ANOTHER CALL TO SOLVE SKILLS SHORTAGE
Ottawa — Former parliamentarian, and now president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Perrin Beatty has added his voice to a growing list of those calling on the federal government to take steps to promote innovation in the country. In an open letter to the Prime Minister and legislators, Beatty said Canada is falling behind competitors and the quality of life in Canada is threatened because of it. “Canada faces a shortage of skilled labour, particularly in manufacturing,” wrote Beatty. The Liberal government has been preparing a strategy to address the problem, expected to be released this fall.
DANGEROUSLY HOT WORKING CONDITIONS
Toronto — Record high temperatures across North America this summer have highlighted the dangers of working in extreme heat. The Ontario Ministry of Labour published health and safety guidelines to avoid heat stress. Among the recommendations: increase the frequency and length of breaks, remind workers to drink cool water every 20 minutes, encourage workers to eat more salt and assign additional workers. People can become acclimatized to working in severe heat and so workers should start with a reduced workload and gradually increase the load when working in hot environments. During the nationwide August heat wave, a worker at a Barrie, Ont. bakery collapsed and died after a 12-hour shift near an oven where temperatures topped 60 degrees C.
NEW BENEFITS DESIGNATIONS
Brookfield, Wis. — Two new designations have being created for benefits specialists. The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, sponsors of the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) program, instituted the Group Benefits Associate (GBA) and Retirement Plans Associate (RPA) upon the recommendation of the Canadian CEBS committee. Each designation requires the completion of the three courses and examinations offered in the CEBS program and anyone who has completed the certificate of achievement in group benefits or retirement plans is now entitled to use the new designations.
TELL ME WHY I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS
New York — Tuesday is the most productive day of the week, according to a recent survey of mid- and top-level executives. One-third picked Tuesday, while 23 per cent picked Monday. Just four per cent of the 230 respondents said they get the most done on Friday. Many people think Monday should be the most productive, said the authors of the report, but the first day of the week often has long meetings followed by the circulation of memos, and time is regularly spent cleaning up leftover paperwork from the week before.
B.C. BUSINESSES LAX ON FALL PROTECTION
Richmond, B.C. — The large majority of health and safety regulation violations in British Columbia are companies failing to take appropriate steps to prevent falls. In one recent two-month span, 23 of the 27 infractions were for improper fall protection. Injuries from falls tend to be more severe than other injuries since they often lead to internal injuries, fractures, concussions and in some cases death.
SASKATCHEWAN’S TECH-WORKER PLAN
Regina — A comprehensive study of the human resources and training needs for the IT sector in Saskatchewan was recently completed and several recommendations were made to ensure the IT needs of companies in the province will be met. A permanent steering committee has been struck to followup on the recommendations. Among the findings of the study: more than one-third of companies said they have trouble providing training to their employees, citing lack of time, lack of resources and lack of training available in the province. The full report is available at http://www.cips.ca/saskatchewan.
Ottawa — Former parliamentarian, and now president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Perrin Beatty has added his voice to a growing list of those calling on the federal government to take steps to promote innovation in the country. In an open letter to the Prime Minister and legislators, Beatty said Canada is falling behind competitors and the quality of life in Canada is threatened because of it. “Canada faces a shortage of skilled labour, particularly in manufacturing,” wrote Beatty. The Liberal government has been preparing a strategy to address the problem, expected to be released this fall.
DANGEROUSLY HOT WORKING CONDITIONS
Toronto — Record high temperatures across North America this summer have highlighted the dangers of working in extreme heat. The Ontario Ministry of Labour published health and safety guidelines to avoid heat stress. Among the recommendations: increase the frequency and length of breaks, remind workers to drink cool water every 20 minutes, encourage workers to eat more salt and assign additional workers. People can become acclimatized to working in severe heat and so workers should start with a reduced workload and gradually increase the load when working in hot environments. During the nationwide August heat wave, a worker at a Barrie, Ont. bakery collapsed and died after a 12-hour shift near an oven where temperatures topped 60 degrees C.
NEW BENEFITS DESIGNATIONS
Brookfield, Wis. — Two new designations have being created for benefits specialists. The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, sponsors of the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) program, instituted the Group Benefits Associate (GBA) and Retirement Plans Associate (RPA) upon the recommendation of the Canadian CEBS committee. Each designation requires the completion of the three courses and examinations offered in the CEBS program and anyone who has completed the certificate of achievement in group benefits or retirement plans is now entitled to use the new designations.
TELL ME WHY I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS
New York — Tuesday is the most productive day of the week, according to a recent survey of mid- and top-level executives. One-third picked Tuesday, while 23 per cent picked Monday. Just four per cent of the 230 respondents said they get the most done on Friday. Many people think Monday should be the most productive, said the authors of the report, but the first day of the week often has long meetings followed by the circulation of memos, and time is regularly spent cleaning up leftover paperwork from the week before.
B.C. BUSINESSES LAX ON FALL PROTECTION
Richmond, B.C. — The large majority of health and safety regulation violations in British Columbia are companies failing to take appropriate steps to prevent falls. In one recent two-month span, 23 of the 27 infractions were for improper fall protection. Injuries from falls tend to be more severe than other injuries since they often lead to internal injuries, fractures, concussions and in some cases death.
SASKATCHEWAN’S TECH-WORKER PLAN
Regina — A comprehensive study of the human resources and training needs for the IT sector in Saskatchewan was recently completed and several recommendations were made to ensure the IT needs of companies in the province will be met. A permanent steering committee has been struck to followup on the recommendations. Among the findings of the study: more than one-third of companies said they have trouble providing training to their employees, citing lack of time, lack of resources and lack of training available in the province. The full report is available at http://www.cips.ca/saskatchewan.
