has made real strides in providing flexible work options at all levels of the organization. This mentality does not stem from altruism, however; "it's a pragmatic response to the issue of securing talent and figuring out how to deploy talent in ways that work," Geoff Hunt, OSRAM SYLVANIA's vice president of HR says.
HR Unplugged - Part 1
May 05, 2004
Try to conjure up images of companies with highly evolved HR organizations. What comes to mind? Fast-paced, hard-driving new-economy companies? Entrepreneurial start-ups? It's a pretty good bet your first thoughts did not include a 100-year-old manufacturing company whose core business has remained the same for a century.
Transforming HR - Part 2
April 21, 2004
The makeover from manual processes to a fully automated HR department, complete with workflow and automation, doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about building on success and connecting systems over a period of years. Yet, when done right, these initiatives can lead to greater organizational success and improved shareholder return, says Jim Holincheck, a research director at consulting firm Gartner, Inc. "There is a tangible link between many of these initiatives and results, even when it’s difficult to measure the direct ROI."
Transforming HR - Part 1
April 07, 2004
Human resources software plays an increasingly important role in fueling enterprise productivity and cost cutting. A successful transition to automated processes requires vision, technology and a thorough understanding of the costs and return on investment.
Inflicting Type III Change
March 04, 2004
The word 'inflict' in the statement above was deliberately chosen after careful consideration. It is a distinctly negative word, bringing to mind all sorts of nasty accidents with sharp objects. Why use such an emotionally charged word? Because it serves as a strong reminder that Type III Change, is also Type I Change. It is "Change which is done to us" from an employee’s perspective.
Web Search Success
February 18, 2004
With everything we are able to do from our home computers these days, the new trend in the quest for employment is not surprising - Pavement pounding is off and job searching is on-line. A rapidly growing market that offers broader career prospects and increased technological efficiency is advancing the recruitment process to the next level, and the Internet is now a gateway into a global workforce.
Managing Type II Change
February 04, 2004
It is worthwhile noting that if the statement "People resist change" were true, then Type II Change would exist in only small quantities and on rare occasions. Yet, if we look around us, most of the big changes we endure are all self-inflicted; marriage; children; learning a new language; acquiring any new skill etc. All of these are changes we choose to embrace.
Coping with Type I Change
January 06, 2004
While there are several questions we might ask when a change is presented to us, there one which trumps all others. Do we have any control over this change? While this seems to call for simple a "Yes" or "No", if we look a bit deeper, things get complicated. The question is about what we believe, and how that belief matches reality.
Personnel Business: The Life of an HR Professional
December 23, 2003
If business is based on productivity and the people working as a team of employees determines productivity, then recruitment plays a leading role in the success of a company's performance. But what some organizations see as being of significant value to company structure, other companies see human resource professionals only as an essential administrative function.
Aligning the Stars
December 16, 2003
These days, movie studios drop hundreds of millions of dollars for a star-studded cast only to watch a blockbuster fizzle at the box office. Sports teams routinely shell out megabucks for megastars, who bicker, battle and feud their way to the division cellar. In the business world, too, talent is no guarantee of success. Without the right attitudes, values and focus, superstars can become a black hole for red ink.
Star Wars
December 09, 2003
Every sport and every era has it superstars. Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds. Bill Russell and Shaquille O'Neal. Johnny Unitas and Emmitt Smith. Ultimately, what separates the champions from the also-rans is the ability to provide leadership and inspiration while fitting into a team. Without every player understanding his exact role and what it takes to succeed, there simply aren't enough balls or minutes to go around.
The Three Shades of Change
December 02, 2003
"What type of Change are you trying to implement?" To most people that's a nonsensical question. A typical response is, "Type? What do you mean type of change? We're implementing a change! Change is change!" Or, they might have some sense that they can distinguish different types of change, and that some changes are "easy", and others are "difficult"...or that it is an organizational change vs. a technological one.
Outsourcing: Know the Ins and Outs
November 04, 2003
You've probably heard all the futurists talk about how organizations are completely rethinking the way they operate. Where companies once owned and managed all their own resources, including full-time, permanent employees, firms are now sending out key aspects of their business to individual contractors, temporary workers, and other firms.
Life After Employment
October 14, 2003
Jeff was shocked and angry after being laid off as editor-in-chief for a Canadian arts and culture magazine. With the support of his partner and close friends who supported him during, as he puts it, "this hellish ordeal",he was able to keep his motivation and morale high. But make no mistake, he says, "It is traumatic!"
Test the Applicant's Skills Before Hiring
October 07, 2003
At a recent job interview the recruitment officer asked "Are you bilingual?" "Mais oui", replied the applicant. "Can you type?" "60 words a minute", he boasted. "How about Wordperfect?" "Perfectly,”he assured. The interviewer was impressed. Nice resume, professional appearance, necessary skills, and plenty of confidence. Just one more question, "Can you work under pressure?" "Oh yes, I enjoy being in the hot seat." They had their candidate. At least so it seemed. Two days later administration called up fuming, "How could you send us this imbecile, what did we ever do to you?"
Career Intelligence: What Every Professional Needs to Know as their Personal CEO
October 01, 2003
Whether you are fresh out of university or the freshly appointed vice president, today’s workforce is a complicated challenge for everyone. With structural changes, developing technology, increasing opportunity and shifting demands, career savvy is now more essential than ever.
Reward Programs Offer Organizations a Competitive Edge
September 02, 2003
Most members of the business community believe that people are an essential part of sustaining an organization’s long-term competitive advantage. Therefore, the ability to attract, motivate and retain the best people will be a key influence on an organization’s future success.
What the Survey Says: Recognizing the Importance of Recognition Awards
August 19, 2003
Last year in Oregon, The Personnel Department was one of the "Top 10 Best Employers to Work For", also ranking number one in the “Career Development”category by Watson Wyatt and the Oregon Chamber of Commerce.
Switching Gears: the New Approach to Changing Careers
August 12, 2003
Variety may be the spice of life, but longevity has always been a key ingredient in the recipe for career success. However, time changes everything, and with new dynamics of our transitory economy, yesterday's career taboo is transforming into today’s career trend.
Broadbanding: Do's and Don'ts
August 06, 2003
In recent years there has been a trend for employers to re-think the traditional lineal grading structure. Instead of using many separate grades covering all jobs within an organization, there has been a move towards a broader grading approach, colloquially known as "broadbanding".
Survey Design Savvy: Designing an Effective Employee Opinion Survey
July 15, 2003
At a time when more employers are commissioning employee opinion surveys, some companies are coming away disillusioned with the experience.
Career Forecast: Today's Update on the Roads to Tomorrow's Success
July 08, 2003
"You need a good education to get a good job." The career advice most parents give their children, and most recently, what they mean is university. Not surprisingly, an increasingly competitive workforce has been steering more and more students in the direction of college and universities, and although a higher education will always be a road to higher places, the job market is changing.
Overworked, Underpaid? Think Again
July 01, 2003
Good news travels slow in our world of infotainment, but let me be a devil and tell you anyway: it's becoming clear that the great epidemic of overwork is subsiding. Of late, we're working less, not more. And, in any case, the latest research suggests the whole story's been a bit overdone
Employees Have Strong Emotional Connection to Work
June 24, 2003
North American employees have intense emotions about their work - and right now, a lot of that emotion is negative. But, a recent Towers Perrin study identifies the elements of an ideal work experience - one that can transform this negative emotion into positive emotion.
Reworking Retirement: Growing Old and Wise in a New Era
June 10, 2003
The new millennium is coloring our world so profoundly, that the golden years are turning into a gray area. A transformation that has already redefined retirement for some, and with the projected implications of an aging society, may change the workforce for everyone.
Computer Ergonomics: Strategies for Safe Classrooms and Healthy Learners
May 20, 2003
While computer use in schools is increasing, the average age of someone with repetitive stress disorder is decreasing and many warn that classroom ergonomics has become a mandatory subject in the learning curve for its prevention. Concerned with the effects of unhealthy learning environments and with the future success of our children, community efforts are recognizing a pro-active approach for schools to get in better shape.
Forget Balance, Focus is the Key
May 13, 2003
Work-life balance has become a new kind of mantra, expounded upon endlessly at conferences, in newspaper articles and on television. I will admit to having devoted many column inches to the subject.
Best Practice Probation for a High Performance Organization
May 06, 2003
Competing in today's knowledge-driven economy demands strategic team building to ensure efficient productivity and continuous progress. As a result, attracting and retaining skilled talent is becoming increasingly vital to an organization's success.
Maintaining Competitive Advantage in Turbulent Times
April 01, 2003
The current economic and financial pressures on many organisations, particularly in hi-tech sectors, provide a major challenge for human resource departments. Increased competition and shrinking demand have resulted in a tightening of budgetary belts. In addition, many employees have seen the value of their share options dwindle, while the threat of redundancy has either become reality or remains in prospect.
National CHRP Designation: Higher Standards and Broader Horizons for HR Professionals in Canada
March 25, 2003
As of March 1st, 2003, Canadian Human Resource Professionals (CHRPs) must undergo a new certification process to obtain CHRP designation. Previously determined by Provincial HR Associations, the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA) has implemented a set of national CHRP standards and taken the Canadian HR profession to a new level.
Street Smart: Inventor Paves Way to the Future ...
March 18, 2003
What most of us just use and throw away is also what inspired Gina Gallant to make the world a better place. Inventing a process that turns recycled plastic into pavement, her streetwise innovation has led to international acclaim as a business savvy solution to one of our environmental concerns - landfill.
Working with the Contingent Workforce
March 04, 2003
Whether you are the owner of a small start-up company or the HR manager of a large firm, the thought of hiring a contingent worker is likely to have crossed your mind.
Working Out Work Stress
February 18, 2003
We are certainly aware of how unpleasant on-the-job stress can be, but what we may not realize is how much we actually pay for it. In addition to the huge monetary expense incurred by employers and taxpayers, work-related stress is costing employees their health.
When it Comes to Business, Is There Really No Place Like Home?
February 04, 2003
Many of us have always dreamed of a home-based office, and technology has made it our growing reality. As self-employment is on the rise, more employers are realizing the benefits of having home-based employees. The amount of employees doing "homework" has doubled in the last five years, and the numbers are continuing to climb
Land of the Rising Sun
January 14, 2003
Japan, The land of Geishas and bullet trains: a paradox of culture and technology. After several months of deliberating, I decided to take the plunge. Leaving behind a successful career in Canada, I ventured forth to Japan to do something I had never done before… Teach English!
Less For More: Re-evaluating the Standard Work Week
December 17, 2002
In a market driven world, where time is money, a shorter workweek has been a tough sell. Increasing competition and the shift towards a globalized economy has made even the standard workweek a foreign concept.
The Lying Game: A Matter of Fact Approach to Resume Fraud - Part 3
December 02, 2002
Fact-based recruiting is a necessary approach to re-establishing a playing field where honesty wins. In addition to eliminating the cheaters, it encourages a matter of fact approach to job hunting - the first step to career success.
The Lying Game: A Matter of Fact Approach to Resume Fraud - Part 2
November 19, 2002
Rampant resume fraud has made recruiting such an extensive process that reference checking has evolved into a growth industry. Unable to commit the necessary time to thorough recruiting techniques, many employers are opting to leave it to the experts.
The Lying Game: A Matter of Fact Approach to Resume Fraud - Part 1
November 13, 2002
From entry to executive level applicants, resumé falsifying is on the rise and so is the importance of recruitment awareness. Almost ninety percent of the personnel directors surveyed by the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), reported resume untruths ranging from past salaries to personal identification. While they are most often minor embellishments, there is only one truth about lying: It is not what employers want to hear.
Impress for Success: A Professional Approach to Your Professional Image
October 30, 2002
You have seven seconds to create a first and lasting impression in today's competitive job market. Personal presentation is the key factor in recruiting and career advancement and like it or not, this can work as your tool to career success or keep you "pounding the pavement". Whether you are job hunting, keeping your current position or stepping up the corporate ladder, an effective professional image will help you achieve your goals.
Accommodating for Disabilities - Part 2
October 15, 2002
Disabilities were once seen as a display of human frailty invoking feelings of fear and sympathy. They are now being recognized as surmountable obstacles producing a high level of flexibility and perseverance in individuals who have overcome them.
Accommodating for Disabilities - Part 1
October 08, 2002
Disabilities were once seen as a display of human frailty invoking feelings of fear and sympathy. They are now being recognized as surmountable obstacles producing a high level of flexibility and perseverance in individuals who have overcome them.
Call the Stress Busters
September 10, 2002
The working environment is one of the most common areas where one can feel stressful pressure rise to a dangerous level. Over the past decade, overwhelming stress has been recognised more than ever before by doctors as being a genuine and significant factor in people's lives, particularly for those who work for a living.
Biotechnology: Career Options
July 30, 2002
Biotechnology, a field that exploded in the late 1980s, is a combination of biology and technology that allows scientists to alter cells to manipulate them as needed. The biotechnology sector in the U.S. and other developed countries has expanded at a rate almost double that of the economy, and this trend is expected to continue into the foreseeable future.
Careers: Gain a Psychological Advantage
July 23, 2002
Recruiters are increasingly incorporating personality and psychological testing into the interview process in order to separate the men from the boys. Evaluations during the recruitment process may help employers ensure better productivity, reduce absenteeism and fight high turnover rates. Those goals have given pre-employment assessments a push.
Confidential Data Leaves with Job-Hopping Employees
July 16, 2002
Despite many countries adopting trade secrets and industrial espionage laws, many nations, even allied nations, continue their attempts to acquire trade secret information and critical technologies for military and commercial application, through both legal and illegal means.
Who's Watching Those Watching - Part 2
July 09, 2002
Mario Cacciottolo investigates why increased surveillance leads to more disciplinary action. Part two of two.
Worker Surveillence Increasing: Leads to Dismissal - Part 1
July 02, 2002
Mario Cacciottolo investigates why increased surveillance leads to more disciplinary action. Part one of two.
The Right Clothes for the First Job
June 25, 2002
The association is a non-profit organization that helps low-income women make tailored transitions into the workforce. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has an interview and a second suit when she gets the job. Women are referred to Dress for Success by a continually expanding number of diverse, non-profit member organizations which include homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, job training programs and English as a second language programs
The Joy of Jumping Ship
June 18, 2002
Lindsay Wood looks into the joy of leaving an old job for the joys of the new. Just as long as you're bailing out for all the right reasons that is.
Retailers Offer Opportunities to Grow
June 11, 2002
Confidence, enthusiasm, the ability to work with others and to be open to training programs.
Skills Versus Qualifications
June 04, 2002
A larger percentage of the population is employed than at any previous time, according to a report from the Council of Economic Advisers and the Department of Labor.
Trust Takes Time
May 28, 2002
Trust takes time because it demands proof. Is there anything more basic than trust? Can I trust this person? Can I depend on this company?
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