Canadian HR Reporter - Sample Issue

November 14, 2016

Canadian HR Reporter is the national journal of human resource management. It features the latest workplace news, HR best practices, employment law commentary and tools and tips for employers to get the most out of their workforce.

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PM40065782 RO9496 November 14, 2016 INSIDE CELEBRATING THE TOP 25 We take a look at some of the best when it comes to Canada's top HR professionals Ending LTD bene ts No discrimination when person reaches age 65: Arbitrator page 5 Making decisions Knowing the 'why' helps HR in uence action page 19 Off target Alternatives to formal performance reviews page 21 page 13 Finance Minister Bill Morneau generated controversy recently when he said Canadians should get used to "job churn," and that high employee turnover and short-term contract work will continue in young people's lives. Credit: Chris Wattie (Reuters) Jobless youth in spotlight Hiring practices, regulations need to change, say experts BY MARCEL VANDER WIER IT'S a hard-knock life for Canada's youngest jobseekers these days. at's the view of the federal government, which has formed a panel of experts to tackle youth unemployment woes. While experts diff er on just how dire the youth employment situa- tion is, the Liberal government has pushed ahead after nearly dou- bling $300 million in youth fund- ing with its fi rst budget. e eight-member panel will gather information from across the country and report its fi ndings to the government next March. e group's focus will cut a wide swath, looking at employment op- portunities and job retention for Canadians ages 15 to 29, includ- ing Indigenous youth and those in rural or remote communities. Over the last 15 years, the aver- age unemployment rate for this age group has been 11.8 per cent, according to Statistics Canada — nearly four percentage points higher than the general population. e panel will identify and study the barriers young jobseekers face CANADA > pg. 6 CHRP becomes CPHR – outside of Ontario CCHRA now CPHR Canada BY SARAH DOBSON L AUNCHED more than 20 years ago, the Certifi ed Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation held great promise for Canada and the HR profes- sion. But as of this fall, the name is no longer being used by much of Canada — aside from Ontario. That's because the Canadian Council of Human Resources As- sociations (CCHRA) and the eight provincial associations that make up the national body are aligning under the name and designation CPHR — Chartered Professionals in Human Resources — or CPHR Canada. e change further unites and strengthens the organization, ac- cording to Shannon Railton, vice- chair of the CPHR Canada, whose member associations include Brit- ish Columbia, Alberta, Saskatch- ewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labra- dor, and Quebec. " e human resources role con- tinues to become more critical in accelerating economic growth through business success and in improving the lives of employees. Our strong, single CPHR designa- tion showcases the unique experi- ence and expertise CPHRs bring to the workplace," said Railton. One designation The change also came about after Ontario's HR associa- tion decided in 2014 to launch a three-tiered designation, con- sisting of the CHRP, the Certi- fied Human Resources Leader MARKET > pg. 10 Walmart wage hike could alter retail arena Retail giant sees success by turning away from low-pay model at stores in United States BY MARCEL VANDER WIER A "TRENDSETTING" move by one of the world's largest re- tail chains could set into motion a major shift in the way compa- nies compensate employees, say experts. Last year, Walmart decided to increase hourly wages for its 1.5 million employees in the United States. It was an eff ort to combat a drop in profi ts, as well as poor customer survey results regard- ing customer service and store cleanliness, according to a New York Times article in October looking at the impact of the high- er wages. With the national minimum wage set at US$7.25, Walmart said employees who completed training would earn no lower than US$10 per hour, while managers' compensation would jump from US$12 to US$15. Walmart is said to be investing US$2.7 billion in higher wages, education and training over two years. More predictable shift schedul- ing was also levied. e average hourly pay for a non-managerial Walmart worker in the U.S. is now US$13.69, said the paper. And while customer satisfaction and sales have both increased since the pay raises were implemented, overall profi tability remains a question mark. Cost versus investment It's a "trendsetting" move, accord- ing to Liz Wright, managing direc- tor of Gallagher McDowall Asso- ciates, a compensation consulting fi rm in Toronto. "Companies are starting to real- ize that to drive revenue growth on the backs of employees is maybe a short-run issue, as opposed to anything that's sustainable over the long run. I think that's an im- portant point that executives need to realize," she said. "It's not always about cost re- duction. At Walmart… it practi- cally was their mantra to keep costs low. But driving that to where the employee experience is a negative one can have all kinds of implications over the long term." Walmart is using compensation as a strategic solution to drive the business forward, said Wright. "I really do espouse in the prin- ciple that compensation should be viewed as an investment, as opposed to just a cost," she said. "Ultimately, it's about trust. You invest in people — whether it's your customer base or employee base — and you'll get the returns." "Many companies tend to look at compensation in a very narrow WAGE > pg. 9 Venngo — an award winning core element of a complete compensation and benefi ts strategy. more ways to save — mobile, in-store and online. the original perks company TM the original perks company TM venngo.com/perks 1.866.383.6646 ext.202 20160913_hrReporter_earLug_oct1_001.indd 4 2016-09-13 4:20 PM

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