Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER MAY 2018 NEWS 3 Having portfolio of human skills key to surviving automation: Report Critical thinking, social perceptiveness, persuasion among skills for the future BY JOHN DUJAY WITH an estimated 50 per cent of Canadian jobs expected to be af- fected by automation over the next few years, soft or "human" skills might be the best way for workers to buttress against job loss. at's according to an RBC re- port that examined 20,000 skills rankings across 300 job occupa- tions to come up with a new set of six future skills clusters: solvers, technicians, providers, crafters, facilitators and doers. "What we wanted to do is un- derstand skills: What are the core skills and how much will they be in core demand over the coming years heading into the 2020s?" said Mathias Hartpence, econo- mist and policy lead at the office of the CEO with RBC in Toronto. "We wanted to see if we can re- group occupations into different clusters based on connectivity or similarity of skill sets for differ- ent occupations," he said. "How do you allow people to upskill themselves, to transition some- times laterally or transversely? And this in contrast with more traditional siloed or vertical ca- reer paths." e report is intended to "cata- lyze the conversation, at the na- tional level, in terms of how do we ensure our youth and our workforce is fully prepared for the changes to come?" said Hartpence. The Humans Wanted: How Canadian Youth Can rive in the Age of Disruption report was created as part of the bank's Fu- ture Launch program, a 10-year commitment to help young peo- ple prepare for the future world of work. Hartpence and his team spent about a year on the report by start- ing with the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET database, which is a "very elaborate system of ratings for skills," he said, and then map- ping the data back to Canadian occupations or job projections. "We're an aging country in terms of our demographics and then you're seeing these enor- mous technological shifts also taking place — digitization, auto- mation, AI (artificial intelligence), whose impact will be seen prob- ably even much more forcefully down the line," said Hartpence. Workers will need to cultivate a "portfolio of human skills" to survive the coming changes, ac- cording to RBC. Types of soft skills e report focused on a num- ber of skills of the future such as foundational basis skills, high- level critical thinking, co-ordina- tion, social perceptiveness, active listening and complex problem- solving, along with communica- tion skills — reading, compre- hension, active listening, writing and speaking — and social skills, social perceptiveness, co-ordina- tion and persuasion. Acquiring soft skills is a critical component of the future work- force, said Hartpence. "Skills is the DNA of occupa- tions, it's what ties occupations together and allows transitions from potentially one occupation to the other." In financial services, automa- tion and technological change is in full swing and employers have their hands full in managing that change, according to Jennifer Reynolds, president and CEO of the Toronto Financial Services Al- liance (TFSA), which released the 2018 report Unlocking the Human Opportunity: Future-Proof Skills to Move Financial Services For- ward, based on a survey of more than 80 executives. "We're going to need different skill sets because it's going to be a combination of using the technol- ogy to better provide services and products, and make sure you're delivering on customer expecta- tions," she said. Industries such as the financial services sector are heavily auto- mated today and are exciting plac- es for young workers to consider a career, according to Reynolds. But besides the obvious focus on technology, future employees will have to bring soft skills to those jobs, such as emotional in- telligence, the ability to communi- cate well to influence people, and problem-solving, she said. And candidates are beginning to add these soft skills to their re- sumés, according to Randy Qua- rin, senior partner at IQ Partners in Toronto. CANDIDATES > pg. 12 Emplo y ment Law Today Canad a ian Canadian Employment Law Today is an indispensable tool in keeping managers, business owners, trade unions, HR professionals and law firms up-to-date on the latest developments in employment law. As a subscriber you will learn the strategies and techniques that enable businesses to devote more of their focus to productivity and profitability. Our bi-weekly newsletter will connect you with the most current employment law-related rulings in court, tribunals and other judicial bodies. Save valuable hours of research and spend more time using the information to improve procedures and decisions. COMPLY WITH THE LATEST EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION Access a sample issue now at: bitly.com/CELT-FreePreview-16 Subscribe today for only $199 * Order No. 20612-18-64668 Save $109 PM40065782 Emplo y ment Law Today Canad ad a ian www.employmentlawtoday.com September 14, 2016 Wrongful dismissal damages — Bonus entitlement BY RONALD MINKEN FOR some workers, a bonus makes up a signifi cant portion of their remuneration. For others, a bonus is something that may or may not be provided by their employee at specifi c times of the year — such as Christ- mas, for example. Often, an employee who is dismissed without cause will ask whether her entitle- ment to wrongful dismissal damages will in- clude a component for lost bonuses. Compensation for wrongful dismissal can include an amount for a bonus which the employee would have been entitled to re- ceive during the notice period. In the absence of an employment agree- ment specifying to the contrary, the question is whether the bonus has become an essen- tial component of the employee's remunera- tion or whether it is essentially a gift — to be delivered at the employer's sole discretion. A recent decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal, Paquette v. TeraGo Networks Inc., dealt with this issue. When Trevor Paquette was fi red by Tera- Go Networks, the dismissed employee and his former employer could not agree on a severance package. Paquette brought a sum- mary judgment motion to determine the pe- riod of reasonable notice and damages. e motions judge awarded notice at 17 months and based damages on salary and benefi ts that Paquette would have earned during the 17-month notice period. e motions judge did not award damages for bonuses, because the employer's bonus plan required an em- ployee to be "actively employed" at the time the bonus was paid. Paquette appealed that decision on the issue of whether the motion's judge made a mistake in not including compensation for lost bonuses. e Ontario Court of Appeal allowed the appeal. e motion judge erred in focusing on the Nurse fi red for forcing care on resisting care home resident Intentions were good but nurse made a mistake forcing protesting resident to have a shower, resulting in injuries to resident BY JEFFREY R. SMITH AN ARBITRATOR has upheld the dismissal of a registered practical nurse at an Ontario long- term care home after a resident suff ered injuries after resisting care and the nurse failed to fi le an incident report. Chester Posada was a regular part-time reg- istered practical nurse (RPN) at Bendale Acres, a long-term care home operated by the City of Toronto. He was hired in September 2008 and worked in the behavioural response unit, a locked area housing cognitively impaired residents who could act out. On Aug. 20, 2014, Posada was working in the unit with three other staff members. One of the patients, an 86-year-old man referred to as TS, suff ered from dementia and several other affl ic- tions that required him to be on blood thinners. e blood thinners increased TS' susceptibility Intoxicated, dishonest -- and reinstated with full pay pg.3 Employe ignored sunset clause in collective agreement CREDIT: LIGHTHUNTER/SHUTTERSTOCK Getting ready or legalized marijuana pg. 4 Employers will have to treat employee use somewhat differently -- but still as an intoxicating substance ASK AN EXPERT pg. 2 Employee harassment outside work ACTIVE on page 7 » EMPLOYER on page 6 » with Stuart Rudner Start your subscription and receive: • 22 issues of Canadian Employment Law Today • Full access to Canadian Employment Law Today's website, www.employmentlawtoday.com, featuring a searchable archive of past articles • Free access to Canadian Employment Law Today's multi media centre - the home for employment law videos, webinars and blogs TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER *Available to first-time subscribers only To order your subscription call 1.800.387.5164 or 416.609.3800 www.employmentlawtoday.com/subscribe

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