Canadian HR Strategy

Fall/Winter 2016

Human Resources Issues for Senior Management

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04/CANADIAN HR STRATEGY EDITOR'S NOTE Todd Humber THE BIG PICTURE KEEPS ON GROWING B eing an employer is hard. And it's not going to get any easier anytime soon. Our grandparents wouldn't really recog- nize the modern workplace. In their day, you did what your boss asked you to do (with nary a question asked) and, in return, you got a paycheque, drug and dental coverage and perhaps a pension. Employees weren't treated like dirt but, for the most part, the attitude was "You're lucky to have a job." And the boss didn't really care what you did off-the-clock. Today, employees have high expectations that go far beyond the direct deposit every two weeks. They expect a good wage, strong bene ts and a cor- poration that does good deeds in the community. The cover story in this issue is a good example of not only how times have changed, but how big the umbrella is when it comes to the range of bene- ts an employer should offer. Note that I didn't say "could" offer — because the bene ts of this parent- al style of relationship can't be overstated. A few decades ago, the concept of nancial well- ness wasn't really on the radar — let alone as a workplace issue. But we've gotten a lot smarter in understanding that what impacts someone at home can also play itself out in the workplace in a big way. It all boils down to one word: Productivity. If you have employees who are stressed about money, drowning in debt and living paycheque to pay- cheque, you should care. That's not to say you need to pay staff more money — extra zeroes in the bank are not a panacea. People with six- gure incomes can just as easily nd themselves drowning in red ink as a minimum wage worker. That's why we partnered with Sun Life Financial on a roundtable to get to the heart of money, the impact it can have on individuals and the ways em- ployers can help workers out of the debt quagmire and on the road to nancial freedom. (See page 6.) You don't need an MBA to know a staffer who isn't worried about a rent cheque bouncing is going to be a more productive one. A good example of how the scope of employer responsibility can widen can be found in the pages of Canadian Occupational Safety magazine, a sister publi- cation. (See www.cos-mag.com.) Every year, we host the Canada's Safest Employers gala (www.safest- employers.com) and we just recently announced the winners of the sixth annual competition. A couple of years ago, we expanded the awards beyond traditional health and safety norms to in- clude awards for culture, wellness and psychological safety. It's true, we were met with a bit of resistance from the old school, hard-hat-and-work-boots cul- ture — some people didn't immediately see the link between mental health and physical safety. But people who show up on the job stressed, depressed or anxious are not going to work as safely as they should. A good wellness program can keep employ- ees in better physical shape, and more exercise and healthier diets equate to fewer injuries and days missed. A safe working culture has endless bene ts for the bottom line. There are no shortage of programs and options for employers to offer. You may not be able to offer all of them, but you always need to take a close look at the latest offerings and do a cost-bene t analysis. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Talk to your bene ts provider or a consultant to nd out what programs might work best for your situation. If you're looking for a provider or a consultant, Can- adian HR Reporter has a handy online guide of sup- pliers. Visit www.hrreporter.com/hr-vendors-guide to browse the directory. @hrreporter Join the Canadian HR Reporter group

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