Thriving in Adversity

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 1

SUMMER 2020

Resource

Shaping Organizational Excellence

Thriving in Adversity

About This Issue...........................................2

HR Law.......................................................14

Message from the Chair................................3

Reflections from Don Sinclair......................16

Oshawa Power & COVID-19...........................4

Student Perspective...................................17

Frontenac Youth Services & COVID-19........6

Downtowns of Durham...............................18

Working from Home......................................8

News from the Board..................................19

Community Care Durham & COVID-19......10

By the Numbers..........................................20

Managing Stress........................................12

News from HRPA........................................21

Mental Wellness.........................................13

Photo Gallery..............................................23 Upcoming Events.......................................24

2 Thriving in Adversity

About This Issue Shaping Organizational Excellence

Board of Directors CHAIR Catherine Claridge, CHRL SECRETARY/TREASURER Jenn Janca, CHRL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHAIR Hazel-Ann Scriver, CHRL COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR Gladys Saenz STUDENT LIAISON CHAIR Rathika Jaysinghe, CHRL, B.Sc. MENTORSHIP CHAIR Leyland Muss, CHRL REGULATORY LIAISON CHAIR Candice McAlister, CHRL COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE CONTRIBUTORS Erin Hewitt, CHRL Rosanna Keys, CHRL Peggy Ly, CHRP Asha McClean, CHRP Lori McLellan Ernest Mistica, CHRL, MIR

Resource Magazine - HRPA Durham Chapter Circulation: 900 electronic copies circulated three times per year with limited press run. Articles may not be reproduced without prior written permission.

Statements, opinions and points of view expressed by contributing writers do not necessarily represent those of HRPA. While care is taken, Resource Magazine assumes no responsibility for errors or the return of unsolicited materials. Resource Magazine is not responsible for advertising claims made in its pages or inserts; however, we will not knowingly accept for publication, ads, articles, or inserts that contain false statements or defame others.

Resource Magazine reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement limited to space error occupies. The information contained in this publication is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice.

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Gladys Saenz, Editor

Over the last few months, the pandemic has turned the whole world upside down. From business and school closures to a number of people being laid off and others working from home, it has affected many different aspects of our lives. Moreover, recent civil unrest incidents further demonstrate that HR professionals have a critical role to play. They must face the challenge of reviewing processes and policies to ensure employees work in a safe environment.

Naturally, this edition is almost dominated by the pandemic and its impact on business operations and people.

Nancy Brandon from Oshawa Power shares her experience dealing with the crisis upon returning from holiday. Her comments around change readiness, and engaging and connecting with employees and customers through improved communication and technology integration are sound advice.

Jennifer Murphy from the not-for-profit Frontenac Youth Services reiterates the importance of communication and leading employees with empathy. Also from a not-for-profit, Rosanna Keys explains the impact of the pandemic on Community Care Durham.

Most organizations had to quickly scramble to set up employees to work from home, as discussed by Erin Hewitt. Then Peggy Ly looks at the concerns remote workers may be having, and the fears essential workers may be experiencing. In addition, Asha McClean explains the importance of supporting the mental and emotional well-being of employees at this time.

In the Student Perspective article, Lori McLellan, who completed her graduate certificate in HR in January,

shares her perspective on starting out in HR during the pandemic.

In his legal article, Jeffrey Stewart from Sherrard Kuzz LLP provides a guide to help manage employee work refusal in a COVID-19 world.

He explains the importance of properly classifying an employee request for leave during the pandemic.

At our ABM in May, we announced the new members to our Board: Rathika Jayasinghe, Candice McAlister and Hazel-Ann Scriver. They have recently assumed the roles managing the Student Liaison, Regulatory Liaison and Professional Development portfolios, respectively. See more in the News from the Board. We would also like to highlight the winner of our Lifetime Achievement Award, Don Sinclair, who has provided us with his reflections on his career in HR. Lastly, and with much sadness, we are publishing our final edition of Resource Magazine. Speaking on behalf of the HRPA, Durham Chapter and Communications Committee, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the magazine over the years and our readers, who have supported us throughout this journey. Our committee is now working hard to plan how we can deliver interesting and relevant HR topics through social media. Stay tuned!

We hope you have found Resource Magazine thought provoking, inspiring and useful. As always, your comments about this issue and future ideas are welcome.

Contact us at: communications@hrpadurham.ca.

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 3

Message from the Chair Catherine Claridge, CHRL

If there’s anything we’re used to navigating in the field of HR, it’s managing crises.

In one capacity or another, many of us will eventually be pulled into an unprecedented situation requiring our specific expertise and guidance.

We’re measured in part by our ability to guide our organizations through adverse situations. However, with the current pandemic situation, the sudden and severe economic downturn, and the recent incidents of civil unrest that have required some organizations to publicize their diversity policies for the first time, more than a few of us are in unfamiliar waters.

If you’re like most of your contemporaries, you’ve been busy getting up to speed on the DEL and IDEL guidelines (www.ontario.ca/ document/your-guide-employmentstandards-act-0/infectious-diseaseemergency-leave), revamping the language in your workplace policy, and preparing your organization for returning employees. I think we can all agree that we won’t be going back to life as we once knew it, but when the dust settles and you’ve rewritten all of your HR policies, there will be plenty of positives to celebrate.

One recent study (www.i4cp.com/ coronavirus/coping-strategiesand-the-positive-aspects-of-thepandemic) shows that the level of trust and collaboration has increased in workplaces where employees have transitioned to full-time remote work arrangements, as the new arrangement has, in most cases, resulted in record high levels of productivity. With many companies investing significantly in their remote server infrastructures, the requirement to be in the office will evolve, especially

when employees are ill. What was once considered a “badge of honour” to show up at the office when you were suffering through a cold might become a policy infringement, which may result in disciplinary action.

Resilience is a virtue that can be learned. Two key areas worth exploring that will serve to increase your ability to continue thriving through tough times are change management and communication.

Building your skill set with formal change management training will provide you with a valuable lens through which you can view your policies, and the obstacles to adoption you may encounter. Key tenets in effective change management are first considering the changes required to the individual, and then viewing organizational change as a change that happens at many levels across the workforce; effective project management; and advanced coaching and communication skills (www.cmcpartnership.com/thoughtleadership/4-critical-skills-of-achange-management-practitioner).

If you already have a communications team at your organization, ask yourself if you could be working more closely with it. Communication skills are highly underrated in most companies; yet, this is always the first place things go awry.

Even if you have a high-functioning communications team and feel you’re well synchronized, further improving your skills in this area will ensure you can address any inadequacies that could prevent your initiatives from being appropriately cascaded throughout the organization, and the resulting legal ramifications that could arise. In the example that was provided during our annual employment law conference

held on June 5, a PPE policy rewritten under your health and safety program will need to be communicated in a clear and timely fashion to ensure employees are aware of the new guidelines, how to implement them, and when it’s appropriate to challenge them.

Having said this, these are “hard” skills that anyone with motivation can learn. Often, what really dictates our ability to thrive in adversity is our level of emotional intelligence. Do you see change as a necessary evil or as a chance to grow? Do you feel you’re in control of your career or subject to the whims and decisions of your organization? Do you have a purpose in your life and career or are you floating aimlessly?

If you can anticipate and plan for the worst-case scenarios, and focus on the things that fall under your realm of control, you’ll be better poised to gracefully navigate through adversity and benefit from the lessons learned along the way.

To your continued success.

chair@hrpadurham.ca Note: This will be our final issue of Resource Magazine. We’ve enjoyed bringing you content through our digital magazine, and we will be exploring ways to partner with HRPA to continue providing meaningful updates in a format you find most effective and beneficial. Please send us a note at communications@hrpadurham.ca if you have any comments on how you would prefer to receive thought leadership from your local Chapter.

4 Thriving in Adversity

Responding to COVID-19 at Oshawa Power Nancy Brandon, CHRL

From the time the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic to the subsequent affirmation of a provincial state of emergency, I found myself in a situation that quickly evolved from an otherwise restful vacation in Barbados to returning home on March 14 to an unprecedented crisis that was changing by the minute and irrevocably altering the way in which we live and work.

I immediately commenced the requisite 14-day period of self-isolation at home and began the process of supporting the mobilization of Oshawa Power’s response to COVID-19 from my kitchen table.

Those early days were fraught with a deluge of data, facts and opinions from a myriad of sources that had to be assessed and understood within the context of immediate impact to our workforce and business operations. Our executive team began a practice of daily briefings to closely monitor the emerging situation, and the HR team led the establishment of a pandemic committee comprised of department leaders who were tasked with aligning our operational response as an essential service with the requisite resources, safe work procedures, processes and technology.

As an electrical utility, safety is paramount to the way we operate our business, and the exposure risks brought about by COVID-19 provided new challenges for us as we incorporated

new procedures to eliminate hazards and maintain worker safety. Utilizing information from local, provincial and national public health authorities, we have sought to integrate best practice approaches to managing the risk of virus transmission in the workplace.

In fact, in the weeks prior to the declaration of the pandemic, and as cases started to occur within the Greater Toronto Area, we provided information to staff about the virus, and we hosted a health and safety training session for all staff with a regional infectious diseases specialist about proper hand hygiene and disease transmission prevention.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) in the form of sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, gloves and masks were provided to staff, and a daily routine of deep cleaning and sanitization of our workplace became the norm. In order to ensure appropriate physical distancing, our work teams were segregated and we limited access to buildings within our work locations. Field crews were provided with signage to utilize at job sites to notify the public about maintaining an adequate physical distance from our workers. Where possible, some employees were able to work from an alternate work station, building or home office in order to further reduce risk of exposure.

We have established wellness checkpoints at entrances to all buildings with a self-assessment tool for employees to review daily upon arrival at work.

A tool has also been developed for managers and supervisors to screen employees for symptoms and potential exposure risk following an absence.

Virtual meetings and safe handling procedures for paper and packages have now become routine business practices in a COVID-19 world.

We have actively engaged our internal Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) as well as our union representatives to ensure that any issues or concerns pertaining to workplace health and safety during this unprecedented time are addressed in an expedient manner and that any internal processes are adjusted in order to further ensure the reduction of risk. We remain extremely grateful that, to date, we have not had any cases of COVID-19 reported in our workplace.

Over the past several months, we have sustained an enhanced level of communication with employees as a means to share information, resources and support. From information about the virus itself and transmission prevention to internal policy updates, legislative changes, government programs, infectionrate data and expanding one’s social circle, we have issued 21 communications to our staff as of mid-June.

Recognizing that information about COVID-19 is constantly evolving, we also established a resource portal on our intranet, which features a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, as well as updates, tips and resources that are both timely and useful for our staff and their families.

We have also endeavoured to broadly share information to support wellbeing through our wellness program, including information about fitness, general self-care and healthy nutrition.

COVID-19 has had a negative impact on our commercial industrial customers, and the associated revenue losses necessitated layoffs within

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 5

our workforce. The uncertainty of the duration and further impact of the pandemic required a difficult course of action to mitigate further effects on our staffing levels.

As we surpass the 100-day milestone since the declaration of the pandemic and provincial plans for reopening get underway, it is critical to acknowledge that COVID-19 will remain a part of our lives for the foreseeable future.

The pandemic has provided a rigorous test of our change readiness, and this time in our company’s history has required us to learn and adapt at an unparalleled pace. Although we have worked diligently to develop emergency preparedness plans to guide us through power outage and restoration activities, COVID-19 has required us to develop plans for ensuring business continuity in response to a public health emergency. Over the summer, we are completing a pandemic risk assessment review to enhance the work we have completed to date with respect to safe work policies and procedures, as well as to prepare for the potential of subsequent waves of the virus.

The social impact of COVID-19 has had a dramatic effect on workplace

dynamics and that will be a key challenge as we navigate through the “new normal.” The manner in which we engage with staff and connect on a social level will require new approaches over time. I also believe that a greater focus on resilience as an organizational core competency will be critical moving forward as we support our capacity for managing change. Improving communication and connectedness not only with our customers but also with one another through technology integration will continue to be an important driver of our operational modernization.

The past few months have been some of the most gruelling of my career, and I often reflect on the many lessons this experience has provided thus far.

Managing through a crisis such as COVID-19 is most certainly a marathon, not a race.

First and foremost, it is vitally important to lead with empathy and compassion, and respond as opposed to react to the fears, anxiety and uncertainty brought about by crisis in the workplace.

From an operational standpoint, it is essential to be inclusive and bring the entire leadership team together

to share information and to discuss issues and concerns. Engage the JHSC early on to identify and resolve health and safety concerns. The ability to turnaround quick solutions and implement new procedures is critically important as new information becomes available (i.e., use of masks). Where possible, provide consistent opportunities for remote work to ensure adequate physical distancing in the workplace.

It is important to remember that difficult questions, decisions and conversations will arise, and mistakes will be made. How we lead through crisis as HR professionals is a vital aspect of our individual contribution and the enduring value we impart to our organizations and our employees. I am truly grateful to work with a tremendous team of professionals and I am confident that we will emerge from this time stronger and more resilient to change.

.

Nancy Brandon, CHRL, is the Director, Human Resources, for Oshawa Power.

6 Thriving in Adversity

FRONTENAC YOUTH SERVICES

Managing Through the Pandemic

Frontenac Youth Services is a nonprofit mental health centre that has been providing assistance to adolescents (12-18 years) struggling emotionally and behaviourally and their families in Durham Region since 1972. It is accredited by the Canadian Centre for Accreditation. It is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and operated by a Board of Directors comprised of community volunteers.

Last year, more than 1,230 clients were offered an opportunity to be heard and feel supported.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency suspended all in-person service and is currently providing telephone and virtual counselling services to new and existing clients.

you contextualize it to create relevant communications to staff?

To explore the impact of the pandemic and these service changes from an HR perspective, we spoke with Jennifer Murphy, HR Manager at Frontenac Youth Services.

Communications are so critically important in times like these. From early on in the pandemic, management and the Joint Health and Safety Committee met weekly. From there, information was taken to individual team meetings. New procedures were sent out over email.

As you leveraged information from trusted resources in the early weeks of the pandemic, how did

I think the volume of communications became overwhelming for those of us who needed to boil it down to digest-

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 7

ible chunks of information—all the while recognizing that infection prevention and control is not necessarily an area of expertise for anyone in our organization.

Therefore, to help make sense of the important issues, we used resources from our lead agency, as well as groups that advocate on behalf of children’s organizations, like the Children’s Mental Health Organization. We asked specific questions of our local health department, and helped our employees better understand how decisions were being informed. Reassuring our employees that we look to best practice guidelines was—and is—all important.

A challenge is the perceived loss of credibility (and eye-rolling) that follows a policy or procedural change prompted by a change within a government guidance document. As the saying goes, in today’s world, the only thing you can count on is change, but not everyone takes the same view.

The unfortunate result is that people will tune out important updates or lose trust in management for what is only a changing landscape beyond our control. Relationship management becomes even more important in times like these.

How did you mitigate potential workforce impact (i.e., layoffs, furlough, terminations)?

We found ways to keep employees working on the frontline or working from home. There is some advantage to being a smaller operation. The transition to at-home work went relatively smoothly, all things considered. We provide mental health services, and while anything is possible, we continue to expect and anticipate high demand.

Remote work is different for each employee depending on their personal circumstances (e.g., they may have childcare or eldercare considerations), which means employees may be required to have

two roles with conflicting time demands during the day. What steps did you take to assist and manage these personal circumstances to ensure productive work?

Managers at our agency are very understanding and empathetic as a rule. We have understood we are managing within a temporary state and flexibility has been encouraged.

Work hours could be adjusted (within limits), and most issues were resolved without complaint.

As we move to a “new normal,” I believe businesses all over Ontario will have much to grapple with, and lines in the sand may need to be drawn. For example, to what extent are workers in the new normal obliged to arrange their personal lives around their work lives?

What are the employer’s responsibilities for leniency and flexibility under these new conditions? What will this spell for collective bargaining? A lot has changed, and a lot needs to be ironed out.

How can HR keep employees connected and engaged while working remotely?

Early in the pandemic, teams working remotely engaged in some appreciation activities for their fellow workers on the frontline. For example, care baskets were dropped at the locations that remained operational. There was also a drive-by appreciation parade made up of at-home workers. I believe small acts like these can help to build engagement.

Also, at the start of team meetings, we encourage a check-in with team members. It allows an opportunity to comment on some of the positives and the challenges individuals are experiencing. Taking some time to do this creates connection and builds team cohesion. It might never replace the daily water cooler conversation, but is a close stand-in. In addition, our Executive Director sends a weekly communication with a focus on recog-

nition and inspiration.

What do you see as the HR challenges post-pandemic?

I hesitate to use the phrase “postpandemic” because the greatest challenge is coming to terms with a new normal and planning for a future that is not yet coming into focus. We need to think about how businesses are to manage the question of childcare if/when schools move to a parttime model. How can we support the parents in our workforce? Also, from a feminist perspective, how do we prevent women’s careers from being negatively impacted should a higher portion of women over men move to caregiving? How will we manage resulting staffing challenges? Much of this is brand new territory for HR professionals. How do we quickly transition operations, and flip back and forth between Phases 1, 2 and 3, depending on what the curve is doing in the communities within which we operate? Last, but not least, how do we support employees emotionally with the inevitable fear and anxiety surrounding COVID-19 and the disruption of routines? Wellness initiatives have been, and will continue to be, of great importance.

How have you been managing the ease-back plan for employees to return back to the workplace?

The ease-back plan has been focused on safety measures and assuring employees that every reasonable action is being taken. We reached out to our local public health unit and asked for an Infection Prevention and Control Assessment. The resulting report will guide us and further prioritize our health and safety efforts.

Taking these steps, combined with constant communication, will hopefully reassure employees that their leaders are committed to their safety and truly care about them.

.

8 Thriving in Adversity

The Transition to Working from Home Due to COVID-19 Erin Hewitt, CHRL

A major impact COVID-19 has had on the workforce has been the shift to remote working. Within a short period of time, many companies scrambled to move employees out offices and to their homes. By the end of March 2020, 4.7 million Canadians who had not previously been working from home had started to do so.1 But is remote working here to stay?

Although many companies offered working-from-home arrangements for small segments of the population prior to the pandemic, not many large organizations had almost their entire population working from home. Companies were forced to fast-track plans that under normal circumstances would have been a multi-year undertak1 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/dailyquotidien/200417/dq200417a-eng.htm

ing. And, of course, there were some bumps along the way.

For instance, with so many employees working remotely, employees experienced delays or slowdowns when connecting to networks and shared drives. This undoubtably caused initial frustration. Employees who do not normally work from home found themselves with a laptop and a seat at the kitchen table—no external monitor, ergonomic chair or adjustable desk. Employers contemplated how to support those struggling to create a functional working environment.

When COVID-19 began to look like a longer-term situation, many companies offered reimbursement for technology, internet or office equipment.

Many employees, for whom work had been a social outlet, experienced isolation in their new work-from-home

environment. Some employees also began to feel overworked and under pressure to be on 24/7. Suddenly, the boundaries between home and work were fuzzy—when did the workday start and end? These continue to be challenges for those working remotely.

With schools and daycares closed across many provinces, the COVID-19 pandemic has also presented parents with unique challenges regarding childcare. They had to not only adjust to working from home had to juggle caring for children and home schooling. In addition, eldercare responsibilities were an issue for many.

Employers had no choice but to be adaptable and look for options to keep employees productive. They responded by allowing more flexible working hours (after all, why can’t

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 9

non-urgent work be done outside traditional working hours?) and expressed empathy to those struggling with conflicting responsibilities.

To further help employees in need, some employers launched voluntary leave programs and options for reduced hours to alleviate some of the conflict with home responsibilities.

Work and home life started to mingle in a new way. We started to see a whole new personal side of our colleagues, with children and pets making appearances in Zoom calls, and partners or roommates walking around in the background. Even though we were no longer working in the same office, we were connecting with colleagues in a personal way.

Despite this challenging start to the work-from-home experience, employees new to working from home quickly began to see the many advantages.

Not commuting every day to the office creates a lot more time in the day, especially for those who commute up to two hours a day. That time can be better spent with family, exercising or even catching up on work.

There are also cost savings associated with working from home. Without commuting, you are not spending money on gas or train fare. And with more time spent at home, less money is spent on lunches out, coffee breaks

or work wardrobe— this all adds up to more money in the bank.

Saving money and time lowers stress levels and paves the way for a happier, healthier work-life balance.

We also tend to be more comfortable in our own home environment. When we are more comfortable and relaxed, we are more productive.

However, some fear working from home creates silos. When you don’t see colleagues face to face, you miss out on body language cues, as well as spontaneous conversation that can lead to innovative ideas. Luckily, technology has helped plug the communication gap. Tools like Zoom, Skype and Slack have allowed teams to stay in close contact while working from home. Some individuals have also gotten quite creative using virtual meetings to combat isolation by hosting quiz nights and casual coffee chats.

The pandemic has shown even the biggest skeptics that working from home is not only possible with the right infrastructure in place, but also highly productive. Employees want to

do a good job. They want to make a difference. They will work hard even when away from the physical presence of a manager.

Despite the obstacles, the huge benefits of remote working are appealing to anyone who is looking to create more space in their lives—space for family, personal pursuits and wellbeing. Who doesn’t want more time?

On the other hand, nothing beats faceto-face contact that only an office environment can provide.

With clear advantages to both home and office environments, perhaps a combination of the two works best.

What employees really want is to choose where and when they work.

72% of talent professionals agree that work flexibility (which includes remote work options) will be very important for the future of HR and recruiting.2 As employers look to a post pandemic future, a flexible working strategy will be key to maintaining an engaged, productive workforce.

Erin Hewitt, CHRL, is an HR Consultant at Mercer.

2 https://business.linkedin.com/talentsolutions/recruiting-tips/global-talenttrends-2019#

10 Thriving in Adversity

Community Care Durham and COVID-19 Rosanna Keys, CHRL

I think we can all agree that COVID-19 has provided many learning opportunities, both in our workplaces and in our homes. We all have many stories to tell of both challenges and successes.

As Community Care Durham (CCD) is a not-for-profit organization that offers many community services, the first difficult decision we had to make was determining which of our services were deemed to be essential. We identified that keeping our clients and families safe at home with meal delivery, mental health and personal support were considered to be priorities. We then reviewed our infrastructure to ensure we could continue to deliver these services while keeping our 300 staff and over 1,500 volunteers safe.

This involved securing personal protective equipment (PPE) for our front-line, client-facing workforce, which initially was a significant challenge due to lack of availability. We had minimal supplies on hand but thanks to local health care providers, surgical masks were donated to us. To date, we are able to maintain a solid inventory of PPE, which we provide to all staff and volunteers.

Next, we reviewed the work of our office staff to ensure ongoing delivery of services. Those staff who had laptops and the ability to work from home did so, while some staff decided to go on a leave of absence to care for loved ones at home.

It was important that we maintained a consistent workload for all staff, as we initially thought COVID-19 would be short lived. As the weeks went on, we recognized that the level of available work was inconsistent. Where volumes decreased, we had no other option but to place staff on temporary layoffs (now considered leaves of absences under new ESA regulations). Although these were difficult conversations, those impacted understood the necessity to sustain the organization both financially and operationally.

Further challenges arose with all of the information and, at times, lack of direction coming from various government sources.

Many questions arose that were difficult to answer.

How do we handle work refusals, requests for accommodations, layoffs and recalls? What if staff chose not to return to work? And, most importantly, how do we handle any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19?

We knew that it was only a matter of time before we would be faced with these challenges. We established an Emergency Response Team comprised of Management and Joint Health and Safety Committee members to research and apply the

best practices and protocols set out by government officials. We currently maintain practices recommended by Durham Region Public Health, including the use of PPE, hand washing, social distancing, etc.

As we continued to react to the pandemic, we were also focused on determining what CCD would look like in the “new normal.� This was an opportunity for us to review our processes, policies, practices and services delivery models. Our COPE Mental Health programs began to flourish, as we provided more virtual support options to client, and our meal service delivery expanded with the introduction of the Community Food Box Program.

We were able to redeploy staff to the new Community Food Box Program, where we partnered with many local businesses and farmers to provide a weekly delivery of fresh and healthy food options to our clients within Durham Region. At the time of this writing, we deliver 200 Community Food Boxes each week from the Audley Recreation Centre with the support of local corporate volunteers.

Although many of our long-term volunteers refrained from volunteering when non-essential services were suspended, we were approached by a surge of new volunteers, many of whom were not working due to COVID-19, and others from local businesses around Durham Region, all wanting to make a difference in their communities. We also engaged with a registered psychotherapist to provide free mental health counselling to our impacted staff. To date, we have welcomed over 100 new volunteers.

Our challenge will be to re-engage with our long-term volunteers, as our new volunteers are beginning to return to work with the current reopening of many businesses.

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 11

We continue to look at our essential services and slowly return our staff to work to support our non-suspended services, such as medical transportation, home help and home maintenance. As we reopen our services, we look at new models that are more effective and efficient.

Prior to the pandemic, CCD was undergoing a redesign in which our programs and services were being realigned into community “hubs” so that clients could access services as a one-stop shop. This redesign continues throughout COVID-19 as we look at how we do business under a new lens. A review of new organizational goals is a priority as we think forward into 2020 and beyond about how we will come back a stronger, more resilient and more impactful organization.

It is important that we acknowledge what is happening within Durham

Region and Ontario as we appreciate diversity. We recognized Mental Health Awareness Month, Nursing Week, Personal Support Worker (PSW) Day and Elder Abuse Month, to name a few. We have rebuilt our communications plan with government relationships by reaching out to local municipal leaders and members of provincial parliament. We have received donations from local employers, and we continue to review government financial assistance programs and funding options.

As a not-for-profit community organization that relies heavily on government funding and donations, we are stewards of public trust. As stewards, we must make prudent and ethical decisions based upon our vision, mission and values and that maintain the trust of clients, funders and community.

Given the demands of PSWs in other healthcare sectors, and the wage inequities in the health system, we remain focused on our ability to recruit and retain PSWs. This compensation gap puts current and future CCD clients, as well as the financial health of our organization, at risk. To address this inequity, and in addition to the Temporary Pandemic Pay, we provided an additional permanent salary enhancement for PSWs, which brings us closer to parity with our comparators.

Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us a lot about teamwork, innovation, personal responsibility and community generosity. It has required us all to be nimble and make personal sacrifices in order to realize the greater good.

.

Rosanna Keys, CHRL, is VP, Human Capital, at Community Care Durham.

12 Thriving in Adversity

Managing Stress During a Pandemic Peggy Ly, CHRP

We are now months into the state of emergency due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Dealing with stress at a time like this is not easy, especially in the workplace. Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones, not being able to see loved ones for fear of spreading the virus as an asymptomatic carrier, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hospital space—and the list goes on and on.

Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. The key to managing stress is to stay informed. Keep yourself up to date on what’s happening, while also taking breaks from reading or listening to news stories, as it can be overwhelming. Take care of your body by meditating, eating healthy and keeping up with regular exercise.

In response to the outbreak, almost every organization has shifted their employees to working from home or completely shutting down operations.

IT departments have been overwhelmed with setting up employees with access to organizational servers.

Employees must learn to adapt and become autonomous to avoid falling behind with deadlines. While working from home may seem like a dream setting for many, for others, it could lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety and loneliness.

As you work from home, remember to set boundaries for yourself, such as establishing a start and end time to your work, and have a designated workspace where you can be free from disruptions. Take frequent breaks away from your workspace and get some fresh air by taking a walk around the neighbourhood.

This is especially important if you live alone, as increased levels of loneliness may arise. Remember to communicate frequently with family and friends, and consider activities that you enjoy doing by yourself that you have yet to make time for. These are great ways to help you cope with loneliness while in physical isolation.

The impact in the workplace is just as significant for those who are considered essential workers and can’t stay home. Employers had to develop and implement new policies, procedures and guidelines to stay current with the outbreak. PPE and disinfecting materials were prioritized to front-line medical workers, so gathering these materials as essential workers outside of healthcare was near impossible.

As HR professionals, we need to remember our basics and remain flexible in this fluid situation. Employers should be doing their best to communicate information to keep workers updated, using all channels possible (e.g., email, phone, bulletin boards, intranet sites). Ration your supplies and enforce social distancing in the workplace. Take precautionary measures by reminding employees of good hygiene practices and staying home if they are sick. We have the obligation to take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of our workers.

As most of the general public is staying home during the pandemic, essential workers on the front lines (e.g., hospi-

tals, grocery stores, pharmacies, clinics) have no choice but to show up to work. In order to manage your stress, the most basic thing you can do is take care of yourself first. Sleep well, manage your nutrition and keep your body moving.

Sleep is the best way to recharge your system—try your best to get eight hours, as a minimum, each night.

Power your body by fueling yourself with the proper nutrition. When you’re mentally stressed, it is easy to forget to eat or to eat too much.

Try your best to exercise at least 30 minutes per day to help your body destress. Movement helps your body mitigate deeper health issues and helps you think logically. Listen to your body and rest as required.

Be an advocate for your physical and emotional boundaries. It is very important to be realistic with how much you can keep up with and don’t stretch yourself out too thin. Be clear with your employer about when you can and cannot work. And don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

As we adjust to this “new normal” and begin to open the economy, hiccups and mix-ups are bound to happen.

Stay patient and encourage each other to continue good hygiene and social distancing. You’re not alone.

We’re all in this together.

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Peggy Ly, CHRP, is an HR Coordinator.

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 13

Mental Wellness During the Pandemic Asha A. McClean, CHRP

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has described COVID-19 as an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus, which has been detected in more than 100 locations across the globe to date. The contagion rate of the virus is extremely high. Community transmission has occurred and continues to occur at alarming rates, across all age groups.

Scientists, researchers and medical professionals have been faced with the predicament of trying to understand the behavioural patterns of the virus in order to identify viable solutions to contain it and ultimately develop an effective vaccine.

Following the announcement by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, that COVID-19 was classified as a global pandemic, the world was plunged into an unprecedented level of socio-economic disarray, uncertainty and an overall dismal state. In the early stages of the pandemic, mortality rates in some European countries, such as Italy and Spain, were astronomical.

As the mortality rates continue across various countries, as well as the ongoing instability of the world economy, not only is the physical well-being of our citizens at risk, but the mental and psychological wellness should also be treated as equally important. Communities continue to deal with tremendous levels of grief, loss and trauma.

Moreover, factors such as mandatory requirements to stay indoors, physical distancing and the inability to closely interact with loved ones will significantly impact the mental well-being of

the general population, in both direct and indirect manners.

During these uncertain times, it is important that organizations demonstrate their commitment and dedication to supporting the mental and emotional well-being of their existing employees, as well as those who may have been laid off due to the pandemic. HR departments specifically have been identified as key stakeholders in decision making about the manner in which employee-related issues are handled, recognizing that employees experience varying degrees of reactions to these very abnormal and challenging times.

It is imperative that HR departments play a major role in facilitating and prioritizing the mental well-being of their employees by providing the necessary tools and resources as a means of support. Some viable tools and resources may include: • Provision of employee access to mental health service providers, such as registered counsellors, psychologists and wellness professionals, who are accessible in a virtual manner.

• Review and modification of vacation and sick leave policies in an effort to accommodate and promote more flexibility and work-life balance, as employees try to navigate a new way of life during the pandemic.

• The creation of a sound communications plan that facilitates an open line of communication between the employer and the employees, where

updates and messages are relayed in a clear and transparent manner. It is important to note how critical the role of communication is during this time, as many employees have feelings of anxiety due to fear of the unknown and fear of potential job loss.

Essential Service Employees Organizations have been making significant efforts to facilitate an agile workforce, where possible, in an effort to maintain their operations while prioritizing the health and safety of their employees. In some sectors, however (e.g., emergency services, food services, transportation, safety, energy/utilities, healthcare), the vast majority of these employees are required to work on a daily basis to provide the essential services to serve the greater population.

The level of risk associated with individuals who physically report to duty on a daily basis in the essential services sector is high, and employees will inevitably experience significant levels of fear and anxiety. The mental health and well-being of employees working in essential services is therefore deemed paramount.

To function in an effective and efficient manner while providing essential services, the management of individual stress and anxiety during the pandemic is important. It is therefore critical that business leaders in general, but especially those in the essential services sector, implement stringent policies, Continued on page 22

14 Thriving in Adversity

Managing Employee Work Refusal in a COVID-19 World Jeffrey Stewart

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for employers and employees. Among the most pressing is employee reluctance to attend work, whether due to health and safety concerns, family obligations, medical restrictions or a desire to remain on government benefits. In this article, we introduce strategies to manage these issues. But remember—every case has its own facts and context, so it is important to evaluate each on its own merits and not apply a cookie-cutter approach that may expose your organization to unnecessary risk.

If the Reason is Fear of COVID-19 in the Workplace

If an employee expresses reluctance to attend work, the first question to ask is why? It is important to get a clear understanding of the basis for the employee’s reluctance because this will impact how you respond.

If the reluctance to attend work is related to a fear of COVID-19 in the

• Place the employee in an area where the employee is safe.

1 Certain groups of employees are not entitled to refuse to perform work on health and safety–related grounds (e.g., police, firefighters, and hospital, long-term care or group home employees, etc.).

• Investigate the circumstances surrounding the refusal. The investigation must include a worker representative of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, as applicable.

Across Canada, an employer has a legal obligation to take every precaution reasonable to protect the health and safety of its employees, and an employee may refuse to perform work if the employee holds a bona fide belief a physical condition in the workplace constitutes a risk to their health or safety.1 Generally, this involves concern over equipment or machinery. However, it is possible “physical condition” may also include concern for the spread of a serious illness such as COVID-19.

workplace, the first step is to educate the employee on all of the health and safety precautions the employer has taken to reduce transmission of the virus. In many cases, this education will be sufficient to encourage the employee to attend. It is therefore important to have prepared a comprehensive, written “return to work policy or protocol,” which you can use to both educate and guide employees.

If the employee continues to refuse to work, this should be addressed as a work refusal under occupational health and safety legislation. In that case, follow these steps:

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 15

• If there is an objective risk, address the risk.

• If there is no objective risk, advise the employee of the outcome of the investigation and ask the employee to attend work. If the employee refuses, contact your provincial health and safety authority to perform its own investigation.

• If your provincial health and safety authority (e.g., Ministry of Labour) confirms there is no reasonable risk, and the employee continues to refuse to attend work, the employee may be disciplined.

If the Reason is Related to the Employee’s Age, Health Condition or Family Obligations If the reluctance to attend is related to the employee’s age (e.g., over 70), medical condition or family obligations, the employee may be entitled to a statutorily protected leave under employment standards legislation or an accommodation under human rights legislation.

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most Canadian jurisdictions passed legislation to provide unpaid, job-protected leave for an employee unable to work for reasons related to COVID-19 (“COVID-19 leave”). In many jurisdictions, this includes time off to care for a child who is at home due to a school or daycare closure by an emergency order, or a family member who must isolate. If an employee requests a COVID-19 leave, you can request information reasonable in the circumstance to verify the need for the leave of absence (e.g., direction from public health, notice of school closure, etc.), but in most jurisdictions you cannot request a medical certificate.

On the other hand, if an employee’s request for time off does not fall within a COVID-19 leave, this may be a request for accommodation under human rights legislation on the basis

of age, disability or family status.

If you are not sure whether a request falls under a COVID-19 leave or family status accommodation, consult with experienced employment law counsel.

If the Reason is a General Desire Not to Attend Work If the employee’s reluctance to attend is not related to a specific concern about COVID-19 in the workplace or a reason that would trigger human rights accommodation, it may be related to: • a general fear of leaving home due to COVID-19 (e.g., being in public, taking public transit, etc.); or • a financial disincentive to attend if

the employee’s income is relatively equal to, or less than, the monthly Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

In these circumstances, continued failure to attend work may ultimately be treated as a resignation from employment2 or grounds for termination with cause. However, before ending the employment relationship, follow these steps: • Clearly advise the employee that they are expected to attend work, and failure to do so may be treated as a resignation or grounds for termination with cause.

2 “Deemed resignation” is not without risk, as a resignation must be clear and unequivocal.

Continued on page 22

16 Thriving in Adversity

Reflections on a Career in HR Don Sinclair, CHRL

officer. This is where I found that my niche was serving and helping staff and, naturally, the children who attended the camps.

After two years I was ready to move on and secured a training position with a multinational Canadian company in HR. At that time (the late 1970s), HR was not formally recognized as a profession, and that “training” position was akin to a paid intern position today.

I

have been asked to reflect on my years in HR and provide my thoughts on paper.

I will begin with a little background on me. I graduated in the mid-1970s with a dual degree in physical education and psychology. My thinking at the time was to teach Phys Ed. When I graduated, I discovered that most of my colleagues who took Phys Ed and went on to teaching were hired to teach something other than Phys Ed but were expected to coach various school teams. That wasn’t for me, so I struck out on my own, starting with the YM & YWCA. At the “Y,” I was given a lot of responsibility—from coordinating fitness programs and running various sports leagues to heading up an eight-week residential summer camp for children in the cottage country north of Kingston. The experience of running the camp really gave me my first insight into running a small organization from the ground up— from hiring counsellors, program directors, cooks and grounds maintenance to being the chief financial

The company had a fairly rigorous program where trainees would spend about two years working in various HR departments: industrial relations, benefits, hourly recruitment, salaried administration, training and organizational development.

The real benefit of this company’s program was that trainees received a broad generalist overview of the HR function, which has served me very well over my career.

Here is my advice based on my many years of experience.

Advice #1: For those entering HR, try to obtain a range of opportunities in the various fields within HR. I believe having a generalist HR background serves you well and opens the most opportunities to you. While you may decide to specialize in one field, experience in a range of responsibilities will help you to find your passion.

A generalist background enables an HR professional to bring a broader range of perspectives and knowledge to their decision making, and can often lead to greater opportunities for advancement.

I have had the opportunity to serve both in the private and public sectors over the last 40 years. While all of my experience has been reward-

ing, for me, the best part involved building relationships, serving the staff who reported to me and appreciating them as individuals. I felt my role as a leader was to ensure they had the correct and most up-to-date tools to do their work, along with training and professional development opportunities.

Did I always make it happen? Short answer is no (sometimes we fall into budget restrictions), but I always gave it my best to meet their needs.

Advice #2: I have met many people in my journey who say they want to work in HR because they “love working with people.” Well, as a matter of fact, those considering HR really need to love working with people because the reality is a lot of the company’s people problems are coming your way. Being able to deal with the company’s challenging employees is a critical component of HR. It can be exhausting and trying, but at the same time very rewarding.

Advice #3: HR is not for the faint of heart. It can be very stressful, so it is important that you look after yourself. Carve out time to decompress.

If you don’t look after yourself, it will impact on your work and family responsibilities.

Now, I would like to impart two other thoughts for your consideration that aren’t directly related to HR, but rather, to your lifelong journey.

Advice #4: Whenever possible, try to find a mentor or confidante with whom you can discuss workplace issues, both the positives and the negatives.

It is important to have a confidential sounding board, someone who can listen and help you to explore alterna-

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 17

Weathering the COVID-19 Storm Lori McLellan

tive perspectives that may provide you with additional insight and support self-reflection.

Advice #5: Volunteer. Everyone has something to contribute to make our society better. I believe it is important to give back and feel strongly about giving back to the community. I have volunteered at both the Chapter level and the provincial level of HRPA. I am currently volunteering for a charitable organization that assists disabled youth in sport. Not only is volunteering fulfilling, but you also get to meet some great people along the way.

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Don Sinclair, CHRL, recently retired, was the founding CEO of the College Employer Council. The Council’s mission is to support Ontario’s Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology through best practices in responsible collective bargaining, group insurance benefits and HR matters. Prior to his appointment at Council, Don was the Executive Director of the College Compensation and Appointments Council (a predecessor agency before the transition to the College Employer Council). He has served within the college system as VicePresident of HR for Durham College and the University of Ontario. In addition, he has been a key team leader in four successful start-up opportunities in both the public and private sector.

Don is currently President of the Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association, a charitable organization dedicated to providing, promoting and coordinating competitive opportunities as well as encouraging individual excellence through sport for athletes within the cerebral palsy family.

In addition to his CHRL, Don has a BA & BPHE from Queen's University. He has attended Directors College and has taught as a part-time professor in the field of Labour Relations.

Don was this year’s recipient of the Chapter’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The skies were clearing for me.

After two years taking part-time courses to begin a new career, I finished my capstone project in December and received the graduate certificate in HR Management from Durham College in January.

I had previously been employed in publishing for 15 years—a job I loved—but career opportunities and room for advancement were akin to the setting sun in that shrinking Canadian industry. I congratulated myself for smartly navigating through my courses and battling the squalls, despite my trials and tribulations with the dreaded accounting courses.

Having gotten official approval for writing the first of the CHRP exams, I was contemplating exactly when I would weigh anchor.

I applied to jobs with a hopeful outlook and was gratified to get a screening interview in February with a local organization that I liked. It was entry-level but I was willing to take the small amount of pay for an opportunity to learn the HR ropes.

Dark clouds had rolled in on the horizon by then with the mysterious coronavirus that was spreading so quickly. And then my boat capsized.

Schools abruptly closed after March break, and I was charged with homeschooling my 8-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son. To make things even more interesting, I am a newly single parent. Amid the gales of squabbling brother and sister, the park closures, and the lack of social interaction for my usually gregarious kids, we’re winding down the school year with-

out so much as a school concert to look forward to or farewell gifts for the teachers to wrap. Thank goodness my kids aren’t embarking on momentous stages like some of my friends’ children, who don’t get the benefit of a grade 8 or 12 graduation, or a senior prom—rites of passage that so many will be missing this year.

Many questions cloud my mind. How can I secure a job in a newly hypercompetitive industry where I am what is laughing known as “the new girl,” despite being so much older than the rest of the candidates? Will this health crisis bring on a full-blown depression, never mind the recession we are currently facing? Is it safe for me to take an office job or will I end up bringing home COVID-19 to my kids?

Despite these setbacks, my family is certainly one of the lucky ones to weather the storm. The most extreme brush with the COVID-19 crisis is my widowed father’s retirement residence. This past week, a handful of tenants and workers tested positive (not him), and they are endeavouring to provide an “abundance of caution” (phrase du jour) for all the parties involved. My children and I have been able to socially isolate ourselves due to our straightforward circumstances.

And we live in a country that has the capacity to monitor the spread of the virus and provide some income to tide people over.

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Soon, I will right my vessel again. I am hopeful for smooth sailing ahead.

Lori McLellan recently completed the graduate certificate in HR Management at Durham College.

18 Thriving in Adversity

Rediscover the Downtowns of Durham Jacquie Severs

Durham Region is home to 13 distinct and diverse downtown areas. As residents, we can often forget about the gems in our own backyards, so if the number of downtown areas in Durham Region comes as a surprise, you are not alone.

Along the lakeshore, from east to west, there is Newcastle, Bowmanville, Oshawa, Whitby, Brooklin, Ajax and Pickering Village. Heading north from the lake, you’ll find Orono, Port Perry, Uxbridge, Cannington, Sunderland and Beaverton. Among these 13 business districts, there are over 800 businesses, from independent coffee shops and restaurants to pharmacies, home décor shops, and professional and personal services like lawyers, accountants and hair salons. The majority of these businesses are independently owned and operated small businesses, many sole proprietorships. These are employment-dense areas, providing a high number of flexible part-time jobs and tip-based careers to our communities.

Downtown Sunderland

Downtown Orono

But beyond their more practical economic benefits to our communities, our main streets are social hubs as well, bringing our communities together. In a typical year, our downtowns and main streets function as our central gathering places. They are where patios overflow on balmy summer evenings, where Santa Claus parades see candy canes tossed to our children, and where sidewalk sales and harvest festivals provide a reason to take a leisurely stroll with family on sunny weekends. A thriving, busy and vibrant downtown area is of desire to any community resident.

During the COVID-19 isolation, our downtowns have been hard hit. Almost all businesses were forced to close.

Restaurants worked hard to pivot and offer take-out, but boutiques, salons and many other kinds of businesses struggle to recover a full season of lost sales. Because so many businesses in these areas depend on the foot traffic of local offices that closed, even those permitted to remain open have

Downtown Port Perry

Downtown Whitby

experienced challenges with surviving during these times.

With this reality in mind, the Downtowns of Durham website was created, offering a central place to explore Durham Region’s 13 downtowns: www.downtownsofdurham.ca It’s possible to search by map or by business type, and each business listing provides essential details of services, web links and special COVID operational information, such as curbside pick-up.

As our doors begin to open and our isolation ends—or at least shifts to a new normal—the Downtowns of Durham project helps residents get to know the downtowns in their backyard while supporting and promoting businesses as they recover. Explore restaurants offering take-out, read stories about the hidden gems in neighbourhoods less than an hour’s drive away, and learn about the shops and services that are a part of our communities.

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Support main street businesses now to help preserve our vibrant communities!

Jacquie Severs is the Manager, Marketing and Cluster Development, Economic Development and Tourism, for Durham Region.

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 19

News from the Board

Presenting the 2019-2020 HRPA Durham Chapter Board of Directors Chair Catherine Claridge, CHRL

Secretary/Treasurer Jenn Janca, CHRL

Communications Chair Gladys Saenz

Mentorship Chair Leyland Muss, CHRL NEW: Student Liaison Chair Rathika Jaysinghe, CHRL, B.Sc. Rathika Jaysinghe is an HR professional with over 15 years of experience; her career also highlights operations management experience in Southeast Asia and Middle East with multi-nationals Hilton, Marriott, Microsoft and Sony. She has held the position of National HR Manager, Canada, and was responsible from leading an Ontario-based company to Canadawide operations. She recently held the position of Global HR Lead, heading up the People Operations team in a company, and was instrumental in leading the strategic transformation of HR programs and services. She firmly recognizes that an organization's success lies in accessing people’s capabilities and the programs she has designed, developed and implemented have been a reflection of this belief and one to which she attests her career success.

Rathika holds a B.Sc. from Mumbai University and Certificate in HR Management from Seneca College.

She has completed the Strategic HR Leadership Program from Cornell University. She gained her CHRP and CHRL, and is currently a CHRE candidate.

Passionate about giving back to the community, Rathika is a mentor with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council and works to assists professionals new to Canada navigate their careers through the Canadian landscape. A volunteer committee member with the HRPA Toronto Chapter from 2010-2017, she now sits on the HRPA Durham Chapter Board leading the student relations portfolio.

Rathika resides in Ajax with her husband and two daughters. A very new addition to the family is the rescue kitten Chandler Binx. She is avidly interested in animals, gardening and enjoys cooking for family and friends.

NEW: Regulatory Liaison Chair Candice McAlister, CHRL Candice McAlister is excited to join the Durham Chapter’s Board of Directors as the Chair for the Regulatory Liaison Committee. She is enthusiastic about HR and enjoys meeting other HR professionals and discussing new arising issues in the HR field.

Candice is an HR professional with 12 years of experience in all areas of HR, including talent acquisition, employee and labour relations, compensation, and health and safety.

She has worked as an HR Specialist for Durham Regional Police Service

for the past four years. Candice’s responsibilities include managing the job evaluation programs, completing internal workplace investigations, facilitating the recruitment and promotional processes, and providing advice and support to members of the organization in all areas of HR. Candice lives in Bowmanville with her husband, Philip, and their 7-year-old son, Henry. With the nice weather, Candice is often walking to the creek with Henry to go “fishing” for minnows.

She is looking forward to meeting the other members of the Chapter and contributing to the Board of Directors.

NEW: Professional Development Chair Hazel-Ann Scriver, CHRL Hazel-Ann Scriver has been elected to the Durham Chapter Board of Directors. She been a member of the HRPA since 2014. She is an HR Generalist with eight years of experience. She has spent time in various functions of HRM including strategic recruitment, training and development, labour and employee relations, and project management. She currently works for a Global HVAC & Energy Company.

Since 2017, Hazel has been a volunteer on the Chapter’s Professional Development Committee, so it is very fitting that she has accepted the position of Chair. She is very excited to work alongside her team of volunteers to come up with new and creative ways to fulfill on this committee’s mandate of bringing meaningful professional knowledge and skill development for the various stages of member’s careers.

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When she is not at work or volunteering, Hazel can be found enjoying the outdoors or spending time with her friends and family.

20 Thriving in Adversity

By the Numbers Ernest Mistica, CHRL, MIR

The last few months have shown an influx of emails and resources, and HR professionals have a wealth of information at their hands to sift through and curate for themselves and their organizations. The HRPA has also played a role at consolidating information through creating the COVID-19 Resources page (www.hrpa.ca/Pages/ COVID-19Resources.aspx).

Leaning in on reliable sources and stats are two considerations that HR professionals have been working on lately. Here are some key stats that surprised us: • 81% of organizations were evaluating expanding or keeping remote working options. (HRPA COVID19 Member Survey Part 2, June 2020: www.hrpa.ca/ Documents/Membership/COVID19-MemberSurvey2Results-.June-2020.pdf) • 75% of HRPA survey respondents were deemed an essential service by the Government of Ontario. HR professionals play an important role in de-risking organizations and contributing to decision making. (HRPA COVID-19 Member Survey Part 1, April 2020: www.hrpa. ca/Documents/Regulation/COVID-19%20Survey%20 Results.pdf) • 81% of HR professionals agreed their stress levels have increased over the past few years, before the global

pandemic. (McLean & Company, HR Trends Report for 2020, January 2020: https://hr.mcleanco.com/research/ ss/2020-hr-trends-report/hr-trends-report-for-2020) • 53% of respondents to the Deloitte 2020 Global Human Capital Trends survey indicated between half and all of their workforce would need to reskill or upskill in the next three years. (Deloitte 2020 Human Capital Trends Report, May 2020: www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/ focus/human-capital-trends.html) • 38% of organizations expected to go through significant change, including changes to business models, organizational structures, workflows, physical workspace and restructuring. (HRPA COVID-19 Member Survey Part 2, June 2020: www.hrpa.ca/Documents/Membership/ COVID19-MemberSurvey2-Results-.June-2020.pdf) Overall, we see that the pandemic has had a significant impact on organizations, HR professionals, our membership and society as a whole. We are learning a lot from our organizations, our regulatory partners, our workforces and our leaders, and most importantly, about ourselves through these experiences and will continue to do so on a daily basis. What numbers will the next day show? Only time will tell.

Ernest Mistica, CHRL, MIR, is an HR Consultant (Network & IT) with Bell Canada.

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 21

NEWS FROM

HRPA

Introducing HRPA Online Communities

Many of our members are familiar with our iVolunteer platform.

We are pleased to share that over the next few months, we will be rebranding this platform as HRPA Communities, with a host of new features to expand interest across our membership.

While HRPA volunteers will still be able to access existing forums and discussion boards, we are opening this online community to all HRPA members to encourage conversation and engagement across the organization! Here are just a few ways you can use HRPA Communities:

currently an active member of the platform, we encourage you to sign up using your member login and explore our community.

• Use the Communities feature to stay in touch with your fellow HRPA members.

To view which Communities you are currently a part of, you can view them directly from your profile drop down arrow at the top right of the homepage and then click the Communities button.

• Network with other HR professionals.

• Explore upcoming HRPA events.

• And, of course, volunteer with our organization and local Chapters!

Keep an eye out for these exciting new changes! If you’re not

Joining and Viewing Your HRPA Communities As a new member of Online Communities and HRPA Communities, you are automatically subscribed to your respective Chapter community. As Chapter volunteers, you are already subscribed to your HRPA Committee online communities with the correct access levels.

You can also find and join additional member-created and interest-based communities (as they become available) under the Communities tab on the Communities home page.

For more information, click here: https://communities.hrpa.ca/home

22 Thriving in Adversity Continued from page 15

For assistance navigating these uncharted waters, seek the help of experienced employment law counsel. The team at Sherrard Kuzz LLP can help.

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Jeffrey Stewart is a lawyer with Sherrard Kuzz LLP, one of Canada’s leading employment and labour law firms, representing employers. Jeffrey can be reached at 416603-0700 (main), 416-420-0738 (24-hour) or by visiting www.sherrardkuzz.com.

• Educate the employee on safe practices to reduce risk, as well as all of the precautions that have been taken by the employer to minimize the risk of workplace transmission.

• Advise the employee that if they resign or are terminated for cause, this may impact continued entitlement to government benefits, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and Employment Insurance.

Continued from page 13

practices and safety procedures as a means to contribute to the employees’ sense of safety and security while executing their duties. Recommendations for support should encompass the provision of resources to employees such as a comprehensive list of self-care and distress management resources as they continue to work in stressful environments. It is also highly recommended that mental help via telephone or virtual consultation sessions are options for employees who would like to take advantage of these resources but do not wish to do so in person.

It is also important to note that the families of employees who provide essential services are facing their own

• In a unionized context, consider whether the collective agreement allows you to apply the administrative termination provisions (i.e., if the employee fails to return to work within a prescribed period after notice of recall). Be alert to any provision in the collective agreement that entitles an employee to a leave of absence on request, subject to operational requirements.

struggles and difficulties. Common issues for family members may include the ongoing fear that their loved one may not have access to adequate personal protective equipment and may subsequently be exposed to COVID-19. Some family members may also feel the need to understand the trauma that their loved one is experiencing, thus increasing their own levels of anxiety. It is highly recommended that companies that provide a comprehensive employee benefits package carefully consider the aforementioned factors and encourage employees to take advantage of support services for their immediate family members.

In conclusion, it is evident that the mental, emotional and psychological impact on the workforce during the

The information contained in this article is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice, nor does accessing this information create a lawyer-client relationship. This article is current as of June 24, 2020 and applies only to Ontario, Canada, or such other laws of Canada as expressly indicated. Information about the law is checked for legal accuracy as at the date the presentation/article is prepared, but may become outdated as laws or policies change. For clarification or for legal or other professional assistance please contact Sherrard Kuzz LLP.

COVID-19 pandemic is and will continue to be of a substantial magnitude even in the post-COVID environment. Where possible, organizations must prioritize the provision of resources and services to support the ongoing mental wellbeing of their workforce. The provision of these resources will also impact employee retention rates and overall employee morale.

Thus, HR departments play a major role in how employers respond to employee relations during these challenging and uncertain times, and should partner with other key decision makers to ensure that employees feel safe and supported.

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Asha A. McClean, CHRP, is an HR Consultant at Ryerson University.

Resource: Shaping Organizational Excellence · Summer 2020 · 23

PHOTO GALLERY Career Transition Networking Group: March 11, 2020

24 Thriving in Adversity

Upcoming Events The HRPA Durham Chapter offers events to help you learn and make connections. Your participation in certain events also earns you continuing professional development hours to maintain your CHRP, CHRL or CHRE designation.

In light of government restrictions on large gatherings, we have suspended in-person activities for the time being and are offering virtual events. Refer to the website for more information and to register.

Aug 27

Virtual Student Event

Sep 16

Virtual New Member Welcome

Oct 21

Virtual Mental Health

Nov 12

Virtual “Boosting the Mentorship Conversation through Collaboration and Coaching”

Nov 19

Virtual “Containing the Impact of Conduct that Derails EDI in the Workplace”

We thank you for your continued support as we do our part to protect the HR community!