In the October 3, 2011 throne speech, which opened the fourth session of the 39th Parliament, the Government of British Columbia announced that it plans to introduce a new provincial statutory holiday. The new holiday, known as Family Day, will be celebrated each year on the third Monday in February. In order to give employers time to adjust to the holiday, the first Family Day will be celebrated on February 18, 2013. British Columbia will become the fourth province to recognize Family Day, along with Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. The third Monday in February is also a holiday in Manitoba (Louis Riel Day) and Prince Edward Island (Islander...

Everyone is responsible for Workplace Health and Safety. Whether you’re an employer, supervisor or worker, make sure you know your health and safety responsibilities. What are the employer's responsibilities? An employer must: • establish and maintain a joint health and safety committee, or cause workers to select at least one health and safety representative • take every reasonable precaution to ensure the workplace is safe • train employees about any potential hazards and in how to safely use, handle, store and dispose of hazardous substances and how to handle emergencies • supply personal protective equipment and ensure workers know how to use the equipment safely and properly •...

Many highly successful companies with strong cultures have unorthodox HR practices not traditionally found in management textbooks. These practices are calculated not only on business needs, but also on the deeply held values of the company. The following article will give employers an idea of what some organizations are doing differently to promote a high commitment workplace where employees work towards a common goal. https://www.managementsite.nl/ Submitted by Linh Giang

All new employees are automatically subject to a standard three-month probationary period and they can be dismissed without cause during that time frame, right? This is one, among many other common misconceptions about probationary periods which has long been a complex HR topic. If you are considering terminating a probationary employee, you may want to read the article below to help you avoid unnecessary headaches and mitigate your risk. https://www.hrinfodesk.com/preview.asp?article=36087 Submitted by: Tim Jackson, BComm, CHRP

Organizing a team builder can take a lot of time, effort and money but setting up a workplace fantasy sports league is both easy to do and free. For those of you unfamiliar with fantasy sports leagues, they are played online through various web services that allow friendly competition over the course of a sporting season or playoff. They are available for almost all major North American sports such as football, hockey, baseball, basketball, even golf. If your office has sports fans, I guarantee that many of them already participate in a fantasy league. How Could you Consider this a Team Builder? While it is not something that...

As employers and employees we have all heard examples of Companies losing their top performers. It can be frustrating to have one of your key players walk across the street after you have kept them employed during the economic downturn. After all you did to support them through the hard times, how could they leave now? With the economy heating up in Canada, there is a real possibility of losing those critical employees. Proactively working on strategies will assist with engaging your current workforce. Prior to panicking and making that employee a counter offer, you may want to read this article and then rethink your strategy. If you...

Temporary Social Insurance Numbers have expiry dates which coincide directly to the expiration date of an employee’s work visa.  Once these documents have expired, a foreign worker is no longer eligible to work in Canada and may be required to leave the country depending on the terms and conditions of his/her work visa. There are numerous penalties, fines, and possible criminal charges related to illegal employment of foreign workers. Some examples of these are: A negative Labour Market Opinion (LMO) - HRSDC/Service Canada may issue a negative LMO and revoke all positions on confirmed LMOs for which work permits have not yet been issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)....

One of the first questions an employer should ask itself prior to commencing pre-employment Drug and Alcohol testing should be: Is it a BFOR – a bona fide occupational requirement? In other words, it should be a standard rule (for all employees) that is an essential requirement in order to perform the duties of the job. In order for it to be considered a BFOR, the employer must establish that any changes or accommodation to the standard would create undue hardship on the organization. The following steps need to be established in order to determine if it is a BFOR: Rational connection – Is the standard rule instituted...

Within your organization, it is important to define the positions which are eligible for overtime and which ones are not. Although every province has slightly different rules with regards to the amount of time required to work prior to receiving overtime, the rules for who is eligible for overtime are generally the same. One misconception that we hear often is: Hourly employees receive overtime and salaried do not. While this often turns out to be the case in many organizations, it is the position’s level of responsibility that determines the eligibility of overtime, not the manor in which the employee’s compensation is paid. For example: you could have...

Is your organization aware of the new rules for foreign workers? With the amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, it is becoming increasingly important for companies who hire temporary foreign workers to ensure they have a corporate policy in place as well as keeping accurate records regarding foreign workers within their organization. Organizations who bring in foreign workers must have a clear direction as to the intent and future plans of the foreign workers in their organizations as well as who is responsible for ensuring that this information is accurately updated. Some questions that need to be asked in the beginning stages are: • Is the...