Canadian HR Reporter

18 www.hrreporter.com F E A T U R E S Through all this upheaval, leadership is massively important. That has meant being visible and engaging with employees and dramatically changing communications, says Boone. "We switched gears pretty quickly to have the entire senior leadership team of Staples on a conference call every week talking to our entire organization and giving them a chance to ask us questions directly that we could answer or take feedback [on], and we would go resolve issues on behalf of them." Having such a strong sense of purpose — in supplying much-needed supplies to various stakeholders — rallied the teams at Staples, he says. "We knew we had a role to play that was beyond driving revenues every day; it was to help our customers and, quite frankly, important parts of the community, important parts of the government." Next steps Speaking in mid-September, Boone says office workers are slowly coming back, as the company began opening office facilities in late summer with a limited number of people. "What we are experiencing, and what our associates are telling us, is there's a certain group of folks who definitely would prefer to work remote on a permanent basis; that is the minority of people. And then there's another group that would want to be in the office every day… the majority of our associates want some flexibility around their schedule and timing in the office," he says. "So, the vast majority of what we're going to be doing from an office point of view is a hybrid model." Overall, the company has greater visibility to the future, says Boone. "We have a sustainable approach to how we're going to serve our customers, and what channels they're going to use and what products they need in this new normal. But what we are doing in that is ensuring that if there's a second wave, if other unforeseen circumstances arise, that we know how to respond, and we're certainly prepared to respond so that we can do things safely and also preserve the success of our company." Emmie Leung Founder and CEO of Emterra The recycling and waste management company has 1,100 employees and is based in Burlington, Ont. P anic. That's what everybody felt when the government announced there was an emergency, "including me," says Emmie Leung, CEO and founder of Emterra, a recycling and waste management company. However, her team was able to keep calm and immediately put together a multi-discipline and multi-jurisdiction pandemic action committee to come up with a plan, she says. "[The] focus or the guiding principle of the pandemic committee is calm, care and continuity… Panic is not going to help us. Everybody is throwing their arms up, but we need to keep calm... With that in mind, we are able to continue our business and also able to keep our employees calm and feel safe and continue to come to work every day." The company also boosted its communication, both internally and to the community it serves, says Leung. "Our focus in the past [has been] more toward the community, but now we are focused more toward our employees." A newsletter sent out every two weeks to all employees details the latest developments and public announcements. It also "gives them tips as to how improve their health, how to deal with family issues with all the kids running around. So [it's about] more communication that would pull the team together," she says. Happily, the company did not have to carry out any layoffs because of COVID-19, and the whole crisis has actually brought people together, says Leung. "They feel that that the company does care. There are times you care, but they don't see it that way. And now we have this communication [that's] more intense toward them. And we focus on the health and their well-being. So, it creates a better sense of belonging with the company… people are working together as a team." Safety changes Emterra has made several changes to the way it does business, particularly when it comes to policies that embrace safety. For instance, it started staggering shift start times for the many employees dispatched on trucks, to avoid too much congestion in the compound in the morning, she says. "All these ideas came from our employees… and I think that makes a change more acceptable because it's coming from them. It is also very applicable. It's not from the top, it's from the bottom up and I believe that that [makes] us a little bit different from other companies in handling this situation a lot better." Another exciting development involved sanitizer. In the early days of the pandemic when people were scrambling to find enough product, Emterra realized its ethanol division could help make hand sanitizer. The company first used the product to sterilize the workplace, and it also donated supplies to essential workers at hospitals and fire departments, says Leung. "Within a month, we applied to Health Canada for FDA approval, and we got it. We've created a new business for hand sanitizer. Isn't that amazing?" Another big change set to transform the company will be the introduction of robots on the recycling line. In addition to preventive measures such as masks, the company is looking to keep workers well separated by having the machines between them, she says. "We're continuing to progress in terms of how [we] use technology to ensure employee safety and, at the same time, to stay competitive and continue our business." As for the "new normal," Leung doesn't think there is one. "Our company prides ourselves to be resilient and agile… So, with the COVID-19, we have to change, and as the economy opens or the emergency is lifted or the schools [reopen], we are continuing to change with the changing environment. And that is what we have been doing well, and we will continue to do that. And by doing so, we can keep staying in the business."

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