Canadian HR Reporter - Sample Issue

CANADIAN HR REPORTER May 1, 2017 18 INSIGHT TRAINING CAN BE TOUGH BARRIE, ONT. — e first day of work is usually about making good first impressions, but one fast-food restaurant employee ap- parently took that the wrong way — when he punched his manager. Police were called to a Barrie, Ont., restaurant to investigate a reported altercation, according to the Cana- dian Press. e 20-year-old man had just started the job that day and was being trained by the man- ager, but when corrected, he alleg- edly made the blow. e worker then fled the establishment — but turned himself in the next day, to be charged with assault. MORE THAN STOIC RAIPUR, INDIA — News anchors always have to be ready to deal with the unexpected when they're live on air, but Supreet Kaur of IBC24 in India did amazingly well recently, according to CNN. e nine-year veteran was reporting on a deadly car accident — with three people dead and two injured — but after hearing more details and seeing images from the scene, she started to wonder if her husband was involved. Kaur kept on reporting but her suspicions were later confirmed when she found out her husband had died in the crash. "She was doing her job, and she kept on doing it with composure and without showing her emotions on air," said Ravi Kant Mittal, editor-in-chief at IBC24. Even the state's chief minister, Raman Singh, tweeted about the incident: "Salute Supreet's strength in dealing with her husband's demise with extraordinary bravery and professionalism. May (his) departed soul rest in peace." SCHOOLED ON SCREENING NEW PITTSBURG, KAN. — Pittsburg High School (PHS) in Kansas is looking for another principal after the newly hired Amy Robertson resigned. The reason? A group of students looked into her background and found questionable credentials, according to the Kansas City Star. "She was going to be the head of our school, and we wanted to be assured that she was qualified and had the proper credentials," said Trina Paul, a senior and editor of the Booster Redux, the school newspaper. e students published a story questioning the legitimacy of Corllins University, where Robertson got her degrees years ago — and the U.S. Department of Education agreed. Pittsburg journalism adviser Emily Smith said she was proud of her students: "ey were not out to get anyone to resign or to get anyone fired. ey worked very hard to uncover the truth." But Robertson disagreed: "The current status of Corllins University is not relevant because when I received my MA in 1994 and my PhD in 2010, there was no issue," she said. "I have no comment in response to the questions posed by PHS students regarding my credentials because their concerns are not based on facts." OFF A SHOW, OUT OF A JOB CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Jeff Varner decided to compete on the popular TV show Survi- vor, he probably wasn't expecting to get kicked off the show — and to lose his job. But that's the way it went down after the realtor "outed" rival Zeke Smith as trans- gender on one of the broadcasts. By confronting Smith, Varner had wanted to convey to others that there was deception going on, but host Jeff Probst asked Varner to leave the show. Varner later apologized for his actions, but that wasn't enough for Allen Tate Realtors in Charlotte, N.C., which fired the 50-year-old employee because he was "in the middle of a news story that we don't want anything to do with," according to the Greensboro News & Record. W EIRD ORKPLACE THE Vol. 30 No. 8 – May 1, 2017 PUBLISHED BY Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. One Corporate Plaza 2075 Kennedy Rd. Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 ©Copyright 2017 by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights reserved. CANADIAN HR REPORTER is published 21 times a year. Publications Mail – Agreement # 40065782 Registration # 9496 – ISSN 0838-228X Director, Media Solutions, Canada: Karen Lorimer - (416) 649-9411 karen.lorimer@thomsonreuters.com EDITORIAL Publisher/Editor in Chief: Todd Humber - (416) 298-5196 todd.humber@thomsonreuters.com Editor/Supervisor: Sarah Dobson - (416) 649-7896 sarah.dobson@thomsonreuters.com News Editor Marcel Vander Wier - (416) 649-7837 marcel.vanderwier@thomsonreuters.com Employment Law Editor: Jeffrey R. 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Address changes and returns: Send changes and undeliverable Canadian addresses to: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Canadian HR Reporter One Corporate Plaza 2075 Kennedy Rd. Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 CUSTOMER SERVICE Call: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5082 (Toronto) (877) 750-9041 (outside Toronto) Email: customersupport. legaltaxcanada@tr.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR todd.humber@thomsonreuters.com CHRR reserves the right to edit for length and clarity. Todd Humber Editor's Notes Taking leaves can be complicated, and often they're career-limiting F resh out of school, in one of my first jobs, I ran into a senior human resources professional in the lunchroom. We were discussing a colleague who had recently gone on a stress leave, and I'll never forget what she said to me. "Never do that. If you take time off for stress, it's a career-killer. You won't get promoted and you may even be one of the first ones to be let go. It's just not worth it." at was the late 1990s, and the thinking hasn't changed much in the last two decades. It's not just mental health-related leaves that may be frowned upon. Any event that takes you out of the workplace has the potential to be career-limiting. I was reminded of that last month with a headline I saw in the Toronto Star: "Study highlights barriers faced by police officers who become mothers." Essentially, Canadian research- ers are finding that cops who be- come pregnant are treated as if they are disabled. e moment they tell their bosses they're ex- pecting, they are transferred to police duties that are typically reserved for officers on the dis- ability list. Time for a bit of honesty: If I had the most stripes on my shoulders at the precinct, I'd probably do the same thing. Not from a lack of respect for the of- ficer and her skills, but out of an abundance of caution. For me, it's more of a hypo- thetical situation — the jobs in my purview mostly involve desk work that can be done without an iota of restriction. A couple of years ago, we sent one of our editors on assignment for a story for Canadian Occupa- tional Safety magazine. It involved her descending into a mine shaft. If this editor had been pregnant, I undoubtedly would have had res- ervations. I wouldn't want to put that person, and her unborn child, at risk. Perhaps that's a problem. In an era of risk management, and ensuring the safety of workers, the instinct is to act out of an abundance of caution. Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for all employees. I can't think of many restric- tions for a person with a desk job, but policing can have all kinds of dangerous tasks that should be taken into account. Erring on the side of caution is always going to feel like the right thing to do. But it's also impor- tant to work with the employee, find out directly from her what the restrictions are and what she feels comfortable doing. It seems impossible to ask a woman who is eight months preg- nant to conduct traffic stops and chase bad guys, but there might be middle ground. So it's worth doing the legwork, for both sides, to figure out the tasks that would take advantage of her skills while accommodating the reality of her condition. at's true of cops and it's true of every single employee under your roof. When someone returns fol- lowing a leave, it can be awkward for all parties. Taking 12 months off to raise a child can have unin- tended consequences. "Often, after having to prove themselves all the way along, they lose ground when they announce their pregnancies, and sometimes they don't regain it after they come back from their maternity leave," said Debra Langan, an as- sociate professor of criminology at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont., in a Toronto Star interview. In the vast majority of cases, this isn't a malicious plan on the part of the employer, manager or co-workers. It's the simple fact that, over the course of year, things can change drastically. If you're not around to witness the evolution, and experience it, it's hardly surprising that there can be a struggle to catch up. As a result, a returning employee can be left in the dust. But that doesn't mean we shrug our shoulders, condone it and move on. Instead, it's a challenge smart employers need to tackle head on. No matter what type of leave a worker is returning from, it's in management's best inter- ests to ensure the return goes smoothly. Managers can shake their heads, sigh and complain about what a pain it is — but it is their job to make it work. An individual coming back to the workplace needs help to re- acclimatize. at means provid- ing a welcoming environment, teaming her up with a buddy who can walk her through key changes in personnel and process and, yes, it also means empathy and recognition of the changed circumstances. We can't expect these workers to hit the ground running, but we can provide them with the runway and support to ensure a smooth transition and to set them — and the company — up for success in the long run. HAVE A BLAST DE RIDDER, LA. — Looking to offer something a little different as a grand prize for a fundraiser, organizers of a police raffle decided to give away the chance to Taser a police officer. A certified instructor would actu- ally shoot the gun under controlled conditions to demonstrate what officers endure in training, according to police chief John Gott in De Ridder. While the idea garnered mixed reviews on social media, according to the American Press, the event and raffle were suggested by the officers themselves, said Gott: "ey were the ones who came up with the idea to have a volunteer Tased as an education tool." e officers also wanted the event to be light-hearted, he said. "ey are willing to do whatever it takes to raise money to purchase toys for local families in need, and if it means putting themselves in front of a Taser, they are more than willing to do so." Credit: Constantine Pankin (Shutterstock)

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