It will come as no surprise that my ideal clients are those that are proactive with their Health and Safety and Human Resources Programs. Working with organizations who care about their employees and recognize the importance of having strong employee programs in place make my passion for Human Resources shine through. However, there are times when I take on a reactive client, a client who has nothing in place and does not have Health and Safety or Human Resources at the top of their priority list. They deal with situations after it has occurred, most often, these clients come as a result of an unexpected visit from the Ministry of Labour.
One such client came my way recently. This particular company had a visit from the Ministry on a Wednesday afternoon, and contacted me the following Thursday for assistance. Upon reviewing their 9 compliance orders from the Ministry, 4 were due the following day. My initial thought was no way; I was working at capacity for the week and this is not my ideal client. However, after speaking with the General Manager I chose to take them on. The organization did care about their employees, they do want to do what is right and safe for their staff, they just do not have the resources or understanding of what is required.
It can be overwhelming for small to medium sized business owners to stay current on legislative requirements when it seems that there are new or updated standards, programs, regulations and blitzes every month. Being inundated with new rules, requirements and initiatives on a continual basis leads us to feel frustrated, more so when you do not know where to find the information or even know what is required of you.
Staying compliant with the law will avoid costly penalties, potential charges, high WSIB premiums and low employee morale. If you don’t know where to begin, utilizing Human Resource Leaders such as myself, who have the knowledge and experience to assist you is a great way to take the burden off you so you can focus on the business. Alternatively, start visiting the Ministry of Labour or WSIB websites, they provide fact sheets, preventative tips and guides that will help you to provide healthier and safer workplaces.
So what happened with my well meaning, reactive client? We were able to put policies and programs in placed as outlined in the Ministry compliance orders. I worked alongside the General Manager to ensure we captured the culture and uniqueness of the organization. I was able to set them up for success and ultimately save them from potential fines.
