Articles
Useful articles and links
This page is for you - job seekers and employers. Job seekers will find tips on how to improve their interview skills techniques and managers will find useful articles on employee management. Some articles will be written by LaborTek consultants while others will be extracted from reputable HR Magazines and publications.
IN THE NEWS
Communicating with Others - Have We Lost this Ability? by Sophia Serret May 02, 2011As human beings we always communicate, even when we don't utter a single word or sound. If communication is at the heart of our releationships with others, why do we sometimes feel that we are not understood? This article explains why. |
HEALTH AND SAFETY
What To Do When You Get a Stop Work Order October 03, 2011When an inspector from the Ministry of Labour issues a stop work order either on a piece of machinery or for a department or the whole organisation, the work is disrupted. Making a fit about it will take you nowhere. You need to know how to deal with the situation and the inspectors. |
Will Your Safety Harness Kill You? September 01, 2011Safety harnesses as much as they can save lives, they can also kill you. The problem is known as "suspension trauma" caused by orthostatic incompetence. |
Injuries to Non-employees Must Be Reported by Norm Keith August 01, 2011While before only injuries to employees had to be reported, the recent court judgement will have a far reaching effect on the responsibilities of employers to report injuries. |
What Constitutes a Workplace Accident June 01, 2011Every jurisdiction in Canada has a workers' compensation system that provides benefits and services to workers who sustain a workplace injury or occupational illness. The difference rests in determining what constitutes a workplace accident. |
6 Surprising Heart Attack Triggers - and how to avoid them May 02, 2011Heart attacks often come without warning, and although it's well documented, there are certain triggers that can set off a heart attack. This article explains the latest findings of heart attack triggers. |
Due Diligence - Have you done your part? April 01, 2011Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers have many duties, responsibilities and obligations; one of which is due diligence. Have you done your part to avoid costly penalties? |
Repetitive Strain Injuries - When the Pains and Strains Remain March 04, 2011With winter almost over and construction picking up in the months to come, contractors are slowly starting to build up their teams with employees who might have performed less physical and repetitive tasks in winter. This article talks about repetitive strain injuries in the workplace and actions to control them. |
Fire Preparedness & Response: What the OHS Laws Require October 03, 2010From October 3rd to October 9th, 2010 was Fire Prevention Week. LaborTek Safety has decided to extend this fire prevention week to the whole month of October 2010. This article extracted from Safety Compliance Insider - Volume 6, Issue 10 - provides you with insights into the importance of having fire preparedness and response procedures for your organisation. |
New Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies – Does Your Firm Already Have Them in Place? June 15, 2010Ontario employers need to adopt new policies to comply with new legislation covering workplace harassment and violence. Bill 168 amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and represents a significant change in how workplace violence and harassment are regulated in Ontario. Passed on December 9, 2009, the new laws come into force on June 15, 2010. Employers need to be reviewing, revising and creating policies and procedures dealing with workplace violence and harassment so they can be compliant with the new laws. |
EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
March 08, 2011 What are right, wrong, dumb, acceptable and non-acceptable questions to ask in a job interview? This article provides you with the basic rules to formulate your questions. |
Job Disappointment May Be Your Own Fault by Barbary Bowes - Winnipeg Free Press November 30, 2010Are you often left wondering why you didn't get that promotion, that job, or that project opportunity? Do you feel you are always passed up for someone else despite your qualifications? Now, have you ever thought that perhaps you are your worst enemy? Could it be something you are doing that is causing you to be left behind? |
Mastering the Art of the Job Interview by Sophia Serret July 30, 2010Scoring in a job interview is an art and mastering this art is what will get you the job. |
EMPLOYER INFORMATION
Is Testing your Job Applicants for the Right Purposes? by Sophia Serret September 01, 2011Testing job applicants has become an integral step of the hiring process. Well administered, testing is an excellent predictor of job performance. |
Succession Planning by Sophia Serret August 01, 2011Implementing and executing on your succession management plan will ensure that specialized key roles are filled with the right individuals who have completed their skills roadmap. |
Avoiding Legal Pitfalls with Written Employment Contracts by Sophia Serret July 01, 2011Employers should not leave themselves so vulnerable and should take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their business operations. This articles speaks about the importance of well written employment contracts. |
The Job Description ... Much More Than Just a Hiring Tool by Sophia Serret April 01, 2011Though the job description remains a hiring tool in the most traditional sense, if well crafted it can have a much broader utility for your other HR functions. This article explains the other utilities of the job description. |
Alcohol & Substance Abuse in the Workplace - How to Deal with this Rising Scourge by Sophia Serret February 01, 2011There has been in recent years an outbreak of alcoholics and substance abusers and when they arrive for work, they don't leave their addiction at the door. This article explains the duties and responsibilities of employers and the remedial actions that can be implemented in the workplace. |
Are your employees engaged ... or are they just good actors? by Sophia Serret January 03, 2011It's estimated that disengagement costs American businesses $254 to $363 billion every year. Recognizing the signs of disengagement in your employees and mitigating the risk of a disengaged workforce will give your organisation a competitive advantage beyon knowledge. |
HR Trends for 2011 - Where should your HR Department place its focuss? December 31, 20102011 will be a year of transformation as individuals and organizations realize that we are ditching the recession, so that grips will loosen on purse strings and money will be invested in growth. Where should your HR Department place its focuss for the new year? This article looks at the top 5 trends for 2011. |
Harnessing Your Attrition Rate Through Exit Interviews by Sophia Serret October 30, 2010Are you losing your top performers at a rate above average and you are wondering why? Well designed exit interviews with your departing employees can be a powerful way of understanding why people are leaving your organization and what aspects could be improved on. They are an essential ingredient of an effective employee retention strategy. |
Optimizing your Employee Referral Program by Sophia Serret September 30, 2010When you know that one of the things that keeps HR Professionals and Departmental Managers awake at night is finding talents, a well planned employee referral program can not only bring to your organizations those shinning stars that would otherwise remain unknown but also reduce the soaring costs of your hiring actions; let alone the other benefits on employee morale. |
Easing the path to changes for your employees by Sophia Serret August 30, 2010We live in a world of continuous changes and the workplace is no exception. Faced with changing circumstances such as fierce competition, government regulations and unexpected situations, HR professionals are continuously faced with arduous tasks of bringing about changes. This articles provides you with an action plan of how to successfully implement changes in your organization. |
Managing in an Era of Diversity - Best Practices by Sophia Serret June 30, 2010"We believe that no country in the entire world stands to gain as much economic benefit from diversity as Canada. If we succeed, we will have an unrivalled advantage. But the flip-side is also true. If we fail, we will pay a heavy cost in lost opportunity" Gord Nixon - President and CEO , RBC Financial Group This article touches on the reasons for adopting a diversity management program at work and highlights some of the employment barriers most often seen in workplaces. Yet there are many advantages of having a diverse workforce. Some of the best practices listed in the article are very easily implemented and yield great benefits. |
Understanding What makes an Appropriate Interview Question by Robert Smithson June 30, 2010There have been endless debates on this question and court judgements seem to differ as to what questions might be discriminatory and what questions are for bona fide occupational requirements reasons. The Human Right Code prohibits interviewers to ask questions relating to race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital and family status, disability, sex, sexual orientation, age etc for the purpose of screening candidates. Yet interviewers still ask those questions. The fact is that employers must limit themselves to questions about personal characteristics or circumstances which are related to the vacant position. |
