We here at Clear HR Consulting would like to wish you all the best for the holiday season. May your new year be full of family, friends, health and great happiness.

This year, we are using the resources otherwise spent on cards and gifts to make a donation to a deserving charity, Kids Up Front Foundation.

Warmest regards,

Cissy & Andreas

A recent shooting tragedy at a company Christmas party in Vancouver emphasizes the need for employers to be highly sensitive to employees’ emotional state when timing a layoff.

According to news reports, an employee, who had been let go the day prior to the Christmas party, allegedly shot and killed the owner of his former employer.

While the reason for the shooting have not been confirmed, we note that the holiday season can be a stressful time, and it is best to avoid layoffs in December when possible.  One reason is that the stress of losing one’s job can lead to people to engage in dangerous, erratic or emotional behaviour.  The killing of a boss is an extreme outcome, but there are many past examples of employees resorting to violence after being laid off, especially when leading up to the holiday season.

When conducting layoffs, be sensitive to the timing of the announcement, and consider having outplacement counseling services available on site to assist employees in dealing with their feelings after being let go.

We offer our thoughts and condolences to the Banky family and the employees of TallGrass Distributors.

Most employees think nothing about checking their work email on their Blackberry after they leave the office for the day, but is this creating an overtime pay liability for their employer? According a recent article in Business in Vancouver (Issue 997, December 2-8, 2008), companies should have policies in place to address this matter.

According to Ian Cook, BC HRMA’s director of HR knowledge and research, companies need to make it clear when employees are and are not at work, and what the expectations are around that. Employers need to set parameters to keep from paying overtime.

Gwendoline Allison, a lawyer with Clark Wilson LLP, believes that companies without Blackberry policies may still be liable for claims by employees for additional compensation. She finds that employers need to be clear when employees are required to be available and how they will be compensated for being available.

Blackberry usage outside of normal hours of work is not only a possible overtime pay issue for employers, but also an employee wellness issue due to added stress and pressure, which is best addressed with company policy and guidelines.

Recently, a spa employee in Kelowna, BC learned she was fired by her employer via a message sent to her Facebook profile.  “Cyber-sacking” became the new phrase of the day.  According to an article in the Kelowna Daily Courier, the employer had tried to contact the employee on her cell phone and her home phone prior to sending the Facebook message, but wasn’t able to get through. The employee had been hired with a Facebook message a few weeks earlier.

This gives rise to questions about what are appropriate ways to communicate decisions to terminate employees. The Supreme Court of Canada, in its landmark 1997 “Wallace” case, outlined that how a termination occurs may result in “bad faith” damages, which are above and beyond other severance requirements, if an employer does not conduct the termination properly.

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During today’s uncertain economic times, many companies are considering downsizing their annual Christmas party as a way to cut costs. However, there are employee retention issues to consider when making this decision.

Increasing morale, demonstrating appreciation, and offering reassurance to staff are some reasons that business owners want to go ahead with holiday parties. While a lavish party may not be appropriate, canceling the party altogether may send the wrong message to your employees. Owners want to show that they appreciate their staff and are sensitive to keeping their employees happy, while also not carelessly throwing money away if people’s jobs are possibly at risk if business worsens in the new year.

Ultimately, the decision as to whether downsizing the Christmas party is appropriate will depend on economic conditions, as well as employee retention factors, which will vary from company to company.

According to a recent study, companies with a positive corporate culture make more money than their counterparts.  The results of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures for 2008 were discussed in a recent article in the Vancouver Sun.  The three year average revenue growth, as well as the three year average asset growth of this year’s top 10 companies was 63 per cent higher than than that of the 60 largest public companies in Canada listed on the S&P/TSX 60.   

What are the benefits of a strong corporate culture?  According to the results, they include lower turnover, giving employees a sense of belonging and improved corporate performance.  Many of the top 10 companies, like Westjet, have created business models around their corporate culture.

Given today’s uncertain economic times, companies cannot afford to ignore corporate culture and risk worsening economic performance if they fail to build a strong corporate culture.  For assistance on improving your company’s corporate culture, please contact Clear HR Consulting for an initial consultation.