Ministry of Labour Consultation Period on New Mandatory Health & Safety Training for everyone

Hello,

I am somewhat concerned about the impact this new MOL initiative may have on employers and business owners.  It sounds like a great idea - but who pays for the time and training?  And what will be the ROI?

Here is the MOL Link: http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/prevention/consultations/training.php

The consultation period ends February 4, 2013. Submissions may be mailed or sent electronically to the following addresses:

Mail:	Awareness Training Programs Regulation Project 400 University Ave., 12th floor Toronto, ON M7A 1T7
E-mail:	WebHSpolicy@ontario.ca

Maybe I am cutting off my own consulting opportunities here - but if the Province keeps dumping legislation on to the business owner - the costs will be too high!  Just like development charges move businesses away from Niagara.  This (could) cause small businesses not to hire; to avoid compliance; to try to download their costs somehow. 

I believe that it will make it harder on businesses.  Zero accidents in Ontario sounds great.  I also believe that everyone has the right to go to work and come home again safely.  What is the cost?  What is the way to implement?  Why aren't the District School Board's including Health and Safety training in the curriculum?  The schools used to have a First Aid course as part of the curriculum. 

Why is it that Quebec can educate their students in less years than Ontario and it is not an inferior education - quite the opposite?  Quebec also has a mandatory 30 hours of health and safety training before someone can participate in construction. 

I think we can find a more economically viable way than make employers pay.

Thanks - Joy

Small Business in Niagara

In 2008, my demographic studies put small businesses (under 50 employees) in Niagara at 75%.  The Labour Market Plan 2009 - 2013 by our provincially mandated local board - Niagara Workforce Planning Board - put that number at 99% - with 50% of those as owner/operator - zero employees.

The hot new job in Niagara seems to be entrepreneurial!

Many in the Niagara Region are screaming for Leadership...from grassroots to Regional Integrated Economic Development Commission.  There are businesses that want to invest in Niagara.  They want to build their business in Niagara and they want to raise their family in Niagara.

We can have the best of both worlds; living and working together; collaboratively instead of competing against each other.  Partners in (your industry here), Competitors in the Field (borrowed from the Niagara Industrial Association.)

It raises my eyebrows each March when the Sunshine List is delivered to us via the local media.  We have also been called the "Call Centre Capital of Ontario".  There is a huge gap between minimum wage at $10.25 an hour and over $100,000 per year.

How many jobs are left in Niagara that cover that gap?  The gap between 40 hours of work at minimum wage which earns $21,320 and over $100,00?  If you don't work for a government, government funded or non-profit funded organization; what are your chances for more than minimum wage?

These are my opinions and observations.  I learned a long time ago that we can make numbers into what ever story we want told.

I would love to hear some feedback from you.  I know you have an opinion.  You might not have been looking for a rant on the HRNC Blog - but employment IS our business.

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Kaizen Your Employees

In Japanese Kaizen means continuous improvement; something we all should strive for. As a business owner or manager you look around your workplace and think of ways things could be better. How often does the thought cross your mind that the same should happen with your employees? It’s very likely that the people you’ve hired hold more potential to be better employees and could be tapping into more of their potential. Previously we’ve written about how to motivate employees and some of the benefits of cross training but these practices won’t just work to motivate your employees. Allowing your employees greater flexibility in terms of what tasks they can perform at work will ultimately lead to a more versatile workforce; illness, injuries and vacations will have less of an impact on productivity and stress levels among employees if people can move into other jobs relatively seamlessly. Next to think about is training. There are all kinds of training programs available, if employees can work better through training advocate for it. Colleges and Universities as well as business help centers will all be able to connect you with the right people to provide training for your employees, customer service is a popular choice. Maybe you’ve seen a motivational speaker or know of one coming to your city soon, invite them to your workplace to speak or provide tickets to your employees to attend an event, it may jump start a new level of commitment or motivation in your workforce.  Your employees are one of your greatest assets and are the most important factor in your businesses success. In the words of one car manufacturer marketing gurus, “Make Things Better”.

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As a business owner or manager you probably have a number of people working under you and those people likely work in some sort of team.  There are inherently interpersonal dynamics at play. Your team isn’t that unlike any professional sports team. There will be leaders, there will be the quite dependable ones, rookies and veterans and there may be a couple you`d put on your “trading block” or choose not to resign for next season but the real world isn’t like the sports world and you may be in a position that has you trying to keep everyone moving forward.  The point I’m making is there are different strengths and weaknesses amongst your employees, people who will step up and lead the group, others who you know you can count on for quality results and those that may need more guidance to perform their jobs.   The manager (YOU) need to focus your attention on creating the right work groups and teams to get the best results. If you’re seeing some groups at your workplace struggle while others succeed you may need to consider mixing up your “lines”. Maybe putting your easily distracted employee with a couple quite dependable employees could help focus his or her attention to achieve the right results or maybe a key leader among your employees might be best suited to work with one of your more inexperienced individuals to coach him along, provide the guidance needed and step in when mistakes are made. Team chemistry and the way people interact and play off each other can mean the difference between a championship squad and one that misses the playoffs. Which will yours be? Put on the coach’s hat and see what you can achieve by trying to understand the people in your workplace and who they perform best with.

www.hrnc.ca