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Top 5 articles of 2021!

We are fortunate to see an increase in visits to our website in 2021 with lots of help from our active volunteers! Now we present the top 5 articles visitors read on our website in 2021.

5. What is Work Culture? Where does it come from and how do we change it?

There are few topics as broad, or fundamental as culture. Most of us only recognize the dimensions of our culture when we begin to compare our way of life to that of another. Workplace culture is built of all the customs, habits, traditions, values, skills, beliefs, and knowledge of the people included in the company. (Nelson, Quick, Armstrong, Roubecas, Condie, 2021) It affects everything that happens, every action taken, and is shaped by every person that is included. Culture regulates behavior through norms and values, and in so defines the character of a company. (Nelson, 2021)

4. How to combat transphobia in the workplace

As pride month comes to an end, we take a moment to pause and re-evaluate the changes that still need to be made in our world today. Each individual should have the right to an environment where they feel free to express themselves and be accepted for who they are. Do those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community feel safe, secure and accepted in their workplaces? The answer to this in 2021 is still an unsatisfactory no.

3. The facts about workplace harassment

One of the most common issues that employees face within the workplace is harassment. Many Canadians over the age of 15 are likely to fall victim or be a witness to workplace harassment over the course of their career.

2. Minimum Wage, Minimum Effort?

From beginning to end, challenging the status quo is the incremental path of social and societal evolution. When dust settles and senses rest on something out of place, what starts as an individual musing grows into initiative for change. From one mind, or more likely, a hearty discussion of many: a framework erects and is bolted together by sound reasoning and good intentions for the future. At last, change finds its way to the hands of a doer; a creator.

1. Vaccination etiquette in the workplace

In these unprecedented times, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to light many questions. As the world is moving towards reopening, employees and employers are concerned about what the etiquette surrounding vaccination status will be. Whether or not the question of vaccination status can be posed, not only by customers, but also by employers as a condition for the job. Should employers be allowed to require the disclosure of their employees vaccination status as a condition of employment?

This article was mostly contributed to and edited by J2DW staff & volunteers!

Minimum Wage, Minimum Effort?

From beginning to end, challenging the status quo is the incremental path of social and societal evolution. When dust settles and senses rest on something out of place, what starts as an individual musing grows into initiative for change. From one mind, or more likely, a hearty discussion of many: a framework erects and is bolted together by sound reasoning and good intentions for the future. At last, change finds its way to the hands of a doer; a creator.

There has been a traditional belief that to maximize profit, low skill labour must be paid the bare minimum. Within the last two decades a selection of large companies have made headlines by choosing to pay greater than minimum wage for their general labour and service needs. Much interest and discourse has been made of these progressive resource strategies and an examination of outcomes serves to educate on the wins that are being recorded for those capable and brave enough to raise the bar; those banking on the human factor.

Perhaps the most well-known example of this is Costco. Costco has ranked as the fourth largest retailer in the world, clearing over 100 billion dollars in sales in 2018. In 2019 Costco raised its minimum wage four times while also increasing wages for supervisors. At first it was $14, then $14.50, $15, and then $15.50. Employees receive two raises per year, and more than half of Costco’s employees make more than $25 an hour. CEO Craig Jelinek finds pride in Costco’s employee retention. On the benefits of paying more Craig said, “We feel the experience level and loyalty of our employees is a significant advantage for our company”. Happy experienced staff upsell more products, resolve complaints more efficiently, and get more done.  Reducing employee turnover will also mean less spent on the expenses of hiring and training.

Costco is not the only company who has seen the light. Trader Joe’s, QuikTrip, Mercadona, The Gap, Starbucks, Wells Fargo, Walmart, Ikea, and even Mcdonalds have all implemented internal minimum wages. In a lot of cases these changes have produced positive results along key performance indicators, such as turnover and customer satisfaction. Gravity Payments, a company that handles credit and debit transactions, gave a 20 percent raise to all employees in 2012. What they recorded was a profit increase substantially greater than the expense of the wages.

The next year Gravity bumped wages up yet another 20 percent. Once again, profits shot up proportionately; productivity rates increased by a whopping 30 to 40 percent. It was also reported that “Gravity’s customer retention rate rose from 91 to 95 percent in the second quarter.” That increase of 4 percent in customer retention can be the same as cutting expenses by one fifth.

When Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price announced a three-year plan to phase in a minimum wage of $70,000 and that he would immediately reduce his salary from $1.1 million to $70,000 there were over 500 million mentions on social media; a video from NBC covering Gravity became the most shared within network history. This kind of good publicity makes a huge difference when it comes time for the customer to choose a service provider. Not only are they now aware of the company, but good actions build trust, and trust is everything when deciding on who to do business with.

Higher wages attract more applications and being able to select from a greater pool of applicants will offer opportunities for greater talent. In 2014 when The Gap announced they would raise their minimum wage in the United States to $9 an hour, there was a sharp increase in applications. The Global Head of HR at The Gap said, “almost immediately, we saw our applications increase by double digits”. After Gravity’s well-earned publicity, they reported receiving over 4500 new applications in the first week after the announcement they would phase in the $70,000 minimum wage.

When a company has enough cash flow and organizational structure in place, it certainly appears that providing a higher wage can result in improved customer and employee loyalty. Investing in front-line workers is now a well documented way to compete on service and motivate efficiency from employees and the hiring process. Should there be transparent systems for evaluating and rewarding performance in more workplaces? Leave a comment, tell us what you think! If you liked the article, share it with your friends and get a discussion going!

Sources

https://nrf.com/resources/top-retailers/top-100-retailers/top-100-retailers-2019
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/why-costco-pays-its-180000-workers-way-more-than-the-minimum-wage-120358716.html
https://www.mashed.com/224884/heres-how-much-money-costco-employees-really-make/
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets-economy/081416/top-8-companies-raising-minimum-wage-mcd-sbux.asp
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/31/higher-wages-boosted-gaps-applicant-pool-will-it-do-the-same-for-productivity/
Lamb, Charles W.; Hair, Joe F.; McDaniel, Carl; Boivin, Marc; Gaudet, David; Shearer, Janice. 
         (2019). Principles of Marketing.

This article was written by summer student Adam Best and edited by summer student Hannah Mastin. This article was funded by the Government of Canada.

Top 5 articles of 2018!

We are fortunate to see an increase in visits to our website in 2018 with lots of help from our active volunteers! Now we present the top 5 articles visitors read on our website in 2018.

5. How to deal with religious accommodations in the Workplace

Freedom of religion, in Canada, is a constitutionally protected right that allows religious believers the freedom to assemble and worship without limitation or interference. Religious discrimination is treating individuals differently in their employment because of their religion, their religious beliefs and practices, denying their reasonable request for accommodation or a change in a workplace rule or policy that denies employees equal opportunities due to their religious beliefs or practices. Canadian employers are required to accommodate the reasonable needs of religious employees in the workplace.

4. Women in the Workplace: The Hidden Battle

Throughout our history, women have adopted new roles from working as a housewife to entering the workplace and providing for their family or oneself. As women entered the workplace, we saw issues of sexual harassment, unequal pay and opportunity starting to emerge. These issues are still seen and frequently voiced today as women are continuously taking a stand for their rights. Unfortunately, there are many issues that go unnoticed that need to be addressed. Every day women have to prove that they are just as good or better than their counterparts and when they fail to do so they are labeled as weak, incompetent or just plain lazy.

3. Lack of Diversity in the Workplace Can Cause Stress Among Employees

The success of an organization in today’s competitive world depends upon how well it embraces the challenges of diversity and realizes its benefits. Employees from different backgrounds, ages and ethnicities bring their own set of experiences and world views, and are better able to provide a wider range of solutions to developing problems. Most of all, a lack of diversity has been linked to increased discrimination which in turn leads to elevated stress levels among employees. The National Center for Biotechnology Information note that discrimination due to immigrant status, legal status, skin tone or language can contribute to increased stress in individuals.

2. The Pros and Cons of Hiring Older Employees vs. Younger Employees

Ever thought you would one day be in a position where you would have the decision on your hands to make or break someone’s career? Well if you are, here is something that you might come across depending on the nature of your job. This article aims to analyze some of the main factors to consider while picking the right person for the job. At the very outset, I must make it clear that I am referring to older as in more experienced professionals and not just being ageist.

1. Workplace Issues and Solutions

There are a variety of workplace issues that both employers and employees encounter. Some of these issues are minor while other workplace issues are more significant and require frequent attention from employees for the workplace to function properly. While it is the responsibility of management to take steps to develop strategies to combat workplace issues, employees also have a responsibility to speak up when they recognize issues that contribute to or may eventually lead to problems.

This article was mostly contributed to and edited by J2DW volunteers!

Why you should keep Doug Ford and workers separate

Doctor’s notes are a tax on the poor because neither the Ontario Health Insurance Plan or the employer pay for them.

Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government had announced a large scale rollback to Ontario’s Labour Standards Act, which promised to freeze minimum wage at $14 an hour and repealing Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017. Doug Ford, The Premier of Ontario had stated some of the proposed legislation changes that we would see such as the removal of paid sick days and the exemption for a sick note if you are sick for less than three days a year.

There is some evidence from other provinces in the country such as Alberta that shows the increase in minimum wage would only help boost the economy.

Small-sized business owners had a hard time swallowing some of the Premier’s changes, as many were quite costly to their business that caused them to have to cut staff and raise prices. The Ontario government could have perhaps introduced grants to help bridge the gap for small-sized businesses struggling to adapt to the changes. We are seeing an almost whole-scale rollback of the Labour Standards Act, which makes it extremely difficult for those small-sized businesses to survive.

With the repeal of Bill 148, this could be seen as a politically motivated move as we are seeing Ford favouring rich business owners while the lesser are suffering.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Doctor’s notes are a tax on the poor because neither the Ontario Health Insurance Plan or the employer pay for them.[/perfectpullquote]

Most of labour law changes affect poor workers. Doctor’s notes are paid out of pocket and not reimbursed. Unpaid sick days mean those who are sick and would have previously stayed home will continue going to work and risk passing on their virus to their coworkers and those they come into contact with.

However, employers cannot make large changes in their workplaces to rollback the increases without possible large scale litigation along with potential claims of discrimination and constructive dismissal.

If Premier Doug Ford wanted to make genuine changes to the Labour Standards Act and the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 then he would have started by consulting with minimum wage earners, workers in blue collar positions and small-sized business owners.

For Ontario deserves more.

The Pros and Cons of Hiring Older Employees vs. Younger Employees

Ever thought you would one day be in a position where you would have the decision on your hands to make or break someone’s career? Well if you are, here is something that you might come across depending on the nature of your job. This article aims to analyze some of the main factors to consider while picking the right person for the job. At the very outset, I must make it clear that I am referring to older as in more experienced professionals and not just being ageist.

What are the things one could consider? We have tried to lay down factors that could influence one’s decision below in a concise format. Hope it helps you come to a conclusion about your Sophie’s choice.

I have tried to first evaluate the pros of hiring older employees as opposed to younger employees before proceeding to the cons.

1) Experience – for certain jobs, job experience is a huge factor. Experienced employees bridge the gap from teaching from scratch to jumping right into the thick of things.

2) Less supervision – they definitely do not need as much supervision as a just out of college hire.

3) Fewer chances of mistakes – they have made their mistakes and hopefully learned from them.

4) Takes lead – having probably worked at other places before, they feel confident enough to take charge and lead the team.

5) Mentorship – older employees are able (and willing) to mentor younger, less-experienced employees.

6) Clients – older employees might just have a list of contacts and networking that will be useful in the growth of the firm.

7) Patience – apart from the odd temper tantrum, they display more patience to teach and to communicate with the team.

8) Loyalty – it comes with the package.

9) Punctuality – this is one of those old tradition school things but punctuality is common and important to their generation.

The pros of hiring younger employees as opposed to older employees can be listed as follows:

1) Adept at technology – younger employees have grown up in the lap of technology and are therefore much more proficient at it than the older generation.

2) More risk-taking – they just might be more open to the idea of risks (this might not necessarily go down well for the company but they at least had the courage to take that chance. Older employees are more cautious and less open to something and who knows, the risks might pay off).

3) Dynamic – I do know of 60-year-old CEO’s who have been nothing but dynamic all their lives and that is why they are at the top. But younger blood with more ideas, fresh out of college and enthusiastic might be just what is needed to revitalize the company.

4) Flexibility – older employees tend to have their own set of ideas and notions and cannot adapt easily to the changing mindset. Younger employees generally have a flexible attitude because they are more adept at changing (it’s a millennial thing maybe) and can pick up on such changes sooner (without grumbling).

5) Expectation of Salary – the older employees come with some experience and want to be compensated for the fact that their previous skill has saved some training of the employers and therefore they must be compensated for the same. Younger employees are more than happy that they are being paid as the job is a place where they start off and learn (they know that their salary is not going to be through the roof).

6) Physical attribute – though it sounds ageist, it is true that older employees do face certain physical drawbacks as compared to younger employees and the strenuous work can take a toll on their health.

Several more pros and cons could be listed. However, the important take away from this article is that at the end of the day, the circumstance, the company and the post being recruited for is what will ultimately decide as to who stays and who does not.

This article was written by volunteer blogger Riya Prem Raaj and edited by volunteer editor Shan Simpson.

The Pros and Cons of Minimum Wage

Canada’s minimum wage, the minimum hourly pay rate employers can pay their workers, varies across the ten provinces and the three territories.  Each Canadian province and territory has a distinct set of minimum wage laws specifying the minimum wage, exemptions to the minimum wage, and other labor law issues. However, the debate continues concerning whether a minimum wage is beneficial for the countries that have implemented various minimum wage requirements.

In several countries, there is a discussion regarding the pros and cons of minimum wage. The initial minimum wage law was enacted in New Zealand.  The first Canadian minimum wage legislation was passed in 1918 by both British Columbia and Manitoba.  Among the many minimum wage arguments, leaders have expressed concern over encouraging outsourcing, ensuring workers can make a living, keeping market prices low, interfering with natural supply and demand, and the ability of new workers to gain adequate experience.  Each of these minimum wage issues have presented varying affects on the economy, the gross domestic product of individual countries, and regional job growth.

Supporters of minimum wage laws often suggest that there are labor abuses and concerns over living wages. Advocates for an increase in minimum wage say it will lift workers out of poverty and stimulate the economy.  Proponents of a minimum wage propose that a decent minimum wage would be a significant incentive for employees to be productive which creates a more efficient workplace. Workers must make enough to support themselves and their families. If left unchecked, businesses and corporations might take advantage of unskilled laborers as well as immigrants. These workers typically only have enough skills to qualify them for minimum wage positions, leaving them vulnerable to businesses that capitalize on a lack of government regulation.

Opponents of a minimum wage typically contend that there is potential disadvantage of outsourcing work to lower-paying countries, job growth statistics based on supply and demand, new workers, and the effects of wages on prices.  Minium wages could erode the effectiveness workplaces when unskilled, cheaper labor is hired instead of the more skilled laborers. Those people opposed to raising theminimum wage are concerned that  higher minimum wages are not only ineffective, but actually do more harm than good for the very working poor they aim to help.  According to opponents, countries with high minimum wages cannot compete with other nations on price, owing to the increased cost of production. As a result, these countries often outsource low-paying work to other countries with lower wage standards, taking jobs and tax revenues away from the local economy.

This article was contributed by volunteer blogger Shan Simpson.

Minimum wage is failing us

[themify_quote]

More than 60 million people in U.S. households depend on the earnings of a low-wage worker, according to a new report released on Tuesday.

The research shows that most low-wage workers are frequently the primary breadwinners in their families and they are not, as commonly thought, teenagers with few skills still living with their parents, according to the report by Oxfam America and the Economic Policy Institute.

~ More than 60 million households rely on low-wage workers

[/themify_quote]

Is it not sad when families have to depend on minimum wage to pay their bills? That they rejoice because their wages can go no lower – it’s the law.

It used to be that our minimum wage earners were your stereotypical pimply teenager who worked at a fast-food place, or some other retail job. But with how our economy has been, more and more adults, and families are relying on minimum wage. Almost 40 per cent of minimum-wage workers are 25 or older.

Ontario’s minimum wage is $11 an hour. Imagine working 40 hours on that, and having to feed two kids.

So what is the alternative then, if minimum wage is failing us as a society?

  • Some would suggest an earned income tax credit.
  • Others suggest a basic income for every Canadian.
  • And even more suggest a negative income tax.

I think employers also have a duty, where possible, to pay their employees a fair wage. What is a fair wage? Depends on both the job, and how long the employee has been there. If someone is still making minimum wage after 5 years, something is seriously wrong. Employers can pay a livable wage, and still make a tidy profit.