Canadian Human Resources Links

• Canadian HR Reporter - Home Page Published 22 times a year, this tabloid guide to human resources management offers readers the most current news, information on the latest trends and practices, expert advice, experiences and insights from HR practitioners, research and resources. (And a crossword puzzle.) 
• Human Resources Strategic Information - Strategic Human Resources Partner - Compensation News  Canadian human resources publication with insightful expert articles focusing on strategic issues facing HR professionals and decision makers in many all areas of Human Resources Management including compensation, benefits, HRIS, outplacement, training, recruitment, performance, organizational behaviour, legislative compliance and employment law.
• About the CCHRA the collaborative efforts of ten provincial and specialist Human Resources Associations that currently represent the interests of more than 30,000 professionals across Canada.
• Welcome to Prior Resource Group recruiters
• CHIC Hospitality Consulting Management Consultants,employee motivation,training,customer service organization and training, human resources strategies. Management tips newsletter. Discussion forums
• Worksite News occupational health, safety, environment publication
• Tecsult Eduplus Website e-learning solutions
• Hrtrack is your place for Human Resource Software - (HRIS)
• PrevueSystem.com recruiting and placement services
• InnoVisions Canada / Canadian Telework Association building blocks for all your telework and telecommuting needs
• HR Online - Engaging the power of your people for your business integrated Human Resources software suite.
• Guide to Human Resources Information on the Internet
• Human Resources information for employees at McMaster University

Index of Human Resource Management Resources

Nottingham Business School has compiled an extensive list of on-line Human Resource Management Reference.

Human Resource Management

Sub-categories

• General HR Links
• Human Resource Publications
• HRM Groups and Associations
• HRM Mailing Lists
• Organisation and Management Theory
• Recruitment Services (UK based)
• Recruitment Services (USA and the rest of the world)
• HR Consultants
• Research
• Employee Relations
• Business Psychology
• Human Resource Development and Training
• HRM Courses on the Internet
• Business Ethics
• HRM Manuals and Handbooks Online
• HRM-Computer Software Providers
• Telecommuting and Telework
• HRM Job Vacancies around the World

Nottingham Business School - Human Resource Management

The Cost-Benefit of Well Employees

Focusing on correcting the cause of ill health is more cost-effective than merely paying for the treatment.

1. Provide plenty of nutritious options in cafeterias and vending machines.
2. Make workplaces smoke free and help employees kick the habit outside of work.
3. Encourage exercise by offering employees free use of a fitness center or subsidizing employees’ memberships to local gyms.
4. Offer on-site health education and screening for conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
5. Share with employees who do take care of themselves some of the savings they generate.
6. Design health care programs with a component that reaches out to employees’ immediate families.

Harvard Business Review Online | The Cost-Benefit of Well Employees

Technorati Tags: Benefits, Group+Health, Employee+Wellness, Fitness

Court Clarifies Duty of Employer to Act Reasonably in the Accommodation Process and in Requests for Medical Information

by Yosie Saint-Cyr LL.B., Editor at HRinfodesk---Canadian Payroll and Employment Law News

The Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench overturned a decision by the Panel of Human Rights and Citizenship Commission which found that an employer was justified in failing to accommodate an employee after his illness for lack of having received the medical information they considered necessary. On appeal, the Court ruled that the employer cannot avoid his obligation to accommodate by failing to follow up to obtain the information it believed to be necessary.

Previewing: "Alberta (Human Rights and Citizenship Commission) v. Federated"

Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta
Citation: Alberta (Human Rights and Citizenship Commission) v. Federated Co-operatives Limited, 2005 ABQB 587
Date: 20050729
Docket: 0503 03087
Registry: Edmonton

Between:
The Director of the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission and Gary Trick
Applicants

- and -

Federated Co-operatives Limited
Respondents

Memorandum of Judgment
of the
Honourable Madam Justice D. C. Read

Business Bloopers

Survey Reveals Managers' Most Embarrassing Moments at Work

MENLO PARK, CA -- Sitting in a dunk tank may be business as usual for a circus performer, but how about a corporate executive? Strange but true, some managers have made a splash – literally – in front of colleagues. In fact, in a recent survey, sitting in dunk tanks, performing in office skits and falling prey to clothing calamities were among survey respondents’ most embarrassing moments at work.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 senior executives at the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, “What was your most embarrassing moment at work?” Here are some of their responses:

* “I inadvertently sent a personal e-mail to an entire distribution list.”
* “Another manager and I had a conflict in front of the president of the company.”
* “A personal voice mail from my spouse went to someone else instead.”
* “I pretended to throw water on a colleague only to discover my cup wasn’t empty. Luckily, she had a good sense of humor.”

“No professional is immune to the occasional work mishap,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. “Acknowledging an awkward situation, apologizing to the appropriate colleague, if necessary, and not dwelling on it are good ways to bounce back from even the most uncomfortable scenario.”

Think performances are limited to the stage or screen? Consider the following:

* “For Employee Appreciation Week, executives perform a skit and I played Cher.”
* “I sat in a dunk tank and was in my swimming trunks in front of employees.”
* “My colleagues pressured me to sing my school song the day I started.”
* “The marketing team did karaoke. We sang ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’”

Hopefully, these executives rebounded from these memory lapses:

* “Calling the CEO by the wrong name”
* “Leaving the boss behind and going to a meeting without him”
* “Showing up for work on a Sunday thinking it was Monday”

Ever wonder what it would be like working with the Three Stooges? Here are a few possible scenarios:

* “I stumbled and fell on my face when I tripped over the carpet.”
* “In a meeting, I spilled coffee all over myself.”
* “While speaking at a business event, I fell off the stage.”

Controlling their emotions and staying focused at work challenged these respondents:

* “I hugged the senior manager on my first day of work.”
* “While interviewing a job candidate, I fell asleep.”
* “I passed out in the front lobby after I cut my finger.”

And these wardrobe malfunctions are sure to raise some eyebrows at the office:

* “Making a presentation with my zipper open”
* “Coming into work with two different shoes on”
* “Leaving the gym one morning only to discover I had left my business clothes at home”
* “Showing up at work wearing a gray jacket and blue pants”

“Everyone has embarrassing incidents at work – it shows we’re all human,” added Domeyer. “The best way to handle awkward moments is to gracefully move on, and, if possible, try to find the humor in the situation.”

OfficeTeam has more than 300 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com.

Employment News - Career News - Workplace Trends.

Technorati Tags: Business, Bloopers, Humour

Human Resources FAQ: General Questions

Susan M. Heathfield answers some of the general frequently asked questions questions she receives, about Human Resources.

Human Resources: General Questions

Want basic information about human resources including a definition? Career planning, a career outlook and more? I've answered some of the questions about human resources that I receive most frequently in email. I trust the responses to these human resources questions will be useful to you, too.

Index to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Human Resources: General Questions

Technorati Tags: Human+Resources

Post-Interview Thank You notes

Heather Hamilton posts some tips on the Post-Interview Thank You note:

1. Keep it brief
2. Refer to your interview conversation
3. Be objective about your performance in the interview 
4. Write the note, even if they said no
5. Hand-written notes are preferable

Read it all at Heather's Marketing

Technorati Tags: Recruiting, Job+hunting, Interview+tips

New On-line Surveys Tool for Human Resources

BEELINER SURVEYS DEVELOPS TOOL FOR HUMAN RESOURCES AND TRAINING PROFESSIONALS TO COLLECT AND MANAGE EMPLOYEE DATA

New Survey Software Provides Affordable, Web-based Tool to Easily Manage
Employee Communications and Evaluate Training and Hiring Practices

December 5, 2005 — Cambridge, MA — Spinfish/ROG, Inc. today introduced
Beeliner HR & Training, a customized version of its flagship online survey
software product, enabling human resources professionals to better manage
employee communications and evaluate training and hiring practices without
the cost, effort and learning curve typical of many HRIS software products.

The Beeliner HR & Training Surveys software package enhances Spinfish's
original Beeliner Surveys by offering more of the services that a typical HR
department needs, including:

Customized training workshops by industry experts
Professionally developed survey templates
Dedicated support specialists

"A primary focus for Beeliner was to produce an easy-to-use solution for HR
professionals," said Amanda Trombley, CEO for Spinfish/ROG, Inc. "HR
professionals spend a lot of timing in meetings and working one on one with
people. They need an efficient way to collect and manage information from
employees, but they do not have the time to use a software product that has
a big learning curve."

In countless occasions, HR professionals avoided complicated and costly HRIS
software in favor of products that are simple to use, but might not have the
needed functionality. Beeliner offers the best of both worlds; a high tech
software product with the ease and familiarity of a spreadsheet.

"Many large companies that we've talked to are using Excel spreadsheets to
keep track of paper surveys," said Trombley. "It can be manual and
time-consuming, but from an HR perspective it's easier than researching,
buying, and integrating HRIS software."

Beeliner's easy to use interface is web-based, so HR professionals do not
need to install software or involve their IT departments. The software can be
accessed from any location, not just within the office.

Beeliner's web-based interface walks HR professionals through every step of
developing, customizing, and sending the following types of surveys and
more:
- Team member self-assessments
- Employee performance appraisal forms
- Post-training impact surveys
- Training session evaluation forms
- New hire surveys
- Benefits surveys
- Organizational climate surveys
- Employee satisfaction surveys
- Exit surveys
- Applicant surveys

Beeliner's reporting function allows HR professionals to decide how they
want to view and share the data -- they can pinpoint it by individual response or
get the big picture by viewing data in a general summary format. It also
creates customized reports and presentations for effectively communicating
the information as needed.

More information is available on the Beeliner web site at http://www.beelinersurveys.com/

Tags: Surveys, online surveys, HR Tools

NAIT using SuperNet to train apprentices in their communities

NAIT using SuperNet to train apprentices in their communities

Edmonton... Classes are underway and going well for 21 apprentices taking training through video conferencing over Alberta's SuperNet. The pilot project, which is offered through NAIT and is the first of its kind in Alberta, allows apprentices to take the in-class portion of their training without having to leave their jobs, families or communities.

"More trades people need access to training opportunities in their communities - this is one of the themes I heard loud and clear during the recent A Learning Alberta Minister's Forum. This leading edge technology helps remove barriers for Albertans in rural and remote areas who wish to realize their potential in the skilled trades," said Advanced Education Minister Dave Hancock. "It is also another great example of the Alberta SuperNet working for Albertans and the advanced learning system."

Fifteen welder and six electrician apprentices from Edson, Drayton Valley, Grande Cache, Hinton and Jasper are taking part in the pilot project, which is funded by the Alberta government, offered through NAIT, and delivered through the Pembina Educational Consortium and the Yellowhead Region Educational Consortium. The program is called NAIT DATE, which stands for NAIT's Distance Apprenticeship Training and Education. The video conferencing classes are held twice a week for each trade in the evenings.

"NAIT is always looking for innovative ways to deliver its training," said NAIT President Dr. Sam Shaw. "Thanks to Alberta's SuperNet we can train more apprentices, which, in turn, helps industry because it ultimately increases workplace productivity. The inception of this pilot project means: apprentices won't have to leave their homes or work sites to come to NAIT for extended periods of time, student access will increase, and NAIT will continue to deliver the best technical training anytime, anywhere."

"This pilot project is one example of how the delivery of apprenticeship technical training is changing to be more responsive to employers and apprentices, while still maintaining high industry standards," said Brian Bickley, Chair of the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board.

Thanks to the videoconferencing technology, apprentices have live and real interaction with their instructors, meaning the quality and rigor of the courses is maintained. Instructors use teaching aids - including live video, presentation slides and computer animation. Shortly after a class is finished, NAIT offers students digital copies of the class, to be used for review. Once the theory portion wraps up, apprentices can receive their hands-on apprenticeship training near their homes as well. NAIT instructors will go to the communities to provide instruction or the NAIT in Motion trailers will be deployed to the communities.

For more information on NAIT DATE, visit www.nait.ca/naitdate. For more information on apprenticeship and the trades, visit www.tradesecrets.org and www.advancededucation.gov.ab.ca/.

NAIT using SuperNet to train apprentices in their communities.

Technorati Tags: Learning, Training, On-line+Learning, Apprentice, Development