Most Canadian employers have, at some point, had to navigate a situation where an employee needs to take time away from the workplace for medical reasons. Unlike other leaves, such as parental leave or sabbatical, medical leaves will often not have a predetermined end date. As a result, employers often find themselves asking a number
Month: May 2021
Last week, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that seeks to address the rise in hate crimes committed against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) since the beginning of the COVID‑19 pandemic. While the legislation received bipartisan support in Congress and has encouraged activists, experts insist there is much more to be done to
Workplace bias and racial inequity bloom in the dark. If we continue to be silent—unable to speak candidly about our uncomfortable experiences and those of others—nothing will change. And businesses will pay the price. Employee turnover due to racial inequity in the workplace has cost U.S. organizations up to $172 billion over the past five
Diversity and inclusion is on everyone’s minds these days. It’s in the news and audiences are becoming more aware of systemic racism each day. It has left businesses in a place where failing to meet expectations on diversity and the promotion of inclusive environments is flat out bad for business. While we live in a
Job candidates are expressing growing interest in learning about an organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) stance and practices prior to accepting a job. Some companies are addressing that desire by sharing relevant information through channels like social media, blogs and careers sites. Others are providing job applicants with opportunities to interact with employees who
Aligning pay with business goals is a common method of ensuring results. It is now widely accepted that achieving high levels of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) can create a competitive advantage and drive individual and organizational performance. However, organizations seeking to advance in these areas face a strategic alignment challenge: how to embed DE&I
Workplaces are struggling to stay solvent, safe and inclusive as they face the coronavirus pandemic, social unrest and economic uncertainty, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) points out in a new report issued today by its Blue Ribbon Commission on Racial Equity (BRC). The 13-member commission is part of Together Forward @Work, an initiative SHRM
Like many of you I’m sure, I’ve become incredibly frustrated in that HR never seems to get the credit it deserves. Allied to this, HR doesn’t seem to position itself in a way that it can demonstrate the real “added value” difference that we all know it can. There is so much talk about HR
SHRM has partnered with Security Management Magazine to bring you relevant articles on key workplace topics and strategies. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) bring myriad benefits to organizations, from unique perspectives in crisis management to fostering future talent to building a more resilient culture. But DE&I are more than a business imperative, they are a
The Labor Court in South Africa recently expressed little sympathy for an employee who was dismissed for failing to adhere to COVID-19 protocols by coming into work knowing he had been exposed to the virus, thereby acting with little regard for the health and safety of colleagues and customers. The court also cautioned employers to
As India grapples with a devastating second wave of COVID-19 infections that has overwhelmed its health care system, many companies are supporting their employees with essentials ranging from oxygen cylinders to home-cooked food. “Things got much closer to home this time,” said Sailesh Menezes, Bengaluru-based head of HR at the India unit of Hewlett Packard
On May 20, professionals and organizations all over the world will celebrate the second annual International Human Resources Day. This day is a global recognition of the dedicated people whose hard work makes the HR profession a vital function across all industries. The World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA) has designated “HR Shaping the
It feels as if it’s almost over. The pandemic, for all of its craziness and unpredictability is beginning to show signs of fading. While normalcy as we once knew it may never return, the fact is that the worst part of this crisis appears to be behind us, leaving HR and businesses across the world
When British Columbia announced temporary travel restrictions on April 23, Anita Alfke was prepared. She lives on Vancouver Island, one of the three health regions designated by the provincial government, and could no longer leave the island. However, months of pandemic life had prepared her for this particular phase. She works in sales, which has
While Canadian employers have some leeway in using technology to keep tabs on workers in certain circumstances, national and provincial privacy laws set limits on how and when they may go about it, according to legal experts. “This is a particularly compelling and timely issue, especially since there are so many people working remotely now
The pandemic is beginning to subside as mask mandates are withdrawn and the number of vaccinated people steadily rises. But as HR experts have long predicted, things will not simply go back to the way that they were. Remote work is here to stay as are some of the ways we do business, leaving many
While much of the attention on U.S. immigration policy has focused on children and families at the southern border of the U.S., business leaders have a list of problems with the nation’s employment-based immigration system they’d like to see fixed. At the heart of those problems are job openings. Even as unemployment rates remain relatively
During Canada’s third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, workplace outbreaks risk transmitting the COVID-19 virus and its variants. Experts say rapid testing in workplaces could be instrumental in helping Canada fight the third wave. “We know that a large number of the current cases are coming from workers in essential businesses, so detecting cases early,
Will the pandemic-induced shift to remote work help organizations increase diversity? Yes, some companies say—at least for technology jobs. Technical fields have long lacked diversity; some 80 percent of software engineers in the U.S. are white men, according to McKinsey. Despite pledges to diversify, technology companies have yet to make much progress. Yet, while many
SHRM Online: How is progress, or its lack, measured? Who is accountable and how are they held accountable?Frazier-Bohnert: We have a strong talent analytics team at Liberty, and they are strong partners with our DE&I office and all of HR. Both my DE&I team and HR work with talent analytics to set those measures, to