HR MATTERS - Winter 2012 Issue

Happy New Year,

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." (Edith Lovejoy Pierce.) On behalf of us here at Kinnear & Associates Consulting, we would like to extend our very best wishes for a healthy and inspiring 2012. With this brand new year, come other new beginnings. Our quarterly newsletter, HR MATTERS has a new look which we are pretty excited about. We are about ready to launch our new website kinnearandassociates.com the second week in January. As always, your input is invaluable to us and we look forward to hearing how you like the new format of the newsletter and website. Maybe it goes back to childhood, but I have always felt that September and January are pretty serious months. Nose to the proverbial grindstone, kind of months. A time to knuckle down; get back to business; another chance to get it right!

As we, at Kinnear & Associates gear up for the year ahead, we remain resolute in our commitment to provide you with timely, relevant and provocative information which we hope will help you to make good HR decisions for your organization. For those of you whom we'vealready worked with, we thank you for allowing us into your workplaces and we hope to have the opportunity to work with you once again. For those of you whom we have not yet met, we welcome the opportunity of working with you in 2012.

Brenda Kinnear,
President Kinnear & Associates Consulting

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HR MATTERS - Spring 2011 Issue

A GUIDE TO SUCCESSION PLANNING

- by Brenda Kinnear -

As managers, most of us would like to think that we're indispensible. The truth of the matter is that we aren't. Planning for leadership continuity long before you hand over the keys to the executive washroom is not only a wise thing to do, it is essential to the ongoing success of your business.

Many organizations fail miserably at succession planning, waiting until it is far too late to adopt a systematic and strategic approach to filling key positions within their organization.

Jack Welch the eminent CEO of General Electric up until 2000 stated in 1991, nine years before his retirement that "from now on, choosing my successor is the most important decision I'll make. It occupies a considerable amount of thought almost every day." A pretty compelling statement from a man who increased the value of General Electric from $13 billion to $410 billion during his tenure.

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HR MATTERS - Fall 2010 Issue

The Unexamined Life

- by Brenda Kinnear -

As the last vestiges of fall slip away, we turn our attention to the upcoming holiday season and the close of yet another year. Predictably we ask ourselves "where has the time gone?" The fact of the matter is that we have been busy - real busy. Technology has transformed us - not exactly a revelation but it has changed every aspect of our being. We work faster; we accomplish more, our 24/7 connectivity means that there is virtually no separation between work and play. Our Blackberry keeps buzzing, the emails and text messages keep flying and oh those irritating meeting notification reminders that go off in the middle of the night. Thanks to technology we can reach and be reached anytime, anywhere.

Let's face it; this hyper-connected world that we live in isn't going away anytime soon so we need to find a way to co-exist in harmony with it.

Now back to the question of "where has the time gone?" Step away from the computer, set your blackberry on vibrate and forward your telephone. A moment or two of quiet time to reflect on all that was in 2010.

I'm sure you've read this quote before "The unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates said that at his trial for heresy. The sad thing is that most people don't examine their lives. The notion of reflection and self examination is inconsistent, with the high-tech wired world in which we live and conflicts with our entrenched cycle of work week after week. Reflection enables us to remember the past, plan for the future and consider the consequences of our relationship with ourselves and with others. It is a way of checking in and answering the question of how we are doing.

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HR MATTERS - Summer 2010 Issue

Bill 168: Compliance & Beyond

- by Brenda Kinnear -

In December of last year, Bill 168 - an Act to amend the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) with respect to violence and harassment in the workplace was passed. Effective June 15, 2010, this bill came into effect. This bill imposed new and onerous obligations on employers with five or more regularly scheduled employees.

We are now more than a month in, and organizations and HR professionals in particular, are living with the impact of the extensive amendments to the OHSA.

The following bullet points represent the most substantive employer obligations associated with Bill 168:

Risk Assessments:

• Employers must conduct a risk assessment in order to identify potential sources of harassment and violence within the workplace.
• The results of the risk assessment is to be shared with either the joint health and safety committee or the health and safety representative or the employee group whichever is relevant within your organization.
• Employers are required to share information with employees, necessary to protect them from physical injury when there is a risk of exposure to individuals within the workplace with a history of violence.

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HR MATTERS - Spring 2010 Issue

Complying with Bill 168 - Some important tips

- by Brenda Kinnear -

Effective June 15, 2010 Bill 168, the new Occupational Health & Safety Act created to prevent workplace violence and harassment will come into force.

In our January 30, 2010 Employment Update, we detailed extensively the new and onerous employer obligations associated with Bill 168.
Employers are well advised to focus their attention on the following to ensure compliance by June 15th:

RISK ASSESSMENTS: Employers must conduct a risk assessment in order to identify potential sources of harassment and violence within the workplace.

Recommendations

1. Employees are one of the best sources for soliciting input regarding potential risks of violence or harassment in the workplace. Information may be solicited via questionnaire, e-mail or collected formally during departmental meetings.
2. Check out what other similar organizations have done.
3. If you are a member of an association speak with them. They may be able to assist you in identifying risks inherent with certain positions (i.e. nurses, mental health workers etc.)
4. Review the history of complaints, incidents of harassment and violence and allegations within your organization.
5. Identify the specific risk factors inherent in certain positions within your organization (i.e. working alone or in secluded or remote locations; working with volatile individuals; working with persons with a history of violence, substance abuse or who have had interaction with the criminal justice system; working with individuals who have a history of mental illness; and individuals who are responsible for handling money or other valuables.

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