Who knew getting fired could be so delicious? August HR Round-Up
This month’s HR Round-up includes a mix of news with implications for employers and content to help you refine your hiring process. I also added a few articles and guides for navigating employee accomodations, conduct, and more!
The 25 best places to work in Canada according to Indeed
The new ‘25 best places to work in Canada’ list by Indeed came out early this month. Companies were chosen based on five categories, including work-life balance and management and culture. A lot of big names on this list, any you don’t recognize?
Highlights of Statistics Canada’s latest 2016 census release
I’m usually excited to get a peek at the latest Canadian Census results. This month’s August 2nd release was data compiled for families, households, and language. I love speculating on how these findings could affect ‘the bigger picture’… including the world of human resources and recruitment. For example, how should household characteristics affect re-structuring or updating benefits and perk plans so they better support employees and their families? Also, knowing the current status of bilingualism per province is interesting for recruitment efforts, especially if you’re recruiting for an international company interested in setting up shop in Canada.
Can you be fired for being a racist?
The unfortunate events in Charlottesville had everyone talking this month. After the protests, some white supremacists were outed on Twitter, leading to at least one losing their job. A Canadian in Hamilton, Ontario was also fired this month for hoisting a confederate flag at his work site. Like many of us, you might be wondering what constitutes legitimate grounds for termination. This Time article outlines the related US employment law.
What can you do? A good first step is ensuring your Code of Conduct clearly covers racist behaviour of any kind. If you’re a startup, here’s a great resource from our friend Andrea Barrica on why and how to set one up. Looking for more? Here’s a Government of Canada guide for identifying and addressing harassment in the workplace.
References should come from a candidate’s coworkers, not just their boss
When we’re doing reference checks, we tend to want to hear from managers and supervisors. The importance of feedback from past coworkers is sometimes overlooked. This article outlines study findings by SkillSurvey in terms of the characteristics that colleagues focus on as opposed to managers. Turns out, the most valuable assessments are made after hearing a combination of manager and coworkers responses. Learn more about the details of the survey in this Harvard Business Review article.
Lying on resumés common: Survey
Recruitment can be hard enough without having to sniff out resumé lies. Ugh. According to a recent survey by OfficeTeam, more than one-third of Canadian workers know someone who has put false information on their resume! The most common areas to watch are job experience and tasks, followed by education and employment timelines. Luckily, OfficeTeam gives five red flags to look for.
Apple workers threaten to quit over open-plan office
The highly-anticipated ‘Apple Park’ construction is set to finish by the end of the year. The planned setup for this new tech space apparently includes open concept spaces with long tables to “promote collaboration.” According to the MacRumors news site, some employees are not happy about the layout. The article also references a recent study that found that most employees feel the stress and distraction outweigh the intended value of a collaborative culture. What do you think of open-concept offices? Essential for a team-bonding culture, or not worth the hype? Let me know in the comments!
Just got fired? Get #WhopperSeverance from Burger King
Who knew getting fired could be so delicious? Burger King just released their US-based #WhopperSeverance program, in which the first 2,500 people to announce on LinkedIn that they’d been let go from their job would get a free Whopper coupon. The first 100 people would also get a career counselling session from The Muse. Who would have thought terminations and marketing campaigns could go so well together!
I work at a startup with no HR department. How do I deal with blatant sexism?
Sexism at work is serious business, no matter the size of your organization. But what happens when you don’t have Human Resources for filing complaints? The Globe and Mail Help Desk for August 22 focused on how to address sexism in less-traditional work environments such as tech startups. The implications of this unacceptable behaviour not only hurt individuals, but can also lead to bigger culture, PR, and recruitment issues as your company tries to scale. Kiran Rana give her opinion on the best steps to take when your office is a “frat house”. A good read, whether you’re experiencing sexism, are a startup CEO, or just want to be an ally.
Public works introduces government’s 1st transgender workplace guide
At the end of August, Public Services and Procurement Canada released a new guide to better support and accommodate transgender employees in the workplace. Entitled ‘Support for trans employees: A guide for employees and managers’, this detailed guide is the first across federal government departments in Canada. It’s a helpful starting point if you’re looking to draft one for your organization. Access it here.
Babies at Work: It’s Weird that it’s Weird
Bring your baby to work day… every day? Leah Silber, CEO at Tilde, shares her experience of being a new parent and establishing a “Babies at Work” program in her own company. She includes everything from initial concerns, to how she developed the policy and rolled it out.
Skeptical already? Obviously this program wouldn’t look the same in every organization, but Silber’s arguments in favour have me seeing some of her point of view and how it just might work…
Hope you enjoyed this month’s HR round-up! Let me know what was useful to you in the comments below. To never miss a monthly HR Round-up, be sure to subscribe to Alongside’s blog!
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