Did you know that Friday, Jan. 29th, 2016 is International Fun at Work Day? This may not be the most commonly known holiday, but it can be a great reminder to consider the culture at your workplace and the benefits of ensuring that employees are enjoying (at least part) of their work day.

Why including fun at work is important: 
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HR experts like author Bob Nelson (1001 Ways to Motivate Employees) and columnist Steve Strauss, both have a myriad of reasons why employers should incorporate some fun into each work day, including:

• It can stimulate creativity
• It can relieve or reduce stress
• It can increase productivity
• It can be a retention tool
• It can improves employee morale, engagement, and teamwork

Concerns employers may have: 

Many find it counterintuitive to incorporate fun into the workday as a way to increase productivity. In fact, they worry it will drastically reduce outputs. Some other top worries include:

• Fun doesn't belong in a "serious" workplace
• Customers may be turned off seeing your employees having too much fun
• Employees will take advantage of the time away from their regular duties

Tips for HR managers and employers:

Clear Path's HR consultants have some suggestions for employers to consider:

Ensure that the nature of the "fun" is tasteful and appropriate for your workplace. Remember that what's fun for one person is not necessarily so for another. The fun activity should never be at the expense of an employee or customer. If your company is large enough, it may also be a good idea to allow different departments to design their own activities rather than applying a "one size fits all" approach.

Some additional tips:

• Organize fun events, like a monthly celebration of employee birthdays or a special costume day, with specific start and end times, rather than having several random activities happening sporadically
• Encourage employees to come up with ideas that resonate with them and involve them in the implementation
• Incorporate contests and incentives to make everyday tasks more enjoyable, such as a team pizza party for meeting a particular quota or achievement
• Photograph or take videos of special events so that you can share them on your social media sites (to demonstrate your corporate culture to prospective applicants) or create a photo album for team members to share

How we have fun at Clear Path:

We believe in incorporating fun into our workplace so much that we included "Having Fun" as one of our nine corporate values (see our full list here). Here are the describing statements regarding this value:

• We view life as a journey to be enjoyed and appreciated.
• We create an atmosphere of fun and happiness so all around us enjoy it as well.
• We believe that what is fun gets done.
• We enjoy spending time with our teammates and customers.
• We celebrate and reward our successes.
• We value humour, but never at the expense of another.

Putting this value into practice, we enjoy several special events throughout the year, including a team lunch each month with a different theme (Oktoberfest, Chinese New Year, Summer BBQ), participating in charity events like the Terry Fox Run, and celebrating birthdays and customer victories at our monthly team meeting.

How do you have fun at your work? Share your ideas in the Comments.

​This week marks the 75th anniversary of one of the greatest blunders in communication of all time and serves as a warning for managers who refuse to listen to feedback from employees.

On Jan. 27th, 1941, U.S. ambassador to Japan Joseph Grew cabled the U.S. State Department with information obtained from the Peruvian ambassador that Tokyo was planning a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. His warning was ignored and when Japan did attack on Dec. 7th, it resulted in the loss of 2,403 American lives.

Of course, most businesses won't face the same kind of life-or-death consequences if they ignore feedback from their employees.

​But those whose culture does not encourage team members to share their ideas and concerns with upper management (or who routinely ignore comments when they are shared), will almost certainly have to deal with the loss of employee engagement, loss of potentially profitable ideas, and the loss of visibility to important concerns from those "in the trenches." On the flip side, those who do value and implement suggestions from employees will see increased an energized workforce with greater levels of loyalty to the organization, safer work environments, and potentially boosted profits.

Here are some tips on how to develop mechanisms for employees to share feedback with upper management:

News of the recent deaths of several well-known celebrities, including music icon David Bowie, Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, and renowned actor Alan Rickman, got us thinking about the touchy subject of death and grief in the workplace.
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The way a workplace manages the challenges around grieving employees, whether a fellow employee has died or when a team member has suffered a loss in their personal lives, makes a tremendous difference to employee morale and connectedness to your organization. Mishandling the situation can bring a landmine of HR issues and potentially hurt feelings. The best way to handle it is to plan ahead and take steps to ensure managers treat employees fairly and consistently.
 
Losing a team member

In the unfortunate event that a colleague passes away, you should not underestimate the feeling of loss and disruption in your workplace. Eyes will be on the management team to see how it reacts and if it allows time for adjustment after such a loss. The sudden, unexpected death of a co-worker will require you to deploy different strategies than if someone has succumbed to a long-term illness. But either way, you should not expect fellow employees to take the loss lightly.

Management must communicate to fellow team members about the loss in a way that is caring and respectful. Take the time to gather employees together to share feelings and discuss next steps, which could include holding a memorial for the individual or arranging for anyone interested in attending the funeral the ability to do so. Ensure that you are consistent in your approach and remember that regardless of the length of time the deceased was with the company or the seniority of their position, the impact of the loss to the organization may still be a difficult one.

​Anna Aceto-Guerin, senior HR consultant at Clear Path, encourages employers to utilize their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) during these situations by reminding team members to take advantage of the program. Depending on the circumstances, management might consider providing a grief counselor on the premises to assist with the aftermath following the news of an employee's passing. The benefit of EAP intervention is that employees can speak to a counselor in private and be provided with strategies to handle their loss. The grieving process is different for everyone and you must be patient during the weeks and months following a loss.

Time off for grieving

Things could get tricky when it comes to paid time off for those grieving the loss. In Ontario, there is no requirement for bereavement leave under the Employment Standards Act (ESA), but many businesses have established policies that give a certain number of paid days off as an employee benefit.

​However, most policies limit the paid days to relatives (with a higher number of days for immediate family such as a spouse, parent or child). If an employee is requesting time off to recover from the loss of a work colleague, you might suggest they utilize accumulated sick days (if your company offers paid sick days) or a non-paid leave of absence. Be fair and consistent with absences granted for this purpose but also remember that certain circumstances may require you to make exceptions to established policy. Take the situation into consideration each time and it necessary reach out for advice on how to handle a particularly difficult situation.

Replacing an employee who has died

The potential need to replace the worker who has passed away brings with it a special need for sensitivity and respect for those who worked with the deceased. Depending on the circumstances and the nature of the position, your company may be able to delay this process for a while in consideration of the feelings of the person's colleagues. Should you need to delay the process for replacement, consider setting up an internal resource to cover the position in the meantime to ensure that business needs are met and people have someone to go to. If a delay is not possible, proceed with your regular recruitment practice while being as sensitive as possible with everyone involved.

When an employee suffers a personal loss 

When an employee loses someone in their personal life, management should be equally as cognizant of the need to be sensitive to their needs at that time. HR should advise the individual of the company's policies regarding paid time off for bereavement, along with recommending the use of an EAP program (if applicable).  As mentioned, there is no requirement to give paid time off under Ontario's ESA, but refusing to do so may be seen as a very unsympathetic response during a time of loss.

Encouraging your supervisors and co-workers to be patient with the individual in the period following the death is an important step. Relieving the person's workload on a temporary basis may also be an option for your company.

Need some assistance?

Have you established employee policies, such as one for Bereavement and Absence? If not, or if you would like some assistance updating your policy book, get in touch with Clear Path today. Certified HR professionals like Anna Aceto-Guerin can guide your company through the process and help you manage any people-related challenges you may have. Contact us today at anna@clearpathemployer.com or by phone at (519) 624-0800.

Ontario's Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) has proposed a brand new system for funding our workers' compensation system that would change the way WSIB premiums are set and would eliminate the current process of giving surcharges and refunds.

This new system is said to come into effect by January 2019 and promises to be revenue neutral and the most significant change to the WSIB in decades. It would reduce the number of rate groups from over 200 to about 34 and eliminate the current NEER, CAD-7, and MAPP experience rating programs and replace them with one unified system. The updated reform proposal can be found here.

​Here are some of the key points you need to know. (Remember that details are subject to change since the WSIB's consultation process is ongoing):
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New ways to categorize employers:

• Currently, companies are categorized with similar businesses into one of 200+ rate groups (mining firms grouped together, retail stores grouped together).
• The new system will streamline the process and categorize businesses into one of 34 rate classes based upon NAICS codes (that is up from the original 22 classes proposed in 2015 that was adjusted due to stakeholder feedback).

Say goodbye to refunds and surcharges, say hello to 'risk bands':

• The WSIB will move away from 'predicting' expected claim costs for each employer and then allocating a refund or additional surcharge each September based on actual costs.
• The new system will assign a premium rate based on the collective experience of all the employers in their rate class and where the particular employer falls on the 'risk band' or range of premium rates within that rate class.
• Increases or decrease in claim costs for that employer will result in an increase/decrease in the next year's premium rather than a surcharge/refund of that year's premium.
• The range of premium rates within each rate class will be quite extensive, with up to 40-80 different risk bands in each class.  Regarding increases/decreases in premium rates, no employer will be able to be moved up or down more than three risk bands per year (capping any increase/decrease to +/- 15% in any one year). This will help protect employers from catastrophic claim costs in one year.
• Maximum risk band is not to exceed 3x the average premium rate for the rate class.

(Possibly the) End of multiple rate groups for one company:

• Currently, companies with business activities that cross into more than one rate group (i.e. company has both manufacturing and trucking divisions) can assign individual employees to different rate groups (which may have different premium rates) and receive NEER reports for each rate groups.
• The new system will establish a 'general rule' that assigns each employer to a single rate class based upon the company's predominant business activity. This change will simplify the administration of claims but will most likely result in premium increases for an employer who currently has a portion of its workforce in lower-cost rate groups (assuming that their predominant business activity is in a high-cost rate class). 
• The WSIB has responded to concerns from employer groups saying that "it is interested in further exploring some exceptions to this general rule for separate classification and multiple rates for a single employer, if an employer engages in more than one business activity, and a business activity is not dependent on the other activity(ies)." It is still unclear, but there may be some wiggle room in this general rule.

Exception for staffing agencies:

• An important exception to this 'general rule"'of one rate class per employer will be created for staffing or temp agencies.
• The WSIB is proposing that staffing/temp agencies will have separate WSIB accounts for each industry or rate class they serve, rather than one rate class for the firm itself.

Expansion of experience window to 6 years:

• Employers will remember that the WSIB previously expanded the NEER window from 3 to 4 years in 2010.  The new system would further expand the experience window for the unified system to 6 years of review.
• Initially, the WSIB proposed that all claims within that window would be treated equally when determining premium rates. After consulting with stakeholders, that has been changed to a formula that gives higher (two-thirds) weight to claims within the most recent three years and lower weight (one-third) to those in the previous three years. This should help employers see changes in their premium rates if they have recently implemented changes to their health & safety practices. The image below depicts this weighted formula:

What about the Fatal Claim Adjustment Policy or other punitive measures?

• In 2008, the WSIB instituted the Fatal Claim Premium Adjustment policy, which essentially voided out any potential NEER refund on an employer who had a traumatic fatality claim in that year.
• The new system will not have refunds that could be voided, so the application of that policy as it now stands will not be feasible. However, the WSIB has proposed that such a company be assessed an amount consistent with the rolling five-year average of the cost of a claim to maintain the 'spirit' of that policy.
• The WSIB also says that it is open to a 'special surcharge"'for bad performers. When an employer has an accident history over several years that is consistently significantly worse than others in their rate class, they may be subject to an undetermined surcharge of some kind. 

What about SIEF?

• The WSIB's Secondary Injury Enhancement Fund (SIEF) provides employers with a discount on claim costs if it is determined that an employee's injury is caused or prolonged due to a pre-existing condition. It does not impact whether benefits are provided to the injured worker, it only provides cost relief to the employer.
• The outcry from stakeholders at the potential removal of the SIEF program has resulted in the WSIB's acknowledgement that some form of cost relief measure is necessary. The SIEF cost relief program will be kept as an interim measure until there is a better cost relief structure for employers to mitigate costs.

How will these changes be implemented?

• The WSIB plans to seek approval for the new framework proposal from its Board of Directors in late 2016. Implementation is planned for no earlier than January 1, 2019.
• The WSIB has committed to publishing a written policy framework one year prior to the implementation of the new system.  In the interim, it will prepare a transitional plan to support stakeholders through the implementation process. Exact details of how the transition will unfold are still unclear.
• Additional stakeholder discussions are occurring in 2016-2017. 
• Stakeholders have their opportunity to share further thoughts on the updated framework until March 2016. This can be done by providing a written response to the Consultation Secretariat (consultation_secretariat@wsib.on.ca). 

Want to learn more?

• Read more about the Updated Rate Framework here
• Seek additional information from active participants in the consultation process, including the ​Office of the Employer Advisor (OEA)
• Contact Clear Path President, Anna Aceto-Guerin or register for one of our upcoming Introduction to the WSIB and NEER Workshops, that will include an overview of proposed changes.

A  job ad posted in a local newspaper for a position at a restaurant in Fergus, Ontario has ruffled quite a few feathers in the small town - and led to charges of discrimination in the restaurant's hiring practices.

Horizon's Family Restaurant posted an ad this week looking for a "reliable waitress." It also stated that you should "not apply with visible tattoos and face piercings." Since news of the ad broke, TV and radio stations have reported that many have taken issue with the ban and call it discriminatory. Others argue that a business should be able to put reasonable restrictions on the appearance of its employees.

We asked HR professional Michelle Strassburger to weigh in on the controversy:

"First of all, the fact that they have made the position gender specific when they advertised for a reliable waitress rather than serving person is clearly discriminatory."

"As for a ban on visible tattoos and piercings, it's not appropriate to include that in the job ad since it really couldn't be seen as a bona fide job requirement. Therefore, you'd find yourself justifiably accused of discrimination."

"A company can have a policy that establishes limitations on such things as visible tattoos and face piercings, even an acceptable size of earrings. But that policy should be communicated AFTER a job offer has been given, not in the job ad itself."

Want to get some additional insights into best practices when hiring employees? Clear Path's on demand webinar "Hiring Employees Effectively" is jam-packed with useful tips for business owners and managers. You can also get HRPA re-certification points.

Lesson 2: Learn from your mistakes

For fans who have seen Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), Return of the Jedi (1983), and now Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), you will notice a recurring storyline where the underdogs are able to defeat the giant by turning off protective shields and literally blowing up their worlds. The fact that a third Deathstar-like planet was destroyed (or even built in the first place) suggests that upper management in the First Order is not very self-aware and have not done their due diligence reviewing areas of vulnerability and managing those risk exposures. 

Sometimes upper management can be so focused on following the original plan that is fails to adapt to the ever-changing environment around them. There are dozens of modern examples, including Blackberry, the taxi industry, Blockbuster Video, and more. When a business continues to struggle over and over, red flags should be raised within upper management that they are somehow failing to analyze their decisions effectively.

One could even argue that removing Star Wars creator George Lucas (who sold control of the franchise to Disney for a reported $4 billion) from the decision-making process for this new film was a result of Lucas' own record of focusing primarily on toy sales versus film quality in the Star Wars prequels. This is certainly not the first time that a founder was "put out to pasture" or removed from the business they created (think Apple's Steve Jobs).

Ultimately, make sure that your managers take a sober look at your company's strengths and vulnerabilities regularly, and take action to mitigate any risks you identify.

Lesson #4: Ensuring the right people are on the bus

To paraphrase author Jim Collins (Good to Great), you want to make sure that you have the right people on the bus (and that they are in the right seats!).
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In the film, storm trooper Finn is horrified by what he is expected to do and traumatized by the violent actions of his colleagues. He ultimately abandons the group and helps a Resistance fighter to escape along with a valuable droid. His lack of "fit" for the organization was clear to bad guy Kylo Ren (even though his immediate superiors didn't seem to catch on until it was too late). 

Effective managers regularly assess their team to determine if there are gaps in necessary skills and if existing employees are meeting the needs of the organization. Effective hiring techniques and performance management can help to ensure that all members are the right "fit" for where the company is going. Sometimes it is necessary to remove a person from your team, whether through termination or transfer to another area of the business that might be better suited for them.

Perhaps his supervisor Captain Phasma should have taken some managerial courses to help her decide to keep Finn in waste management, rather than front-line assault teams. She should also have considered the impact of the traumatic mental stress that the position was having on one of her reports. Some intervention and access to an EAP program may have turned things around for the employee. Maybe the First Order needs a better HR department.

Lesson #5: Power of diversity in the workforce

​One thing that everyone loved about Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the increased amount of diversity among actors in the film, including gender, ethnicity, and age.

Going against the Hollywood trend of replacing all older actors with fresh young faces (especially white male ones), this film integrated new faces (including a young female protagonist and an African-American actor) along with the familiar faces of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, all who had aged many years since the last Star Wars movies.

Employers need to remember that diversity in the make-up of your team can be a real source of strength. Valuing the input of senior workers in addition to the younger folks in the office is a wise approach. Hiring people of different genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds should be standard in this day and age. Doing this in your company will empower you see all sides of the challenges you face and will increase employee loyalty in the company.

What other HR lessons did you learn from Star Wars: The Force Awakens? If you have any others, we'd love if you would share them in the Comments.

If you're having any HR challenges with your employees, contact Anna Aceto-Guerin of Clear Path today for a free 15-minute consultation.