1 Stop HR

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Brace for Impact Ontario Employers – Legalized Marijuana is Almost Here!

October 17th 2018 is the big day. The big day that employers have been bracing themselves for in Ontario – the legalization of marijuana.

Here are some quick facts for you:

• Medical marijuana will have different rules than recreational marijuana

Recreational Marijuana:

• The minimum age for buying, using, possessing and growing recreational cannabis will be 19 and older
• Those using it will only be allowed to use it in a private residence, their unit or on their balcony (if in a multi-unit building and subject to building rules/lease agreement)
• Those using will NOT be allowed to use recreational cannabis in:
*Any public place
*Workplaces
*Motorized vehicles
• It is illegal to drive drug-impaired
• There will be zero tolerance for young, novice and commercial drivers
*The user will not be able to have any cannabis in their system in the following circumstances:
when driving and:
?        *age 21 or under
?       *the driver possesses a G1, G2, M1 or M2 licence
?       *the vehicle requires an A-F licence or Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration
?       *the vehicle is a road-building machine

For the Workplace:

The consumption of recreational cannabis in the workplace is illegal and will continue this way even after the legislation comes into effect October 17th 2018.
Employers and those with Managerial duties:
• Must have a clear understanding of the rules for medical cannabis
• Must address workplace hazards under the OHSA and take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.
• An employer may consider conducting a risk assessment to identify risks that should be addressed, then developing, maintaining and implementing written measures to control risks etc.

Employees and Workers:

• If unfit or unable to work safely, must understand that they could be a hazard to others at work
• Have a duty to perform their job safely and report hazards to management under the OHSA

Medical Cannabis:

• Employers must make accommodations for those disabled employees who have a prescription for medical marijuana, just as they would be for any other disabled employee with a medical drug prescription
• Having a medical marijuana prescription does not mean that that employee is entitled to be impaired at work, compromise his/her safety or the safety of others, smoke in the workplace, have unexcused absences or late arrivals

Employer Steps to Prepare:

• Consider conducting a Risk Assessment to identify risks and hazards in your workplace
• Address the hazards and risks
• Prepare and release a workplace drug, alcohol and substance abuse policy(s), a smoking policy and an accommodation policy and review/update annually
• Ensure H&S training to workers, supervisors and employers including around drug, alcohol and substance abuse, how to recognize signs and how to deal with impairment

You are not alone – there are many employers that are bracing for impact. If you need help with any of the steps above to help prepare – contact us.

Here are some links to assist you with additional information:

The Ontario Ministry of Labour
Occupational Health and Safety Fact Sheet

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4 Ways to Tell if you have a Great Leadership Team

So you think you have a great leadership team in place at your company, but how do you know that they are great?  Is it just a gut feel?  Or do you truly have a good understanding of their abilities and positive impact on your business?  If you are struggling to answer these questions, here are some thoughts to help you gain the answer.

 

  1.  Ask the Staff.  Seems simple enough, but not a lot of employers actually do this!  Send a survey to your employees.  Ensure the results are compiled by an outside source so that employees can be reassured of confidentiality to their responses.  Have them rank responses on questions like:  “I can trust my manager”  “My manager is knowledgeable”  “My manager handles difficult situations in a professional and fair manner”  “I have confidence in the leadership team”.   Also look to add some open ended questions where employees can add additional detail, like:  “The top 3 areas that my manager could improve on would be”  “Things that my manager does well are”  “If I were a manager at this company, the first few things I would change would be”.  These types of questions will give you a good sense of how your staff are feeling with regard to the leadership at your company.
  2. Set Leadership Goals and Monitor Results.  Work with your team to set goals that coincide with the strategy of your company.  Monitor the progress and attainment of these goals.  If goals are being met, this is a great sign.  As well, if your company goals are being met, this is also a good sign.
  3. Monitor Employee Turnover.  Have lots of turnover?  This isn’t a good sign.  Is there a lot of turnover under one particular manager?  There could be a reason.  Conduct exit interviews and ensure the individual conducting them is someone employees trust and can be open with.  We highly recommend outsourcing this activity as this typically allows for employees to feel more comfortable in bringing about issues.
  4. Employee Referrals.  Do you employees refer others to work for the company?  Yes?  This is a good sign….No?  Not a good sign unless you are not encouraging it…

Have other ideas?  Email us!  We would be happy to include them in an upcoming blog article.

Need help coaching or mentoring your team?  Someone to complete your exit interviews?  Contact us at 226-750-3160  we are always ready to help!

 

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Improving Workplace Productivity

Companies with a solid strategy to recognize members of their team enjoy stronger engagement, increased employee morale, a devoted spirit of customer service, and lower turnover rates. If you treat your employees as if they were your best customers, they will become loyal brand advocates who are more engaged with your customers and your business as a whole. There is something interesting that happens when you give praise to your employees and in doing so; it doesn’t have to come with breaking the bank. Here are 20 creative (and affordable) ideas for employee recognition provided by Point Recognition. You can view the slideshow below.

Author Bio

Kelly Chesterson is the Vice President of Operations for Point Recognition. Kelly holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Baldwin-Wallace College and is a Certified Engagement Practitioner. She has worked in the reward and recognition industry for more than eight years.

 

20 Creative (And Affordable) Ideas For Employee Recognition created by Point Recognition

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Top 5 Questions to Think about Before Hiring a Friend or Relative

So you own a company, or have the authority to hire people at the company you work at. Your friend or relative is looking for work. Do you hire them? You want to help them right? They should be a good worker as you know them…right? Hmmm

The decision to hire someone you know could have a lasting impact not only on your relationship with that person, but also the staff and company. I would caution you to think long and hard before extending that offer of employment.

Many people don’t think about the things that could go wrong in this type of situation, they want to help, they think that the friend/relative will work hard and that is really where the thinking stops. Here are some things that I would suggest you think long and hard about before moving forward:

1. What will I do if this person is not pulling their weight or there are performance problems?
2. What happens if I receive a complaint about this person?
3. What happens if this person asks for accommodations that are not normally provided by the company to other employees?
4. What happens if this person is looking for a raise that falls outside of the normal pay range for the position?
5. What happens if I no longer have work for this person?

The answer to all of these questions is: “I will treat them as any other employee under my management”. This absolutely must be your answer and must be the way you manage this situation. Here is the problem….this is not as easy as it sounds. There are feelings, there is a relationship at stake, and there are others in your family or circle of friends that also may weigh in on the situation.
Some people also don’t think about the impact on the other employees or the company. Employees, once they know there is a prior relationship with the new hire, may have differing reactions. They may be uncomfortable forming a good working relationship with this person. They may not feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns with lack of performance or activities that are normally frowned upon. They may feel that there is or will be preferential treatment. Mistrust may breed amongst the staff and eventually impact staff and company performance.

You may think that this article is slanted very much to one side…that hiring relatives or friends is always a bad idea. There are indeed examples where this has worked well, however there are far too many more where it hasn’t.

If you find yourself in this situation or in this dilemma, I strongly urge you to thoroughly think through your decision and have a deep and detailed discussion with the individual if you plan to move forward. Take your time and don’t come to any quick decisions.

www.1stophrconsulting.com    info@1stophrconsulting.com

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5 Tips to close HR Compliance Gaps

We run into many companies that are not sure if they are compliant to ministry requirements when it comes to their HR.  As a business owner, this is something that can cause a lot of stress.  We hear all the time of businesses being “caught” by the ministry and having to pay huge fines.  These fines sometimes cause the business owner their business and many times, the businesses were not aware of what they were missing.  At 1 Stop HR, we help businesses by completing an HR audit on their business.  Our audit identifies these gaps and produces a plan to address and close them.  So in our experience, what are our top 5 tips to help businesses in this respect?

  1.  Address any required ministry training
    • Every provincially regulated business will have mandatory training requirements in Ontario
    • Some training must start as soon as the first employee, volunteer or student is hired
  2. Post mandatory ESA/Ministry posters
    • This is such an easy one to do, but is so often missed and can result in hefty fines
  3. Have a comprehensive employee policy manual which includes mandatory policies
    • Ahh the employee policy manual, it is a lot of work, but completely worth the effort, certain policies are mandatory and,  it can protect your employees and your business
  4. Ensure your Health and Safety is up to snuff
    • Think you don’t need health and safety in your office?  Think again…
    • Have a comprehensive health and safety manual in place and ensure your employees are trained
  5. Get your Documentation in order
    • From employment agreements, to employee issues, to performance reviews and everything in between – ensure you have documentation, know how to document properly and do it often

This is just a start, but so very important.  Non-compliance does not just mean the potential of a fine, but could also mean Human Rights claims, Law Suits and more.  Don’t be negligent.  Need help?  Contact us.

Learn More About US

1 STOP HR was founded by Christie Ferguson, CHRP CHRL Christie is a certified Human Resources Professional & Leader with many years of hands on HR expertise.

Contact US

Tel: 226-750-3160
Email: info@1stophrconsulting.com

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