The “new normal” in the CKL means transforming how we conduct business, both in our stores and online.
Conducting business has changed….and will continue to change.
It is vital for businesses and organizations to update their business practices, particularly in terms of human resource management.
Employers must create and establish workplace policies in your workplace. Effective workplace policies are designed not only to ensure compliance with all applicable legislation governing your workplace, but to achieve better overall employment management practices.
A few workplace policies are legally mandatory, including with respect to workplace violence, harassment and sexual harassment; the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities legislation; and protocol related to breaches of privacy. It is not enough to ensure you are complying with the legislation; you are also legally required to have written policies effective in your workplace, and these policies must include certain statements.
In addition to ensuring compliance with legislation, the functional benefits of having properly structured and customized workplace policies include:
- more effective and better management your employees;
- setting and establishing the employees’ expectations, including to minimize wasted managerial time dealing with matters that are addressed by your Workplace Policies;
- better protecting your business from manipulation or being taken advantage of by employees;
- better protecting your business from litigation, including because the Court now expects workplace policies to be established in the workplace and, if they are not, it often affects the outcome of a litigation dispute (negatively for the employer party);
- ensuring that you avoid regulatory sanction for not having proper workplace policies in effect (e.g. a spot audit or investigation by the Ontario Ministry of Labour); and
- peace of mind that you are not only legally compliant with your employment obligations, but pro-actively organized and maximizing your effective management for the benefit of everyone in your workplace.
These workplace policies should be implemented:
- Workplace Violence, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy
- Joint Health and Safety Committee Policy
- Health and Safety Policy
- Accommodation on the Basis of Disability Policy
- AODA – Customer Service and Standards Policy
- AODA – Employment Standards Policy
- AODA – Integrated Accessibility and Information and Communications Standards Policy
- Privacy Breach Protocol and Policy
- Overtime Policy
- Personal information Protection Policy
- Computer, Email and Internet Use Policy
- Personal Communications and Social Media Policy
- Conduct and Behaviour Policy
- Discrimination and Diversity Policy
- Smoking, Vaping and Cannabis Policy
- Absenteeism Policy
- Vacation and Vacation Pay Policy
- Holiday Policy
- Employment Expense Reimbursement Policy
- Conflict of Interest Policy
- Police Record Checks Policy
- Workplace Investigations – Administrative Leaves and Suspensions
- Deemed Legal Compliance Policy
- Mental Health First Aid Officer Policy
Those that are not required by law are discretionary, elective policies, which we recommend you choose to establish in order to better manage your workplace.
Should you choose to proceed with purchasing the full suite, we would prepare them for you, addressing your specific needs and objectives. We may require further information from you, and will be in touch when we need any information or clarification.
Upon completion, we would provide to you a digital version of your Workplace Policy Manual. Once COVID-19 restrictions lift, we would also provide you with a hard-copy Workplace Policy Manual, which you would make available in your workplace, including for employees to review initially and refer to in future.
In addition to your Workplace Policy Manual, we would also provide to you a complementary Employment Management Assistance binder (your “EMA binder”), which would contain employment management resources specifically designed to enhance and complement your Workplace Policy Manual. Like your Workplace Policies Manual, the EMA binder would be provided to you in both hard-copy and digital formats for your convenience.
Purchasing a suite of workplace policies is a smart investment in the future of your organization, including because it potentially avoids costly legal services in future if a dispute arises, or worse, if an MOL investigation or litigation claim is commenced. The expense of this exercise is reasonable when you consider the benefit to you and your workplace and the potential avoidance of much higher legal expense in future. Furthermore, we would prepare your full Workplace Policies Manual and EMA binder for a fixed fee that we would quote to you in advance.
