Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER February 22, 2016 FEATURES 17 HR Manager's Guide to Employment Files and Information Management: Legislation and Best Practices uniquely addresses the management of all types of employee information throughout the employment lifecycle, from recruitment to termination. Employment information and documentation management carries legal requirements that protect an organization from litigation, and are essential to the creation of sound policies for efficient, effective, and ethical business practices. Easy to read and understand, this new guide provides Human Resources professionals and others who deal with employee files, either electronically or in paper format, with: • Key legislation and emerging case law • Best practices in the areas of privacy, records retention, human resources information systems (HRIS), and information security • Practical guidance, tools and templates, such as sample policies • Information on all Canadian jurisdictions Know your legal obligations in managing employee files Available risk-free for 30 days Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 Order # 986618-65203 $70 Softcover approx. 100 pages April 2015 978-0-7798-6618-2 Shipping and handling are extra. Price(s) subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. 00228VC-A49657-E98872 New Publication HR Manager's Guide to Employment Files and Information Management: Legislation and Best Practices A Canadian HR Reporter Special Report Howard A. Levitt, B.A., LL.B., and Tanya Neitzert, B.A., CHRP Brought to you by: Nova Scotia helps members with uneven economy B ack in 2014, big picture planning was a signifi cant theme for the 1,000-mem- ber Human Resources Associa- tion of Nova Scotia (HRANS). In 2015, it was all about putting those plans in motion. "Our strategic plan is fairly ambi- tious so we've been working hard over the past year to move specifi c initiatives forward," says HRANS president Steve Ashton. Activities have included an up- date to the association's volunteer structure and ongoing policy de- velopment work. e association has also been collaborating with academic agencies to enhance the Certifi ed Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation. "One of the things we want to do is ensure the programs off ered are aligned with the CHRP com- petency framework," says Ashton. "We're helping our members understand how the education they're taking is lining them up for their career in human resources." e backdrop to this progress is a diffi cult provincial economy. at's had an impact on HR, but not in an entirely negative way. e weak Canadian dollar is help- ing some industries in Nova Sco- tia and P.E.I., says Ashton. "For our exporters in particular, such as the fi sheries, tourism and technology areas, there are advan- tages to a low dollar. We're really seeing opportunities there, while other sectors are defi nitely feeling the pinch." e other signifi cant driver in the area is the return of skilled workers, who had originally gone west to work in the oil industry. "Extremely skilled employees are now back and working on some very important projects. e Irving shipbuilding project in Halifax is a really good example," says Ashton. Of course, not every indus- try is thriving, and that means some companies are searching for ways to change and adapt. " at's pushing HR teams to be even more strategic in the work that we're doing," says Ashton. "So the demand is there for us to be much better advocates and en- ablers of change, not just with re- spect to workforce but also when it comes to shaping and infl uenc- ing organizational culture." Looking ahead, the association will host its annual conference in Halifax in May and has plans to boost the number of webinars and training opportunities it hosts, over the coming year. Providing value while being respectful of budgets in a tough economy will remain a challenge and a focus, going forward. "In order to support the evolu- tion of our profession — and the professionals working in HR — you've still got to be sustainable while you're adding value," says Ashton. Steve Ashton, president, HRANS New Brunswick focuses on surveys, learning, growth F or the Human Resources Association of New Bruns- wick (HRANB), 2015 was a year that focused on learning and professional growth. "One of our successes was the introduction of a provincewide mentorship program," says presi- dent Pierre Simoneau, adding the 966-member association used an online platform to connect its members. "More than 100 people are participating in the program." HRANB also engaged mem- bers in a survey to identify what the association is doing well and where it could do better. "We have been tackling weak- nesses in a number of ways," says Simoneau. For instance, chapters now im- plement surveys after professional development activities to help determine the success of events. HRANB has also partnered with a rewards company to give mem- bers discounts and savings. Despite the fact the oil patch slowdown brought many laid-off New Brunswickers back home, quite a number of organizations are still having trouble with re- cruitment. ere's a lack of skilled workers in the province, causing ongoing challenges for HR, says Simoneau. "I know employers are con- cerned that if they hire someone that's been in the oil patch, those people will leave as soon as oil picks up again and they'll lose an employee they've invested in," he says. "So there's a degree of uncertainty." In an eff ort to address this, the province has introduced pro- grams to encourage businesses to hire high school students for sum- mer work in the trades. " e hope is that they will reg- ister for trade school in commu- nity colleges and eventually fi ll the spots available through retire- ment," says Simoneau. Expected this winter is a pro- vincial budget announcement likely to include belt-tightening measures, directly impacting HR. "Right now, there are various labour force development pro- grams that help companies," he says. "One of the things probably coming is streamlining. So in- stead of fi ve or six programs, there might only be two." Any challenges resulting from budget cuts are likely to make the upcoming biannual conference in May especially well-attended. "HR will need to fi nd ways to make up for the lack of those pro- grams," says Simoneau Pierre Simoneau, president, HRANB

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