In This Issue

• A Note from Dave
• New Workshop - Taking Corrective Action
• Feature Article - Termination Meeting Dos and Don'ts
• Resume Special - Beat the HST
• Workplace Violence
• Humour!
• About Dave Hagel
• Contact Us

A Note From Dave

Hi and welcome back!

We're officially in the "dog days of summer".  The hot sultry weather has returned to Southern Ontario - something that was missing last year at this time.

I've had a busy summer working on a number of projects. The Human Resources e-store is just about ready to go.  All I need is the VISA and MasterCard accounts to be set up and I'm ready to roll.  Stay tuned for announcements on the store opening and other special events. 

I've also been working on a fall schedule of workshops with the folks at Ward and Uptigrove in Listowel.  We'll finalize everything at a meeting this week.  I hope to put the finishing touches on the GTA schedule the following week.  I'll keep you posted with special announcements on the schedules. They'll include some new courses developed using a variety of Accelerated Learning techniques. 

I'm off to Atlanta at the end of the month to complete my Accelerated Learning practicum.  I have to do a two hour presentation on a topic of my choice.  My topic will be on how to motivate employees - an ongoing topic of concern for managers and supervisors, regardless of the economy. 

I'll have an article for you in the next newsletter about Accelerated Learning - what it is and why it is different from the more traditional types of training.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.  Drive and play safe!

Dave Hagel, President
High Performance Human Resources

Here's something to think about:

I'll be facilitating this two day public workshop on September 29^th and 30^th in the GTA.  This course provides supervisors and managers with the skills necessary to identify and correct employee performance problems, misconduct, absenteeism and unacceptable behaviour by resolving problems through discussion, coaching and/or the administration of discipline. 

Please contact me if you're interested in learning more about this workshop by calling (905) 637-5673 or e-mailing dave@highperformancehr.ca 

The Do's

• Ask the four W's - why, who, when and where. Make sure the termination is necessary and the right decision has been made.
• Review any written employment contract.
• Plan the termination carefully.
• Consider the effects on the employee, the manager and co-workers, and on the business operations.
• Consider security issues. Protect Company property, information and employees.
• Plan a communication strategy.
• Prepare a clear and concise termination letter.

The Don'ts

• Never terminate an employee out of anger or emotional upset.
• Never allege cause when there is no basis for such an allegation.
• Avoid allowing the employee to bring their lawyer, friend or family member to a termination meeting.
• Avoid being alone with the employee. Have a witness present, preferably a representative from the Human Resources Department.
• Avoid allowing the employee to leave the premises with Company property, credit cards, access cards or keys, or business reports.
• Avoid embarrassing the employee or creating greater emotional upset.
• Avoid making disparaging remarks to co-workers, or third parties, such as customers or suppliers.
• Be cautious with special status employees such as employees on sick leave, pregnancy or parental leave, disability or worker's compensation.
• Avoid forcing the employee to resign or to sign a release document.
• Never threaten to withhold a reference.

Does your resume need upgrading?  Do you have a resume, but it doesn't seem to be getting you any interviews?  Or, do you have a resume that's so out-of-date a new one is in order?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, take advantage of my August 2010 resume writing special.

For the month of August only, I will not charge the HST. That's a savings of 13%!

Call or drop me an e-mail to take advantage of this one time offer. 

Workplace Violence

The recent shooting rampage at a Connecticut Budweiser Distributer Plant that left nine dead demonstrates once again the seriousness of workplace violence.  It clearly is an issue that cannot be underestimated.

If you think this is just a US based issue, think again.  It's a serious and growing problem in Canada.  According to Statistics Canada (2004), 17% of all violent incidents occurred in the workplace.  This represents 356,000 violent workplace incidents and includes sexual assault, robbery and physical assault.

It also includes homicides.  69 homicides took place in the course of employment between 2001 and 2005.  This included 11 taxi drivers, 10 police officers, 8 bar or restaurant workers, 8 retail employees and 4 general labourers.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour issued 351 orders related to violence in the workplace in 2008-2009. According to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, in 2007 there were 2,150 allowed lost-time claims from assaults, violent acts, harassment or acts of war or terrorism in 2007. 

If you are not in compliance with Bill 168, the time to act is NOW!  If you're not sure what to do, please contact us at (905) 637-5673 or dave@highperformancehr.ca and we'll help you.

THE PERFECT WORKER

1 Bob Smith, my assistant programmer, can always be found
2 hard at work in his cubicle, Bob works independently, without
3 wasting company time talking to colleagues. Bob never
4 thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and he always
5 finishes given assignments on time. Often he takes extended
6 measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee
7 breaks. Bob is a dedicated individual who has absolutely no
8 vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound
9 knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Bob can be
10 classed as a high-caliber employee, the type which cannot be
11 dispensed with. Consequently, I duly recommend that Bob be
12 promoted to executive management, and a proposal be
13 executed as soon as possible.

Addendum:

That idiot was standing over my shoulder while I wrote the report sent to you earlier today.  Kindly re-read the odd-numbered lines only.

A Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP), Dave draws on his 30 years of experience in union and union-free private sector businesses across Canada to conceive and deliver value-added outcomes that elevate human resource capital and maximize operational results.

Dave has combined his passion for training and development with public speaking to design and deliver thousands of hours of training. He currently teaches the National Knowledge Exam (NKE) preparation workshop for the CHRP designation exams and is tracking toward become a Certified Accelerated Learning Trainer. Dave is also a certified trainer with Development Dimensions International and Achieve Global. He has also achieved the designations of Competent Toastmaster and Competent Leader.

Dave has completed the Co-Active Coaching program offered by the Coaches Training Institute and the certificate program in Conflict Management Studies Program through Conrad Grebel College at the University of Waterloo.  He also has a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours.  

Dave's media credits include co-hosting Main Street, a cable television news program focused on current and community events, and Business Network News.  He has published numerous articles in Enterprise Magazine, Biz Magazine, Canada's SOHO Magazine, Canadian Manager and The Bottom Line and has been quoted in the Globe & Mail. 

High Performance Human Resources
1327 Treeland Street
Burlington, ON L7R 3T5
Phone:  (905) 637-5673
Toll Free:  1-866-878-4134
Fax:  905-631-2383
E-mail:  dave@highperformancehr.ca
Website:  http://www.highperformancehr.ca/