Benefits Canada Interview: Employers can use Bell Let’s Talk Day to normalize mental-health discussions, taking leave

This article was originally published in Benefits Canada – written by Sadie Janes.

Employers can use Bell Let’s Talk Day to normalize talking about mental health and reflect on whether they’re ‘walking the talk,’ says Janet Candido, founder and principal at Candido Consulting Group.

“Some employers I work with say, ‘Mental health is important to us,’ but then you might see the executive team rolling their eyes when they hear someone’s taking a mental-health break. That doesn’t add up, so [everyone at the company] needs to take mental health seriously.”

The executive team can set an example by taking a mental-health day off when they need it, so they’re demonstrating to employees that it’s okay to focus on their mental health.

She notes there’s a generational gap when it comes to mental health and acceptance in the workplace. “You have the older generation that still sees it as a badge of honour to come into the office when you’re very ill. But the younger generation has normalized mental health to the degree they’re not afraid to tell you they need a break or they’re taking mental-health days. A company that’s looking to attract and retain younger workers has to pay attention to the things that are important to them.”

According to a 2023 survey by EY, more than half (55 per cent) of Canadian employees said they previously left a job because the company didn’t value their well-being, a percentage that increased to 65 per cent among generation Z employees. Nearly two-fifths (38 per cent) of employees felt their personal needs and well-being weren’t being prioritized at work and 31 per cent said their company doesn’t focus on fostering a sense of belonging.

For Bell Let’s Talk Day, employers can also focus on manager training because it’s a crucial part of the puzzle, says Candido. “I think many managers feel stuck in the middle with an employer that still sees mental health as an excuse and employees who are demanding their mental health be acknowledged. So they need proper training on how to talk to employees, how to help them access the resources they need and how to advocate for them with the senior leadership team.”

Beyond this, she notes employers can provide more access to mental-health resources and be flexible with offering employees the appropriate time off to take care of their mental health.

Office comeback: Why leaders need to rethink the office space

This article was originally written for and published in CEOWorld Magazine.

From 2020 to 2022, employers and employees embraced remote work, and many have argued that they’ve worked just as, if not more productively than at the office. However, fast forward to 2023, during the post-pandemic era; recent studies show that while employees feel they’re just as, or more productive at home, this may not always be the case. For instance, a study by Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy and Research shows that productivity dropped by 10–20 percent in the case of fully remote workers, citing the lack of in-office collaboration and less effective communication as the causes. 

While this may be the case for some remote workers, and depends on the industry, employees continue to fight back after recent calls to the office – including from big companies such as Google, Meta and even, ironically, Zoom – has been fully ignited. Although leaders may want their employees back in the office full-time, employees are still adamant to retain the freedom of working from home. So, this begs the question: how can employers call back their employees and create a pleasant in-office experience in a post-pandemic workplace? Here are three key tips that leaders should keep top-of-mind. 

Create a successful hybrid work model

With newer tensions in the workplace and companies experiencing a talent shortage, it’s more important than ever to keep employee morale high. Instead of approaching the office as to why you, the employer, want your employees back in the office, it’s important to keep the employee in mind and ask, “what can we do to make employees want to come back to work in the office?”.  

First, highlight the benefits offered to employees working in the office. There is no value to being in the office if they are simply coming in to hunker down at their desks, so there should be a tangible benefit for employees to be there. For example, being at the office gives employees the ability to participate in valuable in-office training and coaching sessions, which focuses on effective career development. Another benefit that in-person office experiences offer is improved professional relationships with colleagues, which means less video meetings and, in fact, a hard stop on when their workday ends. Many remote employees find their workday stretches beyond normal office hours, so working in the office provides a clearer start and end point to the day.  

Once the benefits are established, it’s important to communicate to your employees about these benefits and how you’ll approach these moving forward. Always give employees the opportunity to provide feedback and ideas so they become part of the solution.

Revamp the workplace culture 

After years of virtual connections, effort needs to be made to enhance personal connections between employees. To do this, involve employees in the decision-making and let them propose and organize events that can bring their teams together. Make sure to include some light-hearted, fun activities such as setting up sports teams, monthly book clubs, fundraising drives and volunteer days or happy hour, which can start before the actual workday ends. Create engagement opportunities, such as group projects or internal committees to keep employees connected and work on things that don’t pertain to their day-to-day tasks.

The enhancement of leadership training

Leaders have had a difficult time of late – remotely supervising, motivating, and coaching their teams. Often they are running meetings with some people on-site and some participating remotely. Leading remote or hybrid teams requires better and more intentional communication.  Set clear expectations regarding frequency and behaviour during virtual meetings. Keep employees engaged by conducting one on one meetings and provide different ways for them to connect with you and each other, such as virtual coffee chats. Show understanding and gratitude.  

This past year we’ve already seen many workplace trends go viral on social media, such as “bare minimum Mondays”, “resenteeism”, and most prominently “quiet quitting”. These trends may not be going anywhere anytime soon, and as younger generations enter the workplace post-pandemic, it’s important to remember that they haven’t had the benefits of working in the office and therefore don’t know what they are missing. This is the time for leaders to focus on and re-examine the current workplace culture and structure to ensure a positive environment for current and future employees.

The Globe and Mail: What is ‘quiet hiring’ and how can it benefit your organization?

This article was originally published in The Globe and Mail.

Spring Financial’s social-media manager was previously one of its customer-service representatives. One of its technology project managers used to work in sales. Its content writer was originally hired as a call quality auditor.

The Vancouver-based online loan provider has grown and evolved significantly since the pandemic. Not only has its head count increased from about 250 to 350, but its talent needs have also evolved along with its products, requiring a much broader range of skills.

Rather than letting go of old staff and hiring new ones, the company first seeks to utilize its existing talent.

“The labour market is quite tight, and it’s not always easy to find the exact skill that you’re looking for,” said Tyler Thielmann, president of Spring Financial. “Our preference is to find somebody inside instead of finding somebody from outside.”

Mr. Thielmann says that when skills gaps arise, he typically works with managers to identify internal candidates or puts out an open invitation to staff outlining needs and requesting volunteers.

After a three-month trial Mr. Thielmann says he conducts an evaluation, at which point the employee can either request to return to their previous position, or make the transition permanent, and receive compensation that matches the new responsibilities.

Not only does this strategy allow his organization to fulfill their talent needs at a relatively quick pace during a time of talent shortages, but Mr. Thielmann says it also increases employee retention, engagement, and internal communication.

“When you find that person who is able to make that lateral move it’s incredible, because they bring so much context to that team, and such a unique perspective, and it’s just super helpful,” he said.

Staff members who are moved around, meanwhile, get to explore new career paths and opportunities with minimal risk while upgrading their skills, and even potentially increasing their compensation. “A lot of people don’t know exactly where their career is going, and it’s not always easy to bounce around from job to job to find the right fit,” Mr. Thielmann said.

In a constantly evolving talent marketplace, more organizations are looking internally to fill their talent needs. This trend, dubbed “quiet hiring,” is both a response to uncertain economic conditions that have created budgetary constraints and a tight labour market that makes it challenging for employers to fill critical positions in a timely manner.

Canada’s unemployment rate reached 5.4 per cent in June, while job vacancies hit 4.4 per cent in the first quarter of the year, representing a gradual improvement from records set during the pandemic but a more challenging hiring environment compared with prepandemic norms.

“If ‘quiet quitting’ was a way that organizations were essentially losing skills and capabilities without losing head count, ‘quiet hiring’ is about adding skills and capabilities without adding head count,” explains Emily Rose McRae, a senior director analyst in the Gartner HR practice. “For a lot of organizations, it’s a much faster option and a more realistic option than hiring right now.”

The term ‘quiet hiring’ has been used previously to describe strategic talent redeployment – most notably by Google – but the trend really picked up steam in December after a report produced by Ms. McRae and her team, which named it one of the “9 Future of Work Trends for 2023.”

“We were talking about the one-two punch of talent shortage plus economic anxiety, which means a lot of organizations are feeling pressure to cut costs, or at least not raise them, at the same time that the talent market has gotten significantly more competitive,” she said. “It was a prediction in December, but almost immediately we started hearing from clients who were doing it – or wanted to be.”

The trend’s rise in popularity has not been without criticism, especially among social-media users, many of whom interpret the trend as a way for employers to save on hiring costs by overworking existing staff.

“When I hear things like that I’m always like ‘oh no, you got halfway there, and took the wrong lesson,’” Ms. McRae said. “If it is done badly – if it’s really just asking employees to take on more work without compensating them accordingly – then it’s not going to be successful, and will just lead to higher attrition, which will only make the situation worse.”

To engage in the right kind of quiet hiring Ms. McRae advises organizations to start by mapping out their strategic priorities, and identifying the additional skills or roles that will be required to reach those goals.

“Then you need to figure out who within the organization might be able to do the work, either with a little bit of upskilling, or right out of the box,” she said. “Sometimes that’s easier said than done, because one of the bigger challenges organizations have with work-force planning is knowing what skills they even have in their work force.”

Ms. McRae advises working with managers and department heads to identify potential candidates, asking employees to volunteer directly and even checking employee LinkedIn profiles for relevant work experience and skills. Ms. McRae also emphasizes the importance of keeping pay equity and DEI efforts top of mind, as moving talent around could create diversity-pipeline issues later.

“The next thing you need to be successful at this is to do some role design thought work,” Ms. McRae said. “What do you want people in this role to do? What are the tasks? What are the responsibilities?”

After identifying a potential candidate and defining the role or tasks, the next step is to engage the staff member in a constructive dialogue to determine their level of interest, what they need to be successful, and what they want in return for their efforts.

“The right way is to be open and transparent with the employee, to let them know what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how it will benefit them,” said Janet Candido, principal of Candido Consulting Group, a Toronto-based human-resource consultancy. “The wrong way to do it, which is not uncommon, is just to pile on the extra work.”

Ms. Candido explains that employers typically engage in quiet hiring to overcome major staffing and budgetary challenges, and it’s not uncommon for leaders to instinctively hide such challenges from their staff.

Doing so, she warns, only leaves employees guessing, and their assumptions are often worse than reality. Instead, she recommends transparency, especially when it comes to commitments and timelines.

“If you’re going to ask one person to do more it spreads their work to everyone else too, so think about the impact on the person, but also the department they’re coming from, and the one they’re going to,” she said.

Ms. Candido adds that if employers can’t afford to increase salaries, they should work with affected staff members to identify other perks, such as more vacation time, remote work, or other forms of non-monetary compensation.

“Workers, especially younger ones, are very focused on work-life balance, so if you’re asking them to increase their work, you can do something to help on the life side,” she said.

While the trend may be somewhat new in Canada, Ms. Candido says that, given the current economic landscape and employment market trends, it’s one that’s likely to last.

“It’s just starting to happen,” she said. “I do think it will become more prevalent in Canada.”

Benefits Canada Interview: Younger workers experiencing difficulties cultivating soft skills amid rise in remote working

This article was originally published in Benefits Canada – written by Lauren Bailey.

Although there are many benefits to remote working arrangements, such as a reduced commute and improved work-life balance, younger employees who work remotely aren’t practising their soft skills and a lack of social interaction may negatively impact their professional lives in the long run, says Janet Candido, founder and principal of human resources consultancy Candido Consulting Group.

Many young employees haven’t experienced a real office environment, where spontaneous discussions often come up without scheduled virtual meetings, she says, adding if these workers don’t have the ability to cultivate their soft skills, they won’t be as effective in their roles or move forward in their careers. She cautions that this disconnection from work or lack of a pathway to leadership roles could lead to ‘quiet quitting.’

“To advance within a company, employees need face time with the people who make those decisions. If [they] can’t get that face time, it can trigger some people to just leave their companies.”

Some employers are solving this issue by moving to a hybrid working arrangement, providing employees with opportunities to learn and practice their social skills in the workplace, says Candido. However, because white-collar employees have been so isolated as a result of the coronavirus pandemic’s shift to remote working, social interactions may not happen organically in the workplace, so employers may have to be intentional about bringing people together, informally and formally through coaching.

This training can be hosted virtually as well, she says, noting as long as employees are tasked with team-building exercises and receive coaching on using their soft skills, they’ll gradually start to demonstrate those skills when they’re in group settings.

Candido believes employers are doing themselves a disservice when discussions about the return to the workplace are centred around concerns that employees aren’t as productive working from home. “They’re better off talking about the culture and career growth [opportunities] employees have when they’re part of a [team environment] and how it prepares them for the rest of their career.”

CBC News Interview: What is 'time theft' and why are some employers so worked up about it?

This article was originally published in CBC News.

It's a tense issue as companies monitor what remote employees are doing

It may be a new year, but many employers are still relying on an old tool for evaluating productivity.

That would be the clock — against which so much of work is measured, despite ongoing changes in how, where and when work gets done.

Employers and employees can sometimes butt heads over what happens on company time, but in severe cases, an employee could be accused of time theft. And this issue is growing more contentious as employers monitor what remote workers are doing outside of the confines of traditional offices. 

"Time theft is arguably an even bigger issue for employers at this time than it has been before," said Nadia Zaman, an employment lawyer with Rudner Law in Markham, Ont.

Not what you're paid to be doing

Time theft encompasses a broad range of behaviours — anything from taking longer-than-scheduled breaks or logging off early, to using work hours to do household tasks — all of which an employer would view as being contrary to what one should be doing while getting paid to work.

"Time theft is really when the person actually should be working and they're not," said Janet Candido, a Toronto-based HR consultant. "They're actively doing something else."

Zaman, looking through an employment-law lens, said it's essentially "when an employee is paid for work that they have not performed," or for time in which they were not actually working.

Many people might find themselves occasionally guilty, especially with the distractions of remote work. But the problem — and when it really becomes time theft — is when it becomes habitual.

Nita Chhinzer, an associate professor in the University of Guelph's department of management, said organizations go through a series of steps when cases of alleged time theft are identified. Once it's documented, that usually leads to progressive discipline, she said.

"It leads to a verbal warning, followed by a written warning, followed by dismissal in some cases," she said.

But Chhinzer said there are organizations that take a harder line that "theft is theft," and act decisively.

A headline-making case in Hamilton a decade ago, for instance, saw the southwestern Ontario city investigate and then take disciplinary action against dozens of municipal road workers it suspected of infractions that included time theft.

There were reports of road workers spending as little as two hours a day on the job. Some staff were fired, but most got their jobs back after arbitration.

An ongoing tension

Working life changed for millions of Canadians in 2020, when the pandemic forced organizations to send people home in a hurry. That left workers and employers having to adjust to the new circumstances.

"It's more of a problem with people working remotely, certainly," said Candido.

Zaman said there's not a lot of case law involving time theft disputes and remote work to point to yet. But the issue of time theft goes back further than that. The Canadian Legal Information Institute website (a database of legal documents) has well over 300 entries dating back to 1996 that mention the term.

"It's actually been around for a while," said Candido, who recalls advising clients, prior to the pandemic, on addressing the issue of people watching videos on cellphones during their workday.

News stories in recent years have revealed allegations of time theft being raised by a variety of employers — including an accounting firm, restaurants and municipal planning departments, and involving allegations ranging from employees billing for time they had not worked to people using their work time to conduct personal errands. 

Zaman said time theft is a broad issue that may be raised in a variety of contexts and jobs.

"Typically we see it more in the context of hourly employees because of the nature of the work. But it doesn't mean that it can't happen for salaried employees," she said.

Why the clock keeps ticking

For many employers, the clock has long been a mainstay of how they keep tabs on what's getting done.

"Most employers don't know how to measure productivity in any other way," said Candido, the HR expert, noting that stance has spurred more of them to employ software to monitor the activity of employees who are working at home.

Organizations are using such tools to determine if the person who has logged onto their computer is actually doing work, she said. Just last week, The Canadian Press reported that a tribunal ordered a British Columbia accountant to pay her former employer more than $2,600 after a tracking software showed she engaged in time theft while working from home.

The University of Guelph's Chhinzer said this approach is rooted in "legacy thinking" about jobs being built around a strict schedule and a defined exchange of a certain amount of money for a certain amount of time worked.

"That's how we have thought about jobs for so long," said Chhinzer, who recently wrote in The Conversation Canada about the flaws of such clock-focused thinking.

It's also not the way that a lot of knowledge workers go about their work, she said.

"If we can find ways to be more productive, then we should still be compensated and rewarded to the same level for completing the work, without being penalized for our productivity," she said.

Eroded trust

Paul Hutton, who works out of the Greater Toronto area, is a director in a private-sector company — a job that involves managing dozens of employees.

With a background in sales, he says he's long been used to working in an environment where people were successfully working outside an office.

While he says he gets that some companies may have previously had concerns about having people working from home, it's clear to him that it can work.

"You can achieve results ... you can do this remotely," he said, noting it involves putting trust in employees.

"Trust and honesty are critical," said Zaman, the employment lawyer, noting they may be even more so in situations where someone works outside of an office.

From Candido's perspective, the working world is seeing a broader erosion of the relationship between employers and their employees "starting with the pandemic and it's just getting worse and worse."

Benefits Canada Interview: Employers can use ‘Blue Monday’ to reset workplace mental-health strategies

This article was originally published in Benefits Canada.

The third Monday in January, also known as ‘Blue Monday,’ is considered to be the saddest day of the year, as people contend with frigid weather and higher-than-normal credit cards bills from the holiday season.

Employers can use this occasion to check in with employees and plan their mental-health strategies for the year, says Janet Candido, principal and founder of Candido Consulting Group Inc., adding it’s a great time to remind staff of the well-being support tools available to them, such as employee assistance programs.

Employers can also host lunch-and-learn sessions on stress management and coping with anxiety or financial pressures, she says. And for employers with retirement savings or pension plans, their providers will often send a financial expert, at no additional cost, to speak to employees.

The Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan is one employer taking this opportunity to remind employees about its EAP and the resources available through the platform. Blue Monday is also a good time to remind employees that their benefits maximums reset in January, says Anna MacDonald, human resources director at the ASEBP.

The organization constantly aims to normalize taking mental-health days and ingraining the practice within the company’s culture. The process requires leadership training, she says, noting it’s imperative that leaders are able to have those conversations with their team members, especially as employees contend with rising inflation and other financial stressors.

The ASEPB is also focusing on providing its management team with training in diversity, equity and inclusion. “We know that inclusive workplaces create wellness for employees,” says MacDonald. “It goes back to that concept of creating a safe space for people to be open with their leaders.”

Indeed, the organization is hosting its holiday party in February to appeal to all employees, in recognition that not everyone celebrates Christmas. It also introduced a floating holiday that employees can use to observe days of personal significance or religious holidays, plus another day to volunteer at an organization of their choosing. “There are . . . little things you can do to feed into wellness for employees,” says MacDonald, noting these small steps meant a lot to employees.

When employers focus on mental health and well-being in the workplace, it tells staff their company is a safe place where they can talk openly about their issues and get the supports they need, says Candido, noting employees are less likely to leave their employer when they feel supported and respected.

Although Blue Monday is a great starting point for employers to assess the well-being of their workers, it isn’t an overnight process, she cautions. “This is the beginning of an intervention that normalizes mental health in the workplace and employers will start to see the impact of their steps moving forward.”

Similarly, MacDonald says employers have a year-round responsibility to support employee mental health. “I think that really starts with creating a culture [around a] psychologically healthy workplace, . . . especially around leadership.”

The Toronto Star Interview - ‘Tensions are definitely increasing:’ How forcing teams back to the office could backfire

This article was originally published for The Toronto Star.

Employers need to remain flexible with their back-to-the-office demands or they risk losing employees, HR experts say

Amanda felt she had no choice but to quit her job last spring when she was diagnosed with a chronic illness at the same she was asked to return to the office when COVID-19 cases were spiking.

The Winnipeg-based non-profit where she worked for seven years had lifted its mandatory mask requirements and Amanda, not her real name, had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. She feared being left bed ridden for weeks or even months if she caught COVID-19.

Nonetheless, when her workplace asked employees to come in at least twice a week, she tried it for brief period of time.

“It was extremely stressful and I was constantly worrying about my health,” she said. “I was really disappointed. I know there were other people who also felt unsafe going maskless.”

Despite repeatedly raising her concerns to her supervisor, nothing changed. So she found another job that allowed her to work remotely full-time.

As the government eases pandemic restrictions, employers are expecting workers to return to the office. But human resource experts are warning companies to remain flexible with their back-to-the-office demands or they risk losing employees.

Employers “need to recognize people are concerned about coming back. They may be immunocompromised, or they may have immunocompromised people at home. They have very real reasons for not wanting to come back to work, so they need to respect those concerns,” said Janet Candido, a human resources specialist and owner of Candido Consulting Group, which provides HR services to 125 organizations.

“Tensions are definitely increasing between employees and employers,” Candido said.

But she urges employers to be more flexible. Unemployment is low and recruiting new talent could be difficult.

“Both sides are become very entrenched in their positions and raising tension. Employers are finding it very hard to hire at all levels,” Candido said.

To ease any brewing conflict, Candido advises employers to be compassionate and understanding of their employees concerns. She suggests setting up mental health supports and making masks mandatory in the office at the very least.

The number of job vacancies in Canada has reached a record high of nearly one million, while the unemployment rate remains low, Statistics Canada reported.

The combination could make employees less hesitant to leave companies that implement strict back-to-work policies or that fail to address health concerns.

As companies come under pressure to offer higher compensation to staff and to recruit skilled workers, the national average base salary increase for 2023 is projected at 4.2 per cent, according to a recent survey from consulting firm Eckler Ltd.

A recent survey by productivity software company OSlash about the “great disconnect” between bosses and workers found that 60 per cent of employers said they would offer employees a hybrid work schedule if they declined to return to the office.

Only 20 per cent would let employees go back to full time remote working.

Of the 800 work-from-home employees and 200 business leaders surveyed, nearly 80 per cent of remote workers believe their employers would fire them if they said “no” to a return-to-office mandate.

Meanwhile, 78 per cent of employees surveyed said they would be willing to take a pay cut to continue working from home, with Gen Z respondents being the most willing to do so.

“There’s a massive competition for talent for Canadian employers,” said Melissa Nightingale, co-founder of management training firm Raw Signal Group.

Nightingale cautioned that forcing resistant employees to go back to their pre-pandemic lives may drive away talent at a time when companies might be short staffed and when employees have “other opportunities that are often with direct competitors.”

The global shock of the pandemic has made people much more aware that anything can change at any given time, said Shimi Kang, a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s psychiatry department.

“People are rethinking their priorities including how they spend their time and their days. We’re seeing this play out in the ‘Great Resignation’ which has people choosing a better work-life balance,” Kang said.

Mental health concerns are another factor, said Kang.

“There’s increased anxiety, many people are burnt out and need a break and there are these big existential questions. People lost loved ones during the pandemic or fear losing loved ones,” she said.

“All of this makes people rethink how they spend their time. If the workplace isn’t a place of joy and connection and performance, then there definitely would be less interest in staying there.”

The Globe and Mail Interview: Employers increasing salaries as talent shortage and inflation persist

Read the full interview in The Globe and Mail.

Employers across the country are increasing wages and projecting future salary bumps into their budgets amid inflationary pressure and a continuing talent shortage that shows little sign of easing in the near future.

Janet Candido, a long-time human resources professional who runs a consulting business in Toronto that advises employers on HR issues, told The Globe and Mail she is increasingly encountering employees who are demanding wage increases that match inflation. “I had to deal with an employee, who works in financial services, who wants an 8-per-cent salary increase, after getting a 5-per-cent salary increase last year. The employer told her, ‘Look, we can’t do that, but we can give you more time off.’ But I am fully expecting the employee to start looking for other jobs,” Ms. Candido said.

One way employers are navigating the demand for higher salaries is to offer better benefits and higher bonuses, Ms. Candido said. “I’m seeing HR professionals getting more creative with compensation packages. They are expanding health spending accounts, or improving mental-health benefits.”

CBC Radio Interview: Daily work-life is stressing workers returning to the job in-person

After 2.5 years of working from home, Canadians are preparing to head back to the office to work in person. For many this transition may cause some stress about the day-to-day workplace activities we may no longer be used to. Things like bringing in our lunch, wearing business attire and commuting again. Experts say these are real stresses for many workers.

Follow this link to listen to Janet Candido’s interview with Rubina Ahmed-Haq.

'I'm not coming back!' How to recall reluctant employees – Interview in HRD

This article was originally published by HRD Canada.

In the Great Resignation, should leaders take risks with harsh return policies?

Thinking of recalling your employees to the office? Be warned – there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach here. That’s according to leading HR consultant Janet Candido. Speaking to HRD, she revealed that HR leaders really need to tread carefully when looking at their remits.

“Everyone’s circumstances are different, and we can’t put them all in the same box,” she explained. “Some have children who may need to stay home from school if they exhibit symptoms; some are around elderly or immunocompromised family members at home.

“Employers, ask yourself – do you really need everyone to work out of the office? If the answer is ‘yes’, do you need them to be in every day? Think about the specific times you need people to be in the office – for instance, for project meetings, staff meetings or brainstorming sessions. Once you determine that, if feasible, perhaps say you need employees to be in the office at these times but are willing to remain flexible the rest of the time when a project meeting, for example, isn’t happening.”

This tug of war between employers insistent on an in-office return and their people who swear they can work just as well (or better) at home has been raging since lockdowns lifted. And HR is stuck firmly, and awkwardly, in the middle. For some, the middle ground of hybrid work has brought some relief – but it’s still not smooth sailing.

“I recommend that employers think beyond what is strictly legal and consider the emotional impact the past two years have had on employees,” added Candido. “While some are eager to return to the office full time, there are others who want a hybrid model or some don’t even want to come in at all. And they all have different reasons – comfort, fear, exhaustion. That’s why it’s a good idea to consider a period of transition that allows employees to ease into working in the office and make it a defined period of time.”

For example, employers may claim they’re are working towards having everyone back in the office as of January 1st. With that in mind, implement a flexible schedule – start with two days, then gradually move to three days, then to four.

There’s also the legalities of office recalls that HR needs to consider with care. Setting aside whether or not it’s a good idea to ‘alienate’ your people by stipulating in-office models, are you actually allowed to demand a full return to work?

“The employer has the right to determine where work will be performed,” stated Stuart Rudner, founder of Rudner Law, told HRD. "The only way that will change is if there's something in the contract (written, verbal or based on past practice) that says, for example, that the employee has the right to work from home - or has the right to choose where they work. Otherwise, even if they’ve worked from home temporarily due to the pandemic, it's still at the employer’s discretion to require a return to the workplace."

But even in the best of circumstances, you’re bound to encounter a couple of employees that are adamant in their fears of the office recall. And when these refusals centre around health concerns, HR needs to sit up and listen. 

“Ask the employee what will make them more comfortable – can you work with that?” explained Candido. “Resist the temptation to become entrenched in your position. When that happens, you are less likely to come to a mutual understanding and may breed resentment. It’s also important to continue the dialogue so employees feel like their concerns are being heard. Lastly, provide access to mental health resources that will help employees overcome their concerns.”

‘It’s not a support function any more, it’s a leadership function’: How the pandemic changed the role of HR – The Globe and Mail

Read the full interview in The Globe and Mail.

Until recently, human resources was largely dedicated to administrative tasks. Today, however, the department is core to business operations, as teams add new positions, adopt new skills and use new technologies to meet the needs of a rapidly changing work force.

Janet Candido explains that during the initial pandemic-caused transition to remote work, there was a general sense that such changes would be temporary. As restrictions eased and resignation rates skyrocketed, employee management, flexible work policies and recruiting became a top priority for organizations in Canada and around the world, she says.

“We have a labour shortage. Right now employees want what they want, and if you’re not prepared to give it to them they will go somewhere that will.”

Employees, who have spent much of the past two years under lockdown restrictions, are looking for more freedom, flexibility and greater mental health support. They also expect their employers to address pressing social issues head on.

The transition to hybrid work, a widespread mental health crisis, a reckoning on racial injustice, and the “Great Resignation” each brought significant challenges to HR practitioners, as well as opportunities. Meeting these moments, however, would have been nearly impossible with the resources, processes and tools that had historically been allocated to the department, according to Ms. Candido. Now, business leaders are making changes on several fronts for practitioners within HR. Many relate to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG).

Visit the link to read the full article.

640 Toronto Interview with The Kelly Cutrara Radio Program: Is it time Canadian companies finally embraced the 4-day work week?

With Ontario lifting mask mandates on TTC and in healthcare settings (doctor’s offices and hospitals), along with the rise of monkeypox, employers are once again facing the reality that some employees are still not comfortable with returning to the workplace.

Host Kelly Cutrara speaks with Janet Candido, HR expert and founder & principal of Candido Consulting Group, about how HR and employers can support/accommodate employees who aren’t comfortable with the office return due to health concerns, the benefits of enforcing a four-day workweek, salary increases due to inflation and employee retention, and more. Listen to the full interview below:

As monkeypox spreads, should employers be concerned? - Janet Candido interviewed by OHS Canada

Read the the full article in OHS Canada.

Monkeypox is now active and spreading in Canada, with 26 confirmed cases according to the most recent data from the Public Health Agency of Canada. With more than 250 reported cases in 23 countries – and on-going studies and discoveries about the disease – it may leave employers wondering about risks to their business, particularly as we’re just returning to normal following two plus years of COVID protocols.

More sick time likely

According to Janet Candido, founder and principal of Candido Consulting Group, the impact to business will circle back to the likelihood that more sick time will be taken – whether paid or unpaid – and that the anxiety about a new virus lurking can develop disruptive behavior in employees, in turn “impacting everybody’s ability to get the work done.”

The workplace landscape shows that employers and employees have gradually adjusted to the new ways business is done – hybrid work, and mask requirements included. However, Candido noted there are still “a significant number of employees who are less enthusiastic about returning to work.”

“There are a few reasons to that, and the main factors remain as the fear of getting sick and the unwillingness to adjust what has been comfortable for them in the past two years. It’s both specific to fear and comfort level,” said Candido.

With the spread of the monkeypox virus, Candido said it is vital for employers to keep communication to keeping safety procedures in place and recognize that not everybody in their workforce is ready to come back to work “like it was 2019 again.”

The future of work: The workplace trends that are here to stay

This article was originally written for and published in CEOWorld Magazine.

As we’re approaching better times ahead, employers are planning for the future of work. There are a lot of questions and conversations surrounding workplace trends and how organizations plan to move forward.

Prior to the pandemic, there may have been employers who were reluctant to initiate a work-from-home culture/policy for several reasons. One of them being that it was difficult to fully trust that employees were capable of being productive with all the distractions at home – i.e. kids, pets, electronics, etc. At the office, managers are able to physically see their staff in the office, at their desks, doing their job, reassuring them that they were getting the job done. There was also the notion that in-person meetings and collaboration were invaluable and could not be done remotely.

However, once the initial stay-at-home order hit back in March 2020, employers were forced to quickly adapt to a whole new way of working while equipping their teams with a home office setup. The result – employees continued to be just as, if not more, productive from the comfort of their own home. The pandemic completely changed the notion of the office and changed the mindsets of both employers and employees.

Workplace trends:

Work-life balance

The pandemic has created a shift where a flexible work-life balance has now become the norm, making it imperative for a company to prioritize and integrate it into the company’s culture as we transition through the return-to-workplace period.

During the pandemic, employees started to observe the things they value most, in not just a workplace, but also in the quality of life that was available to them at their current company. Over the past two years, we’ve seen a mass number of employees switching careers/jobs and this is a big indicator of this. With more employees re-evaluating their current job and looking for alternative opportunities that suit their work-life balance needs, HR professionals are finding it a particularly difficult time recruiting and retaining top quality talent.

Now more than ever, employees are more focused on working for an organization that matches their values so employers will have to work harder to engage their employees and attract new talent. With this in mind, one of the workplace trends we can expect to see is companies being more creative in their offerings to employees, such as the opportunity to work somewhere abroad for a period of time where the employer could potentially subsidize the cost. In addition, 4-day workweeks look to be another offering that may become available to employees in the future. Companies like Bolt, Buffer and G2i are trialing or already started offering a four-day workweek to their employees, which has shown positive results in employee productivity and retention, as finding work-life balance becomes increasingly important over time.

Workplace flexibility 

In order to retain employees during a return-to-workplace transition, employers will need to create a plan that takes into account both the needs of the business and those of the employees, allowing for accommodation – within reason. A 2021 report from Accenture revealed that 61 per cent of Canadians prefer a hybrid or remote work model, so if the business is able to work within these structures, this would be a reasonable accommodation to ensure talent retention.

For the future of work, one of the trends that employers should take note of is “flexibility”, in all its forms. For instance, the one-size-fits-all approach will no longer work as employees have proven their capabilities without being at the office from 9 to 5 and under constant surveillance. However, while there are a number of employees who prefer working from home, there are also those who look forward to returning to the office where they can have a separate space from their personal life. That’s why, as organizations begin to navigate the office return, employers should remain flexible in various approaches to ensure their employees are satisfied with the decision and company policy. Employers should have the ability to offer employees a choice of onsite, hybrid or fully remote while maintaining the work of the business. If employees choose a hybrid work style, employers will need to determine how to schedule the hybrid option and if they need to reconfigure the office layout. Providing these options to employees will allow them to choose a work style that will allow them to do their job to the best of their ability and keep them engaged.

Personalized benefits/perks

Fairness and flexibility in the workplace will create a positive corporate culture, while also preventing employee burnout – just another reason why many Canadians are uprooting their careers in favor of jobs where these “perks” are present. As a result, another key workplace trend will include an increase of personalized benefits/perks – meaning not simply the flex plans of the past 20 years, but more likely something that will allow employees to design their own plan. During the stay-at-home orders, mental health conversations have grown and become more normalized. Now, mental health has become top of mind after employees, managers, CEOs, etc. experienced a traumatic, isolated and unpredictable event together. According to combined data from Statistics Canada’s labor force survey and Canadian income survey, for the Canadians who were employed during the first four months of 2021, more than one in five (21.5 per cent) had a physical, mental health, cognitive or other disability – when compared to 2019, there was an increase of 2.7 percentage points (18.8 per cent), continuing a long-term upward trend associated with population aging and other factors. Creating awareness surrounding wellness and mental health will be a significant workplace trend that we’ll see more of across various organizations.

Individualized leadership models 

The pandemic took a toll on people’s mental health, causing increased stress and anxiety. As a result of the past two years, employees are looking for a different style of leader than prior to the pandemic. For instance, the World Economic Forum states that employees want to be seen as a whole individual, acknowledging their lives outside of work. This means having a leader who is more compassionate, empathetic and authentic, and willing to listen, learn and adapt. During the countless Zoom and Team calls, we’ve seen into people’s homes more intimately than ever before – we’ve seen their in-home office setup, children trying to learn remotely, pets in the background, etc. – and have seen the everyday stresses both employees and employers endured because of this traumatic event. Going forward, a trend we can expect to see evolving in the workplace is having leaders navigate through a newer leadership technique where they’ll be more mindful and understanding of the impact on their employees. This means providing a more individualized model of leadership, adapting to offer employees what they need.

Not like 'the before times': what work could look like for Edmontonians returning to the office

This article was originally published in the Edmonton Journal.

As COVID-19 vaccination numbers ramp up and the Alberta government considers its economic reopening plan, many Edmonton workers returning to the office, in the coming months, may find it has changed since the pandemic.

Janet Candido, founder and principal of human resources firm Candido Consulting Group, said those who have been working from home likely won’t be returning to the same work environment or nine-to-five routine they remember from 14 or 15 months ago.

“I don’t think we’re going to be going back to the office the way we were doing it in the before times,” said Candido.

While the idea of working from home might have been popular in the beginning, it’s left many workers exhausted and disengaged, she said.

A recent survey conducted by Angus Reid for ADP Canada reported that 44 per cent of remote employees are working longer hours, and stress levels are also on the rise, hitting 41 per cent, up from 34 per cent in April 2020.

It also found that 46 per cent of remote workers surveyed were feeling less engaged with their work since the start of the pandemic.

“I did hear from a lot of people, ‘well you know, I don’t have anything else to do so I might as well do the work.’ But it’s gone on for a long time, and they’re a little sick of not having anything else to do. The other problem is that their employer has gotten used to an increased volume of productivity, creating expectations that are not necessarily well received,” said Candido.

Of those who spend an increased amount of time working, paying a kind of “COVID-19 tax,” one in 10 reported working an additional eight hours or more per week.

But many Canadians see the perks of continuing to work virtually, at least for some of the time.

A recent survey from KPMG found that most Canadian workers want to get back to the office, but about three-quarters prefer a “hybrid” model that allows some flexibility to work remotely.

“I think we’re going to see more flexibility and more hybrid situations. Some people really enjoy working remotely and would rather continue to do that, some people really hate it, and then there’s a whole bunch of people that say, ‘well, I’d like to come into the office a few days and work at home a few days,'” Candido said.

She added the challenge will be for employers to figure out how they’re going to accommodate that.

Felicia Mutheardy, Edmonton’s acting chief corporate economist, said in an email the return to work may be industry-dependent, with some in the professional services, finance and insurance industries more likely than others to permanently offer employees the possibility of remote work after the pandemic.

Candido said after months of working in relatively isolated spaces, workers value in-person social interaction and the opportunity for group work even more – which could change the way office space looks.

“Instead of individual offices you might have more communal spaces, you might reduce your footprint. You might even decide to make some changes to how you work together, like capitalizing on the in-person time for innovation and collaboration and, tapping into the collective brain of colleagues,” she said.

She added that she hopes the resources employers have put into mental health supports continue beyond stay-at-home orders.

“Up until now we’ve done little other than just pay lip service to mental health,” said Candido, adding she’s concerned about the number of people who have opted not to take time off, like a vacation, which can lead to burn out.

Planning for disruption: How to manage employees through the back-to-school transition during COVID-19

This article was originally published in HR.com

With many children returning to school for the first time since the pandemic, many employers are exploring how to best accommodate working parents as they navigate through so many unknowns.

Already a stressful situation for families under normal circumstances, this year, the return to school is fraught with additional hurdles and anxiety. For some, it may signal a return to business as usual. But factors including inconsistent government guidelines, limited childcare options and obligations to keep kids at home at any sign of sickness means that employers looking to retain their workforce should be proactive in planning for disruption.

Accommodating working parents
But how far should employers or managers go to accommodate employees with children? The answer is as far as is reasonably possible; there is nothing to be gained by being inflexible or worse, threatening. Working parents are already experiencing heightened anxiety, fear of making a wrong decision, and dealing with kids who may also be anxious and restless given the pandemic’s restrictions.

It’s not that these employees are unwilling to work or are less productive, they are just simply unable to keep the same schedule/hours as before. In most cases, they are still able to maintain their performance and meet deadlines when working remotely or outside of the traditional 9-5 workday.  Numerous studies have shown that flexible hours promote a greater work-life balance, resulting in employees who are not only more productive, but also happier. In the case of shift workers, this may mean adjusting schedules or rotating employees, when possible. Keep in mind that what works for some will not work for others.  And what works today may not work next week. 

An employer who is flexible and supportive will make it easier for employees to be successful in their role, and they will also gain greater loyalty from them.

What employers can reasonably expect
Of course, this isn’t just a one-way street. Employers have a business to run that pays for employees’ salaries and depends on their productivity and mutual good faith. Naturally, employers can expect their employees to make every effort to do the job for which they are being paid. Employees must also be realistic in their expectations of their employer, be equally flexible and work together to find a solution or make concessions where possible.

Employers can also expect employees to be honest about their situation, whether related to meeting responsibilities or – especially at this time – any potential exposure to, or positive test results for, COVID-19. Children’s return to school can present new opportunities for exposure and employees are responsible for following their employer’s directions regarding reporting to work and workplace health procedures.

Certainly, there are times when making accommodations for employees may not make sense or just cannot be done. This includes situations where the work is time-based or process-driven, when a specific accommodation may endanger someone else or is cost-prohibitive, or when an employee is unwilling to adapt as necessary.

Strategies to maintain productivity
Good management practices are more important than ever to help maintain productivity and engagement. Parents in particular are juggling many responsibilities and competing priorities. With many people working from home, managers will need to be extra aware of factors that can impact motivation, starting with environment. Employees should have an appropriate, private workspace at home. If they need specific or proprietary software, provide a computer for business use with the necessary features to facilitate their role.  Other important strategies include:

• Introduce flexible hours.  This is applicable whether an employee is at their home or in the office. Working parents may have to work in the evening or are only able to handle part time hours, so flexibility around school/day care schedules can help with productivity. 

• Maintain a connection. Beyond regular contact to discuss performance and other work-related issues, it’s important to stay in touch with the team for informal conversation. Make regular calls just to ask how they are doing, how are they finding this time, and how are they managing with the challenges of the pandemic.

• Pay attention to wellbeing.  Now more than ever, it’s critical for managers and employers to recognize symptoms of stress such as irritability, sadness or low mood leading to decreased productivity. Provide stress relieving tips and remind employees of their group benefits, access to employee assistance programs (EAP) or other counselling services and communicate the resources available through associations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association.

• Get social - virtually. With many people living and working at home alone, social activities and team building exercises – even if only online – can help maintain motivation and provide a sense of community. Plan for social activities, encourage employees to share their hobbies, for example, post their artwork, photography, or volunteer activities, or even trivia games via video-conferencing calls can add some fun to their work. 

It bears repeating that this is an unprecedented and challenging time. By working together to find mutually acceptable solutions while being sensitive to individual circumstances, employers and managers can proactively plan for disruption to continue to get the best out of their employees – and their business.