Canadian HR Reporter

10 FEATURES January 13, 2014 CANADIAN HR REPORTER YEAR IN REVIEW Looking back at 2013 The workplace and HR stories that made the biggest headlines in the past year The birth of a union The Canadian Auto Workers union and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union merged to form Unifor, a 300,000-member strong behemoth. The union said it plans to aggressively pursue and protect vulnerable workers — those working in minimum wage and part-time jobs with no benefits and no job security. 2014 will be a big year for the union as it tries to gain traction in new workplaces and sectors. Credit: Mark Blinch (Reuters) The cheque's in the mail – for real A three-decade long fight for pay equity at Canada Post finally came to an end. Cheques were set to go out starting in August and were expected to cost the Crown corporation $250 million. HR shortage? Really? The gap between the skills employers need and the skills workers persisted, with shortages in health and mining topping the list. The HR profession is also facing a shortage, according to a CIBC study – though it's tough to find an HR professional who agrees. Yukon looks south HR professionals in the Yukon teamed up with the British Columbia Human Resources Management Association (BC HRMA) and were eligible to join as full members after the Yukon became the association's eighth membership region. Mental health Employers have been watching nervously as mental health issues took an increasingly higher toll on the bottom line. In January, the Mental Health Commission of Canada unveiled its National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace — and Canadian HR Reporter hosted a special roundtable discussion on mental health. Big money south of the border HR may finally be getting the recognition it deserves, at least at the bank. The average total compensation for the most senior HR professionals weighed in at about US$1.1 million, found a survey of 900 large, multinational firms in the United States. Family status accommodation grows up In January, the Federal Court upheld a ruling that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) discriminated against an employee by not accommodating her child-care needs. The employee worked rotating shifts and CBSA had an unwritten policy that employees seeking fixed shifts to accommodate child-care arrangements had to take part-time shifts. CHRP makeover begins The required professional capabilities (RPCs) for the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation were put under the microscope for the first time since 2007, and the notion of an entry-level HR designation was also floated. In Ontario's new regulatory legislation, a number of new designations were listed — including an associate CHRP (ACHRP). We could potentially see new designations in the nottoo-distant future. Would your staff help? The pleas of an asthmatic teenager went unanswered by employees at a Tim Hortons franchise in London, Ont. The 17-year-old managed to gasp out "phone" but was told the outlet's phone was for employee use only and was directed to a payphone across the street. A customer called 911 and stayed with the teen until paramedics arrived. Best Buy, Future Shop step up After we profiled what many called the mishandling of store closures by Best Buy and Future Shop — such as staff finding out the news after arriving for their shifts, met by locked doors and security guards — the vicepresidents of human resources Terrible tweets TOP 10 ARTICLES ON HRREPORTER.COM The C-suite Our partnership with the Strategic Capability Network brought readers interesting stories from the C-suite, including an inside look from CEO Michael McCain on how Maple Leaf Foods handled the 2008 Listeria outbreak that killed more than 20 people and Google's efforts to drive innovation among its staff. Credit: Mike Cassese (Reuters) Does right to work have a passport? Right-to-work laws, which give workers the option not to join a union at unionized workplaces, passed in some surprising jurisdictions — including Michigan. That sparked a lot of commentary on this side of the border, particularly in Ontario where the provincial Tories — who aren't in power — pledged to bring the laws north. But labour groups vowed to fight tooth and nail, and some experts cast doubt on whether it is even possible since collective bargaining is somewhat constitutionally protected in Canada. Credit: Rebecca Cook (Reuters) 1. U of T, McGill, UBC, U of Alberta among top 100 universities worldwide 2. Employers scaling back salary increases for 2014: Survey 3. Jason Kenney new minister of employment and social development 4. 'Is the boss single?' among unusual interview questions by candidates 5. Salary budgets to increase 3.1 per cent for 2014: Mercer 6. Age discrimination in the workplace an ongoing problem: Study 7. 1 in 5 Canadians expect to never retire: Survey 8. WestJet most attractive employer for second year in a row: Randstad 9. Federal transgender discrimination bill passed by Parliament 10. CHRP translates into more pay, faster promotions: Survey The top 10 list above is comprised of web-only exclusives not available in the print issue. The website features daily articles from across Canada and around the world. HR professionals collectively cringed when the person in charge of social media at HMV in the United Kingdom live tweeted mass layoffs — "We're live tweeting from the HR firing session, this is so exciting! We've all been fired, in a group of 50+ people! And those who ruined the business are safe… hooray!" read the Tweet on the company's official Twitter account. Credit: Toby Melville (Reuters) RBC outsourcing flap RBC found itself in the hot seat after an outsourced employee went public with his story, and it sparked a media firestorm. While it's still a little headscratching as to why it got so much attention— companies outsource work all the time, at home and abroad — it provided a forum to discuss the issue across the country. It eventually led to a full-page apology, in newspapers, signed by Gordon Nixon, the bank's CEO. The outcry also led Ottawa to revamp rules around its temporary foreign worker program. Credit: Mike Sturk (Reuters)

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