"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
Confucius
A topical update on areas of interest!
United Nations - International Volunteer Day
December 5, 2019
“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life.” Author Unknown
December 4, 2019
Whether you volunteer or not, the UN - International Volunteer Day (IVD) certainly makes you think about the subject?
What does voluntary work say about us as individuals? Perhaps an issue or cause has captured your attention and you are displaying leadership qualities by consciously deciding to help? Individuals often forget that they are providing service to others and the community by undertaking voluntary work in addition to their regular routine. A person may be expanding their horizons, network of people and resources because of their involvement in these activities? You could be having a positive influence on another person's life or vice versa or it could be mutually beneficial? Usually people continue to volunteer because it is interesting and fun. The scope can range from a single act of volunteering in a local community setting to volunteering regularly in a disaster relief area and both are equally valid. Whether it is a business or organization adhering to the ethos of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a citizen interested in developing a more civil society, for humanitarian reasons or just helping a neighbour; these are all critical components of the volunteer experience.
There is a world of volunteering going on all around us every day. In many cases these services could not be provided without the contribution of volunteers. On December 5, the UN applauds and salutes all volunteers globally for their efforts.
The UN is asking us for International Volunteer Day 2019 to "Volunteer for an inclusive future."
Follow the link below for more details:
What Emergency/Disaster Readiness Planning do you Have in Place?
An article in the AHRI's HRM magazine called "What HR looks like in Emergency Services" may shed some useful light on this subject.
November 7, 2019
A timely reminder given that forest fires currently rage in California in the USA, the Amazon in Brazil and parts of Australia. Even the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan had to be shutdown for 24-48 hours because of Typhoon Hagibis. It is clear HR is a key component in emergency management and disaster relief. This article concisely and effectively displays HR's relevance in the areas of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
Follow the link below for more details:
https://www.hrmonline.com.au/section/strategic-hr/hr-in-emergency-services/
Where are you finding workers with critical skills for your business?
Global Mobility
and Immigration Symposium
November 3 - 6, 2019 | Washington, DC
November 1, 2019
How do you increase your talent pool to fill key skill shortages in your organization? It would appear the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has a possible solution.
"SHRM’s Global Mobility and Immigration Symposium, formerly the Council for Global Immigration’s (CFGI) Symposium brings together government officials, immigration and global mobility professionals, and legal experts for insightful discussion around the most pressing global mobility and workplace immigration issues. Connect, strategize and benchmark with industry peers and foremost experts on actionable solutions for today and the future." (SHRM)
"Predict and manage the global workforce, enhance your organization’s immigration and global mobility strategy, and stay competitive and compliant." (SHRM)
Follow the link below for more details:
It seems banning out-ot-hours emails for employees could have a negative impact on their well-being!? How does your workplace deal with the challenge of reducing email use to avoid burnout?
October 19, 2019
A study from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, suggests that "Banning staff from accessing their work emails outside office hours could do more harm than good to employee well-being".
While a ban on out-of-hours emails allowed some employees to disengage and relax. Another group of employees felt the ban prevented them from achieving goals and added additional stress.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) stated it agreed with the university's findings.
Follow the links below for more details:
United Nations - Climate Change Summit 2019
"A Race We Can Win"
Climate Action Summit, 23 September 2019
United Nations Headquarters, New York City, USA
September 12, 2019
Climate change is a global challenge with very local effects on people, communities, business and the environment.
"Climate change is the defining issue of our time and now is the defining moment to do something about it. There is still time to tackle climate change, but it will require an unprecedented effort from all sectors of society. To boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will host the 2019 Climate Action Summit on 23 September to meet the climate challenge. The Summit will showcase a leap in collective national political ambition and it will demonstrate massive movements in the real economy in support of the agenda. Together, these developments will send strong market and political signals and inject momentum in the “race to the top” among countries, companies, cities and civil society that is needed to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals." (United Nations)
Follow the link below for details:
International Youth Day - United Nations
(August 12, 2019)
Young people around the world are the future of our planet.
What impact will this "human resource" have on global commerce?
August 12, 2019
Just over 23% of the world's current population of 7.7 billion (UN statistics, 2019) are aged 10 - 24. Economic development, rural to urban migration, municipal infrastructures, education & training, conservation and renewable energy sources are all affected by population growth. Young people have to be involved in helping to find solutions to these challenges. This is crucial in many ways but especially in the areas of positive community involvement, enhancing renewable energy options and the successful delivery of job creation initiatives. After all, our future and that of the generations to come depend on it.
"There are currently 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world. This is the largest youth population ever. But 1 in 10 of the world’s children live in conflict zones and 24 million of them are out of school. Political instability, labour market challenges and limited space for political and civic participation have led to increasing isolation of youth in societies." (United Nations)
Follow the links below for details:
https://www.un.org/en/events/youthday/
https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Highlights.pdf
From The Past President/Chair/CEO's Desk!
July 5, 2019
The HRPA Durham Spring/Summer 2019 Resource Magazine is now available. The issue is called Diversity and Inclusion. Please read my article on page 3.
Follow the link below for details:
An update on the new USMCA/NAFTA Agreement!
On June 19, 2019, Mexico became the first country to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
What are the U.S.A. and Canada going to do next?
June 20, 2019
Today, June 20, Prime Minister Trudeau and his delegation are meeting with President Trump and his delegation in Washington D.C. Iran, Mexico, trade with China in general and the implications of the Huawei affair will certainly be high up on the agenda. President Trump would like the U.S. Congress to ratify the USMCA before the summer recess. With President Trump facing a Democrat controlled Congress, Prime Minister Trudeau's public support for ratification of the USMCA will be an added boost. It can be safely said that Canada's USMCA ratification process will match the pace of the U.S.A.
In the meantime, global business will grapple with higher petroleum prices as a result of increasing tensions between the U.S.A. and Iran. This is combined with the continued uncertainty regarding the trade war between the world's two biggest economies (the U.S.A. and China).
Follow the links below for more details:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-trump-meeting-washington-1.5182428
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/mexico-becomes-1st-country-to-ratify-new-nafta-trade-deal-1.5182192
What joyous news!
Harry & Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were "safely delivered of a son" on May 6, 2019!!
As we congratulate them on the birth of their royal baby, it is a good time to review parental leave entitlements in the U.S.A. and Canada.
May 6, 2019
There is a significant difference in the benefits provided to new parents in North America. In this context, Canada is clearly more accommodating than its southern neighbour. A study completed by McGill University, Canada, has discovered and highlighted the differences.
The detrimental impact of unpaid leave on a new parent's ability to take parental leave must not be understated. Especially, in a workplace where employee benefits and not just salary can influence an individual's decision to stay with your organization. It may be time to dust off your parental leave policies and review them more favourably.
Follow the link below for more details:
https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0512/maternity-leave-basics-canada-vs.-the-u.s..aspx
Brexit Update!
The March 29 and April 12 exit deadlines have passed!!
Given the UK parliament's political turmoil Brexit has been delayed!!!
How is the continuing uncertainty affecting business and HR?
April 15, 2019
The EU has granted an extension to the United Kingdom until October 31, 2019. In a rare display of unity over Brexit, the UK parliament has agreed that leaving the EU without a deal is not an option. As an EU member the UK is now committed to holding European parliament elections in May, or leave on June 1 without a deal. The inability of the UK parliament to reach a consensus position on the "divorce" deal, makes contesting the European parliament elections a looming reality.
On an international scale, the incapacity of the UK parliament to decide is adversely affecting long-term inward investment, the status of EU citizens in Britain and the future location of industry or financial service assets in EU countries. At the same time, we must rely on a factional and adversial UK parliament to reach a consensus decison in the national interest before October 31.
Follow the links below for more details:
Robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are certainly a significant part of our uncharted future. Our reliance on and human interaction with this technology offers many benefits. Conversely it does prompt the question, there must be some cautionary tales worth mentioning?
March 2, 2019
A piece in the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) publication www.hrmonline.co.au explores this perspective. The article was written by Kate Neilson and is titled "3 ways over-reliance on automation hurts humans."
It seems even with the elements of human error factored in. The qualities of adaptability to changing situations, problem solving, social interaction and empathy remain the undisputed territory of humans.
Follow the link below:
http://www.hrmonline.com.au/technology/3-ways-over-reliance-on-automation-hurts-humans/
From The President/Chair/CEO's Desk!
February 14, 2019
The HRPA Durham Winter 2019 Resource Magazine is now available. The issue is called Work Climate. Please read my article on page 3.
Follow the link below:
From The President/Chair/CEO's Desk!
February 4, 2019
Congratulations to the HRPA Durham Chapter and Board Executive!! We were honoured to accept the award presented to Durham Chapter on January 29, 2019. We received the 2018 Chapter of Excellence - Satisfaction Award.
Follow the links below:
https://www.hrpa.ca/HRPAChapters/Durham#
https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:6496580011661758464
The Global Economy - How will it affect you?
January 2, 2019
The Goldman Sachs 2019 MACROECONOMIC OUTLOOK
It makes interesting listening and reading. I wonder how many of the predictions will come true?
Follow the links below:
https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/us-outlook-2019.html
https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/topics/economic-outlooks.html