Find the Hidden Talents in Your Employees - Must Watch!

A Father's Day Question: Do Workplaces Need to Be More Father-Friendly?

This was a question that was posed in yesterday's BLR Newsletter (The link is below for you to get access to the full article).

So guys, what's the answer to the question above? Do our workplaces need to be more "Father-Friendly". Whether they are or not the article says we don't really take advantage of the time off programs our companies already have for us.

I am a Father of two teen-age boys (15, and 13). Over the years, I have tried to spend as much time as possible with them; coaching getting involved with school work etc. The BLR article states that the more time we spend with them the better off they'll be. This idea almost seems to be a "no-brainer". In fact, the article goes on to claim that, when asked, 7 out of 10 Fathers say they would take a cut in pay to spend more time with our kids. So why don't we do it?

Learn more about the programs your company offers you and take some time off with the kids-it will be great for all.

Happy Father's Day
Full BLR Article

Canada's 30 Best Benefit Plans Offer Flexibility to Meet Employee Needs, According to Hewitt

TORONTO, June 7 /CNW/ - When it comes to selecting the best benefits
plans, the true judges are the employees who use them. For that reason,
employee feedback was used by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources
services company, to determine Benefits Canada magazine's list of "Canada's 30
Best Pension and Benefits Plans," announced today in the June issue. via CNW

Labour mobility pushed

Ottawa is to tell the provinces to move on dropping barriers.

OTTAWA -- The federal government is poised to tell the provinces they must drop barriers to labour mobility and allow Canadians to work anywhere in the country with their qualifications recognized, CP has learned.

The federal proposal will be presented by Industry Minister Maxime Bernier at a meeting of ministers in St. John's, Nfld., today. via London Free Press

Canada job market set for modest rebound in May

By Louise Egan

OTTAWA, June 6 (Reuters) - Canada likely created more jobs in May, rebounding modestly from a decline in April, analysts said, and they predicted a further rise in the Canadian dollar if the numbers surprise on the strong side.

In a Reuters survey, analysts' average forecast is for the economy to add 19,000 jobs in May after it lost 5,200 jobs in April. However, the expected gains are still far from the average monthly job gain of 52,600 in the first quarter.

The unemployment rate should stay unchanged at 6.1 percent, a 30-year low, according to the survey.via Reuters-Read More

Ontario Minimum Wage Increases

March 31 2007 - Labour Minister Steve Peters has announced that Ontario's general minimum wage will increase by 75 cents per hour annually to reach $10.25 on March 31, 2010.

Beginning March 31, 2008, the current minimum wage of $8.00 per hour will rise to $8.75, followed by rises to:

$9.50 as of March 31, 2009
$10.25 as of March 31, 2010
Steve Peters said:

"We are committed to ensuring fair, balanced and progressive policies for Ontario workers. We must ensure that our most vulnerable workers are able to share in Ontario’s strong economy."

"It is in the best interest of Ontario to help low-income working people," said Peters. "Since 2003, we have increased the minimum wage by 17 per cent. These increases would add an additional 28 per cent. Our economic strength is built by working families who must be allowed to share the benefits of a growing economy."via HRM Guide

Using Business Planning Software

Over the years I have written several business plans. If you have not had the experience as of yet, get ready for some work. There are some great resources on the web to get more information. One I particularly like is Tim Berry's Hurdle Book. Berry gives some good insight and practical methodology to putting your plan together.

Berry is President of PaloAlto Software, who produces Business Plan Pro. Business Plan Pro has come a long way over the past few years and is very flexible. In 2001, I tried this application for a plan I was writing. Although the plan templates were very comprehensive and helped guide me through the key areas of the plan, I found it hard to work with and eventually put the plan together using Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The current version (2007) offers much more flexibility in the areas where you will need it most (importing and exporting). I am currently completing a new plan and Business Plan Pro has been great. In the future I hope PaloAlto offers increased flexibility with their spreadsheet formulas.

Business planning is a long arduous process. PaloAlto is not a sponsor of this blog, and I don't work for Tim Berry, but I have looked at a few different business planning tools and found Business Plan Pro to be the best.via Arizona Small Business

Cost of cottage escape soars

TORONTO -- Dreams of cottage ownership are on the rise among Canadians even though strong demand is pushing prices up sharply and steep gasoline costs make driving to that sliver of get-away paradise more expensive, a new analysis finds.

Nationally, the average price of a standard waterfront property reachable by land has hit $427,589, a 13 per cent annual increase, according to the 2007 Royal LePage Recreational Property Report released yesterday.

"Demand for recreational property continues to far exceed supply across Canada, causing cottage prices to rise at a much quicker rate than the overall housing market," said Phil Soper, CEO of Royal LePage Real Estate Services.

Still, a national Maritz Research poll indicates more Canadians dream of owning a place away from it all than was the case last summer. Twelve per cent of those surveyed plan to buy a cottage in the next three years.

For those ready to take the dockside plunge, Atlantic Canada offers the most affordable recreational properties.

At an average price of $86,500, Newfoundland is positively bargain basement.

That is a far cry from Ontario or Quebec, where the desire to escape big city living has pushed typical rec property prices to the $500,000 mark. via London Free Press

Teller launches CIBC suit

A $30,000-a-year CIBC bank teller has launched a $600-million class-action lawsuit against her employer over the unpaid overtime she says she and others have to work to do their jobs.

Dara Fresco, 34, hopes as many as 10,000 tellers and other front-line workers at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will join her in the lawsuit filed yesterday in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

"It is not right to work for a company and not get paid overtime," Fresco said at her lawyer's office. "This was a common occurrence at the bank for many people."

Fresco, who continues to work as head teller, alleges CIBC non-management employees are assigned heavy workloads that cannot be completed within standard working hours, and that, at least in Fresco's case, she was told not to claim any of it as overtime.

Fresco estimates she's owed at least $50,000 in overtime built up during her 10-years of service.

"I was surprised to find out that this practice was happening in a bank," Fresco said. "I hope others would get involved in the legal action."
None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been proven in court.

In a statement issued shortly after the statement of claim was filed, CIBC said it has a "clearly defined" overtime policy that "exceeds legislative requirement."
"CIBC employees are the cornerstone of our strength as a company," the statement said. "We have comprehensive compensation, benefit and employment programs to ensure we attract, retain and reward our employees and create an environment where they can excel.
"We have just received this lawsuit and will be reviewing it in detail prior to further response." One of Fresco's lawyers, Doug Elliott, said the legal action is "groundbreaking."
"This is the largest unpaid overtime class action suit in Canadian history," he said at his Front St. W. office. "These front-line workers routinely work more than their regular hours." via London Free Press