The Olympics are just around the corner and Canada is set to bring home the gold! The torch is being lit on July 27th in London, England and it will burn brightly through two weeks of August. Athletes are hard at work to pursue their moment of glory; sharpening their skills to achieve national pride. At Clear Path Employer Services, our July's monthly tip encourages you to "Go for the Gold!" by supporting your employees to achieve their goals! Performing regular performance reviews is a must to keep your employee's productivity high and motivated (especially with the beautiful weather we are getting in Cambridge!). Unfortunately, some employers lack in the skills of effectively presenting their direct reports with advice on how to improve for the future. To master this skill, employers need to keep track of their employees' achievements, appreciating what they do or letting them know what to do better for next time. We have created a list of useful tips on giving employee feedback for your workplace!
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1. Be timely with your feedback: Know when to give your employees feedback. The most effective method is to give feedback quickly or right away. That way the person will understand exactly what they did right or what needs improvement.
2. Choose your words carefully: When providing feedback, remember to choose your words carefully. You don't want to offend your employee or suggest that they did a horrible job! Remember to present them with what they did well on before you provide constructive criticism.
3. Know where you are giving your feedback: Always pay attention to your surrounding when providing feedback to your employees. Providing positive feedback to your employee is effective when their peers are there too see it. When providing constructive criticism, it is better if you speak with them one on one; this way they aren't embarrassed in front of their peers and they are able to have a conversation with you.
4. Give feedback regularly: Do not provide your employees with feedback just once and forget about it. Make sure you give them regular performance reviews so they know what goals they are trying to reach and how to improve themselves.
5. Make sure your employee understood what you said: Be clear and specific with your feedback. You don't want your employee to be confused over what you said and continue undesirable behaviour!

Keep in mind that giving your employees direct, specific, and clear feedback is the best way to improve your employee's performance. Make it part of your daily routine and always try to find improvements on how to give feedback. There are different methods on giving criticism, for example, email, speaking with them one on one, employee grading sheet. Explore different ways to give feedback and see what works best with you and your employees!

Need help setting up a Performance management program to start providing feedback to your employees? Connect with Tricia Vogel or Margaret Sullivan our HR on-demand specialists.

During the busy summer season and vacation time, it can be difficult to stay on top of communicating updates with your employees. Thankfully The Ministry of Labour has taken some stress off your back! The Ministry of Labour has recently released a Health & Safety at Work poster for employers. This poster includes an abundance of useful information and resources to keep your employees safe and up-to-date with the latest provincial policies. The poster highlights worker rights, responsibilities of workers, employers, and supervisors, and useful resources to find out more information about the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The poster comes in English, French, and 15 other languages to accommodate for Ontario's multicultural community and fit appropriately with any working environment. You can download a free workplace poster today by visiting the Ministry of Labour's website. Clear Path has developed a simple checklist for employers following the implementation of these posters.




Checklist:

1. Download your copy of the poster from ontario.ca/healthandsafetyatwork
2. Print it out a couple of posters depending on the size of your workplace
3. Hang it where all your supervisors and employees can see them!
4. Inform your supervisors and employees about the new posters
5. Follow this checklist before October 1st 2012 to be compliant with the Ministry of Labour requirements!

Wondering if there are other posters you may need to post in your workplace? Check out this helpful link to the Ministry of Labour's website to find out more.

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/atwork/posting_training.php

We are currently in the middle of summer and it's a hot one! As Canadians, we slug through our crazy cold winters waiting for those first warm summer days only to be hit with the humidex! Regardless, summer is the time to take a little breather, get away with your family, and enjoy the beautiful weather. Unfortunately if you are not lucky enough to work from a cottage on a lake all summer long, you might have to deal with working in workplaces that can get very hot...quickly. As June quickly passes, July and August can get difficult to handle in your workplace. Temperatures rising to almost 40 degrees can make any working conditions unbearable, especially if your work already involves hot work or travelling outdoors. Your employees are now exposed to a greater risk to heat exhaustion and even worse, heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is caused by dehydration, direct exposure to the sun, and high humidity and can quickly lead to heat stroke. According toMedicineNet.com "Heat stroke occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature. The body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106 F (41.1 C) or higher within 10-15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not given."

As an employer, it is your responsibility to keep your employees protected from heat stress. Be aware of the signs that might lead to heat exhaustion (nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps, dizziness), and be quick with taking action. Heat exhaustion will eventually lead to heat stroke which can be identified with different symptoms (high body temperature, the absence of sweating, difficulty breathing, hallucinations, and confusion). Remember to keep your eye out and call for help right away.

Have you taken all the necessary precautions to prevent heat stress in your workplace? Check out the tips below for some ideas on how to keep your employees working hard even on the hottest day of the year!
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1. Properly ventilate your office. Open your windows or make sure your air condition is running properly.
2. Provide refreshments to your employees on a regular basis. Avoid soft drinks and tea which can cause further dehydration! (Water, Gatorade, Lemonade, Popsicles)
3. If workers are working outside, implement shift rotations so they are not working outside for an extended amount of time and are able to get into an air conditioned area to cool off.
4. Refine your dress clothes procedures to loose clothes, shorts, t-shirts and bright colours only!
5. Avoid working during the hottest time of the day (usually around 2-5pm), starting shifts earlier and ending earlier in the day if possible.

For more information on preventing heat stress in the workplace, we encourage you to take a look at the following publications:

Ontario Ministry of Labour - Heat Stress Guideline - http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/gl_heat.php

Ontario WSIB - Guide to Preventing Heat Stress -http://www.wsib.on.ca/files/Content/PreventionHSGuide/HeatStressGuide.pdf

WorkSafe Alberta - Best Practices for Working Safety in the Heat and Cold -http://www.employment.alberta.ca/documents/WHS/WHS-PUB_gs006.pdf

WorkSafe BC - Preventing Heat Stress at Work -http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/health_and_safety/by_topic/assets/pdf/heat_stress.pdf

Québec - CSST - Guide de prévention des coups de chaleur -http://www.csst.qc.ca/publications/200/Pages/dc_200_16184.aspx

For more information, visit the Occupational Health and Safety Law blog at www.OccupationalHealthandSafetyLaw.com