Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER CANADIAN HR REPORTER February 24, 2014 February 24, 2014 10 NEWS NEWS UNDER THE WEATHER Employees frequently sick at work More than seven in 10 (71 per cent) workers admitted they frequently go to work when they're feeling sick, and managers agree — 68 per cent said ailing employees head into the offi ce at least somewhat frequently, according to an Offi ceTeam survey of 404 workers and 304 senior managers in Canada. HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU (EMPLOYEES) GO TO WORK WHEN YOU FEEL SICK? Very frequently 48% Somewhat frequently 23% Somewhat infrequently 22% HOW OFTEN DO YOU (MANAGERS) THINK EMPLOYEES COME TO WORK WHEN THEY FEEL SICK? Very frequently 23% Somewhat frequently 45% Somewhat infrequently 29% Never 2% Multiplier eff ect Multiplier eff ect SICK NOTES < pg. 1 employers to know if someone's really sick? said Levitt. " ere is no other way, unless you're hiring private investiga- tors to attend their homes, which might be even more intrusive." And the OMA isn't just talking about the fl u — it's talking about doctor's notes in general, said Levitt. "A very small portion of employees' absences are related to the fl u — the large majority re- late to supposed stress days which is not, except in the extreme, disabling." The recommendation is also legally wrong, he said, because employers are required to ac- commodate employees and create modifi ed work, if needed. And the only way to do that is with medical evidence, said Levitt. "It's not just a matter of proving they're genuinely ill — they prob- ably are after three days (away) — but to make sure they're getting medical attention and also you're in a position to accommodate them properly." Targeted response But if there are individuals who are taking advantage of employ- ers, policies and processes need to be directed at those people — and not put the burden on physicians, said Chapman, who is based in Dartmouth, N.S. "We absolutely respect and acknowledge the enormous cost, I'm just not sure a blanket position is the best way to manage that and it puts a burden on the health-care system, particularly during the fl u season, that is already incredibly overburdened," he said. "Oftentimes, I think what we do is we penalize the 95 per cent for the transgression of the fi ve per cent, so we wrap everybody under the same umbrella." Employers should target those workers who are "cheating" with a policy that kicks in after a certain number of days absent, said Lev- itt. So if people are being honest and they're sick two days per year, there's no need for the notes. "It's got to be applied reason- ably — if they have a pattern of absenteeism that suggests that they're not actually sick, then they should be asked to prove their ill- ness with doctor's notes." And this shouldn't upset em- ployees overall, he said, as they know when a colleague is cheating the system — and often they have to pick up the extra work. co-op placements associates may have had during school, said Hirji. "The internships when they come in from school or co-op programs, generally they are in one role. So they're getting job experience that's very specifi c to that role. is program here is ac- tually one that builds skills — that builds what I'll call soft skills that really will open up opportunities for them in whatever career path they choose to go in," she said. And those "soft" business skills they'll learn such as collaboration and networking, are a major draw for associates like Karim Ladhani. "I have a lot of volunteer experi- ence but I'm hoping to gain a lot of business experience, a lot of workplace skills that I didn't re- ally gain from the volunteering. So I'm hoping to get a lot of corpo- rate experience. I'm really looking forward to learning RBC's values and moving those forward in my career," she said. "I hope to gain a lot of insight into what business sector I do want to get involved with. I think this program is going to give me a lot of experience in the diff erent sectors, so I hope to take as much as I can from this and learn from there what I really want to do with my career." e program will pair its asso- ciates with mentors from within RBC, said Hirji, which will hope- fully spark ongoing relationships as the outgoing associates become mentors themselves. " is idea of creating a more socially minded next generation is one that we are excited about, and we really see the associates as they complete their program to actual- ly start to get involved themselves, even in developing the next crop of university graduates and doing the mentoring," she said. "There's a multiplier effect here that can be quite powerful through the experiences that they have… through the program." And that multiplier eff ect won't stop there, said Duguid, who hopes more organizations follow RBC's lead by introducing similar programs. "This is a cutting-edge pro- gram. It is incredibly well- thought-through. e example of that is the creativity of including an opportunity to work with a non-profi t organization — that's unique. I haven't seen anything like that anywhere. So imagine what could be accomplished if other corporate leaders across our economy take on similar pro- grams… e sky's the limit and the future is very bright for our next generation — despite chal- lenging economic times ahead," he said. "It's really important that this program get out there into the corporate community and I think RBC is not going to be shy about sharing the formula that they've put together here with others." Not just for fl u days Not just for fl u days CAREER LAUNCH < pg. 3 " is program is actually one that builds what I'll call soft skills that really will open up opportunities for them in whatever career path they choose to go in." days following the ice storm. Eff orts were in place around the clock to restore power and clear debris, but crews were limited to working strict 12-hour shifts. e shifts were limited in anticipation of a long restoration and cleanup process, in an eff ort to prevent burnout. "Past the 12-hour mark, pro- ductivity goes down," said LaPi- anta. "And when you're tired, there's a greater likelihood of an injury. You're not as alert as you otherwise would be. We were rig- orous about the 12 hours on, 12 hours off ." Legal risks Strict adherence to the 12-hour shift schedule was also impor- tant from a legal perspective, ac- cording to Howard Levitt, senior partner at Levitt & Grosman in Toronto. In emergency situations, it is possible for employers to apply for exemptions from the Ministry of Labour concerning maximum hours of work. But even during emergencies, employers can still be found negligent for putting workers in a position where they are pushed beyond normal hu- man capacity. It could be argued the work becomes hazardous due to its volume, said Levitt. Employees could refuse to work beyond a certain number of hours under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. "A state of emergency doesn't mean the work is any more or less dangerous," said Levitt, listing a number of situations that could create cause for legal concern when an employer makes use of a 24-7 work schedule. Employees who are suddenly forced to work different shifts than usual or longer hours might have a discrimination case based on family status if they are pre- cluded from their parental or childcare obligations, said Levitt. A worker with a physical dis- ability that prevents her from working at night could have a hu- man rights case if her employer does not accommodate her. Bringing workers in from out of province to help with the clean- up eff ort created further safety concerns. " ey have to work according to Ontario law... because they're obviously doing the work here," said Bruce Skeaff , media relations co-ordinator at the Ontario Min- istry of Labour. "Even if they're employed by somebody else, if they're working in Ontario, they've got to comply with the law here." Mutual as- sistance participants brought in from other provinces had to par- ticipate in two orientations before they could begin working. e fi rst orientation focused on Toronto Hydro and the work they would be expected to do. A sec- ond orientation focused on safety procedures, interfacing with the control room and proper work permits. " ey may be unaware of some of the safety hazards that exist just by virtue of the fact that they're not familiar with our system," said LaPianta of the out-of-province workers. "So you plan for the worst and hope for the best. If planning for the worst causes you to spend more money or spend more time, it's a small price to pay to get out of a 13-day event with literally one minor injury." No excuses for lax safety No excuses for lax safety TORONTO HYDRO < pg. 8 "Past the 12-hour mark, productivity goes down. And when you're tired, there's a greater likelihood of an injury. You're not as alert as you otherwise would be."

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