Canadian HR Reporter

E D I T O R I A L 6 www.hrreporter.com EDITORIAL Editor/Supervisor Sarah Dobson Employment Law Editor Jeffrey R. Smith Labour Relations News Editor John Dujay Production Editor Patricia Cancilla Contributors Laura Williams Melanie Samuels CORPORATE Chief Executive Officer Mike Shipley Chief Operating Officer George Walmsley President Tim Duce Chief Information Officer Colin Chan Human Resources Manager Julia Bookallil ADVERTISING Business Development Manager Fred Crossley (416) 644-8740 ext. 236 fred.crossley@keymedia.com Vice President Sales John Mackenzie PRODUCTION Designer Ace Dequina Production Co-ordinator Ella Dayandante Client Success Co-ordinator Kshipra Dhindaw MARKETING AND CIRCULATION NAUK Subscriptions Co-ordinator Donnabel Reyes Marketing Co-ordinator Charlyn Macaraeg Global Head of Media Marketing Lisa Narroway ISSUE 34.02.2021 www.hrreporter.com Looking for answers as uncertainty lingers IT'S been a year now. A year since the world started to slowly collapse as the COVID-19 virus silently spread from country to country, leading to lockdowns and layoffs on a massive scale. The world of work was turned upside down, in almost every industry. Plexiglass shields sprung up in retail environments; sanitizer bottles became a fixture at the entrance of many businesses; on-site workers donned masks and, of course, millions of people deserted their offices to work from home. So, where are we now? Hopes that this would all become a distant memory have faded fast. As of late January, vaccines are slowly being rolled out around the world, but it's not yet certain how effective they will be, especially against the stronger variants of the virus. Lockdowns continue all over the world, to varying degrees, and any mass return to the office still seems an unlikely scenario any time soon. Of course, there's been a lot of discussion around the hybrid model where people work both from home and the office on a regular basis. But will this stick? It's so hard to get a sense of how things will be in three months, six months or even a year. If all is well in the world once again, the office could seem like an appealing scenario for many people keen to venture back. If the threat of the virus ramping up again is still an issue, office work just won't be much of a draw. And how about other workplaces such as manufacturing or retail? Do all the additional safety measures, such as social distancing, masks and hand sanitizing, have to continue once COVID-19 and its variants have been effectively quashed? With so much ambiguity, it is an incredibly difficult time for employers and human resources to plan far ahead when it comes to a whole swathe of issues — the physical workplace, health and safety policies, recruitment and retention efforts, employee benefits or training and development. That uncertainty inevitably saturates the entire workforce and negatively impacts mental health, so, hopefully, we'll have some solid answers soon and real planning for the future can begin. Sarah Dobson, editor, Canadian HR Reporter group With so much ambiguity, it's an incredibly difficult time for employers and human resources to plan far ahead. Contents of Canadian HR Reporter are copyright © 2021 Key Media Canada (HR) Ltd and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent. Key Media Canada (HR) Ltd disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication. HST/GST # 79990 3547 RC-0001 Canada Post – Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement 41261516 International Standard Serial Number 0838-228X. The publishers accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, colour transparencies or other materials. Manuscripts or other materials must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. KEY MEDIA and the KEY MEDIA logo are trademarks of Key Media IP Limited, and used under licence by Key Media Canada (HR) Ltd. Canadian HR Reporter is a trademark of Key Media Canada (HR) Ltd. www.hrreporter.com Subscription price: Canada: $175 plus tax; US and International: $175 USD Canadian HR Reporter makes every effort to ensure accuracy in all items reported, but cannot accept responsibility for the representations or claims made by sources used. It is also not responsible for claims made by its advertisers. HR News at Your Fingertips THE LATEST NEWS Stay on top of essential late-breaking HR news and developments. THE BEST COMMENTARY Access trusted analysis and opinion on the cases and changes that are shaping the HR landscape. REGULAR E-NEWSLETTER Your profession can change quickly, which is why you need the freshest, most recent information. FOR READING ON ANY DEVICE Get the news and opinions you need on any device. Whether you read at work, or on the go, the newsletter adapts to your screen. 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