Canadian HR Reporter Weekly

2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2018 CANADIAN HR REPORTER WEEKLY While issues such as workplace harassment and recre- ational cannabis will continue to keep Canadian HR pro- fessionals busy in 2019, ushering in the "future of work" will also become a necessary business imperative, accord- ing to experts. is past year in HR was marked by the legalization of recreational cannabis, sexual harassment scandals and continued fallout from the #MeToo movement, as well as labour standards revamps across the country. Each of those issues will spill over into 2019, said Manon Poirier, general manager of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés (CRHA) in Montreal. "e things that trend in HR — they're not so much yearly," she said. "A lot of things take time to shape." In addition, HR will be expected to lead organizational transformations and proactively reskill workers as the future of work becomes reality, according to Poirier. "HR needs to take that lead," she said. "But, in order to take that lead, you need to understand it. You need to know what's coming up, be aware of what's going on in other organizations — and be proactive about it." "It's a different type of posture, different type of role." Cannabis, harassment With recreational cannabis now legalized across Canada, HR's eyes will turn to the courts and case law in 2019, ac- cording to Louise Taylor Green, CEO of Ontario's Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) in Toronto. Employees have the right to consume cannabis, but must also comply with reasonable duties imposed by their employers, she said. "Employers expect impairment-free workers, and we just don't know yet how this will all play out in terms of thresholds for impairment, reasonableness of employer standards and appropriate monitoring and testing." HR can also expect "naming and shaming" to continue within toxic workplace environments that have condoned sexual harassment, said Taylor Green. "e #MeToo movement is just that — a movement," she said. "It isn't an event and it doesn't have a fixed start or end. Workplaces are evolving to provide their employees with easier access to reporting concerns and quicker access to an HR professional because a greater level of transparency is expected nowadays." e reverberations of the movement continue to trickle down to smaller organizations, according to Cissy Pau, principal consultant at Clear HR Consulting in Vancouver. "e pendulum has swung really far one way, and whether it swings back or continues to swing far, we have more and more clients asking us to put on workshops and do training sessions and help clarify their harassment policies and bullying policies." Legal obligations and a heightened level of awareness amongst the public will ensure this remains top of mind for HR in the coming year, said Poirier. "As HR professionals, we should actually make sure that it doesn't go away, and that changes in behaviour actually happen in organizations." Changing laws Several governments tweaked labour legislation this year, and the continued overhaul of employment standards is expected going forward. HR departments face surges in workload when this type of change is implemented, said Taylor Green. Plenty of issues facing HR in coming year Recreational cannabis, #MeToo movement, recruitment, artificial intelligence and legislative changes will continue to challenge employers in 2019 BY MARCEL VANDER WIER Sign up for the Canadian HR Newswire today for free and enjoy great content from the publishers of Canadian HR Reporter. HR News at Your Fingertips THE LATEST NEWS THE BEST COMMENTARY DELIVERED WEEKLY FOR READING ON ANY DEVICE Visit www.hrreporter.com/ canadian-hr-newswire

• Cover