The HR Hub

There's been a lot of talk lately about psychological health and safety  in the workplace. Does that mean we have to be nice all the time? What  about underperformers?  Well, there are guidelines - in Canada it's from  the Mental Health Commission of Canada.  They have identified what  factors will exist in a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.  Michelle Phaneuf is an expert on this topic as well as conflict and we  explore these topics!

This episode is for those people who want to do a better job of managing  your boss. How do you that without being manipulative?  How do you  demonstrate your value? Susan McGuire has been a leader for a long time  and talks about how that has looked for her both as a leader and as an  employee.   And there a bonus discussion about HR demonstrating its value to the organization!

In this video we are talking about labour relations in a general sense.   What is labour relations (LR) like?  What is LR strategy?   How do you improve the relationship with a union?  Where does  collective bargaining and grievances fit in?    It can be complex to navigate this on top of employment legislation AND  your clients - while trying to maintain trust and respect with your  union representatives. These are all things I discuss with Alexandra Montanaro in this episode.

This video has pension plan tips for HR professionals - who aren't pension administrators!   Pensions are so important to our employees (even if they don't know it  yet) and a valuable part of the total rewards package.  In Canada, there is a lot of regulation and governance associated with pension plans.   So what if you, an HR generalist, are asked questions about your pension plan? And how do pensions factor into the employee value proposition?    This video will provide some insight into pensions from Brent Perdue who  has managed pensions for a number of large companies.

Do you have large workplace conflict to resolve? Maybe an employee was  brought back to work after a contentious disciplinary process.  Maybe  two groups have lost respect for each other and seek to undermine each  other's work.    Whatever the conflict, workplace restoration is a process for bringing  harmony back to the workplace.  It is not mediation, training or  facilitation although all of that may be a part of it.  Michelle Phaneuf  talks about the process and how how it can make a difference in  conflict-ridden workplaces. Michelle's website: https://workplacefairnesswest.ca/

What is work-life wellness for remote employees?  I talk to Dr. Laura  Hambley-Lovett about the wellness of remote or hybrid employees.  They  often don't 'leave' work even though their work day is done.  So we need  to work on building solid boundaries, managing overwork and modelling  good behaviour.  Dr. Laura has her own podcast called 'Where Work Meets Life' which you can find at https://drlaura.live

What is organizational coaching in an HR context?  We often describe  ourselves as coaching our clients but are we?  Maybe we are just  providing instruction or giving advice.  With a better understanding of  coaching and training we can use this powerful method of enabling our  clients and making the organization better one leader or employee at a  time. Susan discusses the International Coaching Federation: https://coachingfederation.org/

What is organizational restructuring and how should we go about it?  Maybe it is driven by a merger or financial loss, but now what? Should  we reorganize a part of the organization or force everyone to deal with  the change equally? Jim Utley offers tips on this and when to involve  more people.

HR support for a remote workforce is not the same as an office. What  about culture? Engagement?  Managing poor performers? HR will have a key  role in creating an effective remote/hybrid workplace.  It's also an  opportunity to create a more flexible work environment for employees  which can increase engagement and retention.     I talk to Dr. Laura Hambley-Lovett  who has been studying remote/hybrid work for over 15 years! She has a lot to share including some of the following sources of better information: Dr. Hambley-Lovett's podcast 'Where Work Meets Life': https://drlaura.live/  Humance: https://humance.ca/  Work EvOHlution:  https://www.workevohlution.com/  Global Workplace Analytics: https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/  SIOP https://www.siop.org/Research-Publications/SIOP-White-Papers  Dr. Tom O'Neill https://psyc.ucalgary.ca/itplab/

What HR metrics and numbers are most important? Well we need to start with the business math.  Find out about the income and expenses of your  business and how you can make a difference.  Foster Williams of Everlast Consulting Solutions advises us in HR to make sure we know the numbers and focus our own role on making a difference.