HR TOOLKIT FREE HELP FOR CNLA MEMBERS

BY LESLIE SISON

CNLA IS A PROUD PARTNER with the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC). Our partner has provided labour based webinars tacking such issues as Dealing with Labour Agencies and Using The Temporary Foreign Worker Program. CNLA also has staff and members who sit as stakeholders representing our industry in projects CAHRC works on regarding labour and agriculture issues.

One things that we hear a lot about at CNLA is how the day to day running of a business can be challenging, especially for smaller companies who do not have a proper HR person on staff. With all of the legal requirements, policies and processes that are required, it is often a daunting area of running a business. CAHRC has made this a little easier for us by creating the HR Toolkit, which, as a CNLA member is free to access.

While the Toolkit seems very Farm-Centric (it was developed with farms in mind), CAHRC is working to make this feel more inclusive. In the meantime, if you substitute the work ‘Farm’ for the word ‘Business’ this tool very helpful. The main overview of topics include: l Recruitment, Selection and Hiring l Compensation and Benefits l Worker Performance l Succession Planning l Workforce Planning l HR Policies l Health and Safety l Workplace Wellness l Diversity and Inclusion l Foreign Workers

The toolkit is rife with information, templates and learning modules. If you are interested in accessing the HR Toolkit simply log on to the CAHRC website https://cahrc-ccrha.ca/ and you can either enter HR Toolkit into the search bar at the top right of the screen, or you can scroll down the page to the section called Tools at your Disposal and there is a link there. Or simply go to https://hrtoolkit.cahrc-ccrha.ca/

Here is a log in for FREE access:

Organization Name: CNLA

Discount Code: CNLAToolkit

GAS-POWERED EQUIPMENT BAN SUMMARY

There have been rumblings of changes coming to the landscape industry where gas-powered equipment bans have been in the news. On July 1, 2022 California enacted a ban on gas-powered lawn equipment, including lawnmowers, leaf blowers and snow blowers. The sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers is expected to end by 2024. While California was the first to implement a statewide ban, this is gaining traction across the US.

Get the skills you need for your farm.

It is always difficult to find good people with the right kind of skills for your farm. The farm labour shortage has been identified as one of the greatest business risks in agriculture today. Putting effort into finding and keeping good people with effective human resource management can also save your farm money. This is especially important during a labour shortage.

The AgriHR Toolkit, developed by Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) through extensive consultations with producers across Canada, offers assistance every step of the way with guides, templates, resources, and the critical questions that you need to ask and answer about your business.

It offers tools such as an Employee Handbook template you can download and customize for your farm and employees that includes key policies that are becoming components of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) such as the Abuse Free Workplace policy.

The AgriHR Toolkit includes targeted, practical advice based on years of research and field testing with readyto-use tools and templates including a policy manual, orientation check list, job descriptions, and job offer letters to help save you time and money.

IT’S EVERYTHING YOU’LL NEED TO FIND, RETAIN AND SUPPORT YOUR EMPLOYEES.

hrtoolkit.cahrc-ccrha.ca

INSTRUCTIONS T O ACCESS

THE AGRIHR TOOLKIT

Each member can sign up on their own with a username and password with whatever email and username you assign. Please use your organization’s discount code when you sign up and it will drop the price to $0 when you use it to check out. This provides one year or access to the CAHRC AgriHR Toolkit at no charge.

When the association renews, the organization is provided with another discount code and each member will be able to renew their toolkit subscription at no charge, using some new coupon code.

ORGANIZ ATION N AME:

It is often only a matter of time before changes in the US make their way to Canada. In January, the Vancouver City Council unanimously passed a motion to get the city to phase out gas-powered landscape maintenance equipment, which includes lawn mowers, chainsaws and hedge trimmers, for personal and commercial use by 2024. “Gaspowered leaf blowers have been banned in the West End for two decades, a recognition of the downtown neighbourhood’s high level of density compared with the rest of the city. But with many parts of the city now denser and more residential, a citywide ban makes sense” (Chan, 2022)

As we often see, BC tends to see issues arrive first and then continue across Canada. Calgary was considering looking at a policy similar to that in Vancouver, but for now the conversation has faded away. Ontario was also considering similar legislation but has also stopped for now. As of today (April 2023) no other provinces have reported any considerations on gas-powered equipment bans. We will continue to monitor and work towards developing actions in advance of any new legislation.

If you have seen or read anything happening in your area, continued on page 12