Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER June 1, 2015 FEATURES 17 2015 ONTARIO LAWYER'S PHONE BOOK THE MOST COMPLETE DIRECTORY OF ONTARIO LAWYERS, LAW FIRMS, JUDGES AND COURTS With more than 1,400 pages of essential legal references, Ontario Lawyer's Phone Book is your best connection to legal services in Ontario. Subscribers can depend on the credibility, accuracy and currency of this directory year after year. More detail and a wider scope of legal contact information for Ontario than any other source: • Over 27,000 lawyers listed • Over 9,000 law firms and corporate offices listed • Fax and telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, office locations and postal codes CANADA LAW BOOK ® This text is the first of its kind – designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the topic and analysis of different policy approaches to green energy. 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Price subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. Visit carswell.com or call 1.800.387.5164 for a 30-day no-risk evaluation Perfectbound Published December each year On subscription $77 One time purchase $80 L88804-677 Multiple copy discounts available. Plus applicable taxes and shipping & handling. (prices subject to change without notice) on individuals moving to a differ- ent country and being placed on a local compensation package, tak- ing into account the differences in the costs of goods and services, housing, taxes and other costs. e tool can apply standardized data from Mercer (the vendor that built it) or it can be customized to the company's specifications. It can also include other key details about the employee, such as mari- tal status and family size. While the tool itself oper- ates on complex calculations, the employer experience is fairly straightforward. "It's a very simple tool to use," says Oliver, as it helps automate the process of scouring various compensation data sources. By providing an accurate sense of how the change will impact the employee — with a breakdown of the net economic losses and gains involved — it provides the infor- mation needed to build fair com- pensation packages, with the goal of balancing both the employee's and company's needs. Before using this tool, deter- mining compensation packages for international employees was a "tedious, manual process because you're accessing data from sepa- rate sources," says Oliver — ulti- mately limiting the validity of the information. Now, "running the report is very simplistic and the output is clearly defined and self-explana- tory," she says. Additionally, support can be provided in cases where there may be limited data pertaining to loca- tions outside of major urban cen- tres and cities. is is especially helpful for a global company like McCain, which has facilities in ar- eas such as Delmas, South Africa and Scarborough, U.K. Once all of the data is inputted and the calculations are com- pleted, the tool recommends an adjusted net income for the em- ployee, highlighting any adjust- ments needed to ensure he is not negatively impacted by the move. With a detailed, itemized breakdown of the calculations, employees and employers can develop a greater understanding of the rationale for the proposed compensation package. In some areas, an employee may be ahead while, in others, she may need further support to be economically whole. For example, she may be moving to a country with a higher income tax rate but substantially lower housing costs that offset the net impact. is can also be helpful when employees are moving to coun- tries experiencing significant cur- rency fluctuation, which can com- plicate decisions around compen- sation. For example, Oliver found it useful to run before and after reports to help determine the true impact on employees assigned to work in Switzerland or Brazil. For HR, this information pro- vides a detailed, data-driven compensation package to present to employees that, in turn, helps facilitate and ease discussions around pay. "It's cost-effective to have in- stant information from a reliable source with valid data," says Oli- ver. "If I am putting this in front of our CFO, I need assurance that the numbers are correct. (With this information), I have full faith." Eleana Rodriguez is a market business leader for Mercer Canada's informa- tion solutions group in Toronto. For more information, visit www.imercer. com/content/compensation-localizer. aspx. LOCALIZING < pg. 16 TECHNOLOGY/PAYROLL Tool provides detailed, data-driven comp package Once the data is inputted and the calculations are completed, the tool recommends an adjusted net income. time, increased productivity, de- creased presenteeism, so we kind of combine homegrown stats with what the literature is saying, and then we're able to tell the story." And while smaller organiza- tions may be concerned about the costs of a health and wellness pro- gram, there are options. e ser- vices at the City of Richmond are provided at little to no cost, says Dennis, adding it's about lever- aging community relationships with groups such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation. e city also asks staff to share any special skills they have, which led to the lessons on fly fishing and guitar playing, she says. "It also creates an opportunity for staff to strut their stuff." And the support of HR is key, says Dennis. "Being embedded within the human resources department also allows me the opportunity to work with a variety of differ- ent portfolio managers that say, 'Wow, we're having a real issue with this in our department, can you help us out or connect us with some information that we can share with the management team of that area?' So even having that level of embracing of the program through the HR department has really helped as well." WELLNESS Staff asked to share special skills WELLNESS < pg. 13 In 2010, City of Richmond employees participate in a cross-country skiing event using planks of woods... ...and a "chariot race" as part of its "Warmup to 2010" event before the Winter Olympics in B.C.

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