RLB Blog

In today's fast-paced and competitive world, the success of any organization hinges not just on its bottom line, but also on the well-being and satisfaction of its employees. A company's greatest asset is its workforce, and nurturing their holistic health and wellbeing goes beyond simply providing perks or benefits—it's about fostering a culture that prioritizes employee wellness and psychological safety.

While there has been increased discussion surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Human Resource practices, it's important to acknowledge that AI has been prominent in recruitment for many years. Consider your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) for example. Does it recommend top candidates? Have you ever received personalized job or candidate recommendations from platforms like Indeed or LinkedIn? These actions and more are powered by AI.

Every employee has an employment agreement.  Whether it be verbal or written, implied or explicit, indefinite, or limited.  Sometimes, despite best efforts, employment agreements can even be created unintentionally, which can present unnecessary liability for the parties involved.  Should any form of dispute arise, enforceable employment agreements are much more reliable and can result in less costly remediation.

In the dynamic landscape of Ontario's labour market, staying informed about the latest legislative developments is crucial for both employers and employees alike. In 2023, the realm of employment laws underwent a profound transformation, introducing a series of impactful changes. These latest revisions to the Working for Workers Act, 2023 continue to reshape the landscape for both employers and employees.

Many organizations adopt policies that do not tolerate any form of outward harassment and/or discrimination in the workplace, but what about more covert behaviours? It is important to promote our own self-awareness, as well as within our workplaces to be alert to microaggressions.

The Ontario government has implemented legislation requiring temporary help agencies and recruiters to obtain formal licenses. A takeaway for employers is that businesses that use temporary help agencies or recruiters should be aware that as of July 1, 2024, it will be a violation of the Employment Standards Act to knowingly engage or use the services of a temporary help agency or recruiter who is not licensed. Originally the compliance date was January 1, 2024; it has now been extended to July 1, 2024. 

Since its inception in 2005, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) (“The Act”) has been maintaining standards and timelines associated with identifying and removing barriers for people with disabilities in 5 areas of daily life. The ultimate goal of the Act is to achieve a more accessible and inclusive province by January 1, 2025. The Act applies to every person and organization in the public and private sectors of Ontario. By now, every Ontarian should have received AODA training, and be familiar with applicable AODA policies and plans at minimum.

Many businesses are eager to transition back to in-person or hybrid operations after the pandemic; some of these reasons include navigating a company culture in a remote work environment, fostering career development, and potentially more oversight for mid-low-level performers.

As we close in on the final quarter of 2023, we begin to reflect on the emerging trends so far this year. As businesses begin to find their footing again amongst recovery from the “Great Resignation,” increased interest rates and cost of living, and low employee engagement, we are seeing a reduction in competitive recruitment and a higher volume of inquiries such as performance management, accommodations, investigations, or terminations. All of which accurately sum up what HR professionals are now calling “business rightsizing”.

Since its inception in 2005, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) (“The Act”) has been maintaining standards and timelines associated with identifying and removing barriers for people with disabilities in 5 areas of daily life. The ultimate goal of the Act is to achieve a more accessible and inclusive province by January 1, 2025. The Act applies to every person and organization in the public and private sectors of Ontario. By now, every Ontarian should have received AODA training, and be familiar with applicable AODA policies and plans at minimum.

We have all seen a number of workplace buzzwords hit the headlines. Those terms refer to trends like “quiet quitting” and “quiet firing,”. "Quiet hiring" is the new workplace buzzword on the horizon that employees and employers need to be aware of.

The past few years have cast the spotlight on businesses unlike ever before. Those employed and those not, were given the opportunity to truly evaluate their priorities and desires as they relate to their employment. While employees consider what matters most, employers must simultaneously look inward at providing superior Employee Experience (EX).

Pursuant to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), as of June 1, 2023, some Ontario Workplaces are required to provide naloxone kits.

With a new year comes new legislative updates!

While it may be the most wonderful time of the year for some people, for many the holidays can be associated with stress, chaos and overwhelm.

Employee engagement is defined as “the strength of the mental and emotional connection employees feel toward the work they do, their teams, and their organization”

With buzzworthy phrases like “Quiet Quitting”, “the Great Resignation”, or “the Great Reevaluation” making media headlines, there is no denying the importance of work-life balance; now more than ever before. What work-life balance looks like will vary from person to person, and even from organization to organization.  Continuously determining the needs of employees and creating initiatives will aid in overall recruitment and retention of employees by promoting stability and thus, engagement.

RLB Chartered Professional Accountants is excited to unveil the rebranded HR Consulting practice now known as RLB People.  

Employers with 25 or more employees as of January 1st of any year must have a written policy on electronic monitoring in place no later than March 1st of that same year. This new requirement for a written policy requires employers to be transparent by providing employees with certain information about any electronic monitoring in place. It is important to note that it does not establish a right for employees not to be electronically monitored by their employer, nor does it create any new privacy rights for employees.

"Gen Z" is the youngest generation you will see currently beginning their careers. The oldest members of the generation are currently in their mid-20s and were born in the mid-1990s through the late 2000s. The future of work is here, with different expectations and mindsets on many topics and the notion of the work itself. It is imperative that employers understand the new generation as they enter the workforce and reshape the traditional workplace norms.

COVID-19 has opened employers' eyes to the benefits of offering remote and hybrid work opportunities. It may be challenging for some employers to imagine not conducting their new hires' onboarding and training in person, luckily there are various ways to ensure a smooth transition and foster a warm welcome virtually.

In today’s workforce, we are seeing more companies put diversity, equity, and inclusion into greater focus. DEI, as it is often shortened to, is so much more than a policy, a training session, or a headcount. It is an opportunity to foster employee engagement with varying perspectives.

What Employers need to know when implementing the Right to Disconnect Legislation Employers that employ 25 more employees on January 1st of any year must have a written policy on disconnecting from work in place by March 1st of that year. This is referred to as the Right to Disconnect provision. The purpose of this legislation is to support employees mental wellbeing and encourage work-life balance. The main questions employers and employees themselves are asking is what does this mean and how is this going to be implemented?

Drive your Employee Engagement through Performance Feedback Effective performance management is essential to a business. It is critical to an employee’s personal development to implement effective performance management processes. Performance management encourages communication, pinpoints strengths, and builds long-lasting work relationships. Providing comprehensive feedback allows your employees to achieve their greatest potential which, as a result, increases productivity.