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The expression, ‘it’s lonely at the top’, may ring truer than ever these days as business leaders deal with a barrage of labour and financial issues which can not only affect their motivation but lead them to quickly becoming burned out.

In fact, Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index - compiled via a global survey of workers across multiple industries and companies - indicated that 53% of manager reported feeling burned out at work.

This doesn’t come as a surprise to leadership coach and expert Julie Dupont, Principal Strategist and Owner of Cambridge-based Reimagine Leadership.

“We know there has been a bit of a mass exodus with boomers leaving (the workplace) and the onset of COVID, but still leaders have been expected to achieve the same results with even fewer resources,” she says, adding the ‘doomsday’ predictions of a potential recession have just exacerbated the situation. “It’s no wonder they are starting to feel burned out.”

Like employees, Julie says a lack of motivation in leaders often manifests itself in either performance or attitude when it comes to work.

“With managers you will see a loss of enthusiasm in the goals of the organization because a motivated manager sees the vision and buys into it and wants to be part of it and rallies the troops to make it happen,” she says. “But when you start getting to that point of burnout or loss of motivation, you start feeling some apathy towards the goals of the organization. You become so busy trying to figure out what you’re going to do for yourself that the goals of the organization take a backseat.”

As a result, Julie says employees’ performance and growth is easily impacted since they are no longer being challenged.

“They get used to this of life just doing the bare minimum and it spirals, so it’s about not having opportunities missed because your manager just doesn’t have the capacity to perform.”

However, Julie says there are many ways business leaders can ‘reignite’ their motivation beginning with having the self-awareness to know what their triggers are when it comes to work.

“You can then be in a place to start taking steps to manage yourself when you start noticing the apathy and anxiety,” she says, adding keeping a journal can help, even creating a ‘gratitude’ journal. “Some people may say it sounds hokey, but it works and brings to mind things that are good in your life so it’s not all doom and gloom.”

Also, the need for self-management is key says Julie.

“Moods are contagious and if you’re that leader walking around with a cloud over your head all the time that spreads and can be very unproductive,” she says. “When your people see that you don’t care, why should they?”

Julie says when leaders receive the skills they need to make choices and handle stress, that helps build resiliency and suggests using the services of a professional coach as another option, especially if they don’t have anyone either personally or professionally, they can confide.

“Managers don’t always they feel there is someone at work they can confide in. They may feel they’re at the top and have to do it alone,” she says, adding a coach can become a great ‘thinking partner’ for a business leader. “This is a person you can off load to who isn’t judging you and there’s no repercussions to sharing your experiences, and they have the added benefit of having strategies or ideas that can help you overcome those hurdles.”

10 tips to combat leadership burnout

• Know your early warning signs. Common burnout symptoms include poor sleep, loss of motivation, exhaustion, feeling every day at work is a bad day, increased irritability and engaging in escapist behaviours.
• Increase your self-efficacy. Seek out coaching and professional development experiences to identify mastery experiences.
• Empower your team and delegate more. Share your vision and purpose and reduce micro-managing.
• Become more deliberate with your time. Use your leisure time wisely and seek out positive social support and sources of relaxation and achievement outside of work.
• Take a break, 20 minutes a day. No texting, no internet, just you and an introspective practice (like mindfulness). Unplug out of work daily.
• Rewind, reflect, remember.  Take time to remember why you’re doing what you do. What is your purpose?
• Get the basics right.  Diet, sleep, and exercise.
• Honestly assess your situation and work toward solutions. Ask yourself the following questions: How am I travelling? Am I doing those things? Why am I doing what I am doing?
• Mentally remove yourself from the job. Step back and try to look at your job from an external objective point of view.
• Manage your energy not your time. Work out when you are most productive and do important tasks then.

Source: HumanPsychology 

There comes a time in the life of most businesses when its founder, or owner, decides it’s time to step away. In the case of family-owned businesses, it can be especially difficult and requires often frank conversations when it comes to creating a viable succession plan.

“You may assume the next generation is going to take over the business, but did you have that conversation with the children and does it algin with their vision? Is there alignment?” says Carlo Ciarmitario, Partner and Regions East Family Office Leader, KPMG Enterprise. “It really could get even more complicated with larger families with multiple family members where some are involved in the business, and some are not involved.”

According to a succession survey conducted by CFIB last year, at least 76% of Canadian business owners plan to exit their business within the decade resulting in over the transfer of $2 trillion worth of business assets changing hands during this period.

Couple this with the fact that only 1 in 10 (roughly 9%) have a formal succession plan in place to assist in the transition of the business and the economic landscape in Canada is in for major changes.

“Those discussions are tough discussions that not everybody wants to get involved with,” says Carlo, adding he spends at least 60-70% of his time in this area. “It’s really about the founder wanting to let go and they may not be ready to let go. For many of them, the business is part of their family, and they can’t fathom the idea that somehow they’re not going to be involved in the business going forward.”

However, he says having a communication framework is fundamental to all succession discussions and must involve everyone, including third generation family members if necessary.

“There can be a lot of emotions involved in that discussion,” says Carlo. “But I think people need to know that discussion has to happen.”

To assist, he offers the following information:

Q. Is having a clear succession planning something many SMEs often put on the backburner?

Founders may not be ready to let go. Many do not feel that the next generation is ready or even capable of running the business the way they have been operating the business.  Many of these owners started the business from the ground up and have been involved in every aspect of the operations: whether it’s relating to the hiring of staff, or the way the business operates, to working with the bank and investors on financing the operations and maintaining profitability. Things to consider:

1. Succession requires a communication framework and strategy for all parties involved.  It’s not as simple as the founders of the business say they are going to retire and that the next generation steps in.  A plan needs to be put in place on how the transition will take place, who will be succeeding the founders and the timing of the transition.
2. Many of the next generation family members are not prepared.  They do not understand their roles in the family business and the required accountabilities with accepting those roles.  This becomes even more challenging when certain members of the next generation are involved in the business while others are not involved.
3. Lack of a common vision between the various parties.  The founders may have a particular family member in mind to succeed them.  However, their vision may not align with the next generation:  Does the next generation individual want to be the successor?  How do the other family members feel about the succession plan?  This could lead to a lot of difficult discussions and conflict around sensitive issues.
4. The majority of the founder’s wealth may be tied up in the business. If they have insufficient assets outside of the business, they may be unwilling to let go as they are concerned that they will not be able to maintain the lifestyle they have been accustomed to.

Q.    What are the first few important steps towards creating a successful succession plan?

An estate freeze is a common succession planning tool but is part of the overall succession planning process. At a high level, an estate plan involves the founders freezing their current equity interest in the family business shares at today’s fair market value. 

This is typically followed by having a family trust, the beneficiaries of which would include the founders’ children subscribing for equity shares that will enable the future growth of the business to pass onto the next generation.  When structured properly, an estate freeze allows the founders to cap the taxes their estates will have to pay on death while transferring the future value of the business to the next generation. Things to consider:

1. Does the next generation want to be part of the family business?  An outcome of these discussions may be that family should sell the business rather than keep the business in the family which often is a difficult pill to swallow for the founders of the business who may have always envisioned the business being passed down from generation to generation;
2. If multiple children involved in the business, who should be the successor of the business?   These discussions will also involve how to deal with children who are not involved in the business.  Do each of the children get an equal share of the equity of the family business or does the future equity get allocated in a different proportion or do some children do not receive any equity in the business but are somehow compensated with other assets the family may have?;
3. Does the next generation of family have the appropriate skills, both operational and leadership, to successfully continue the business?  If not, the family may decide to bring in an independent third party who has the right skills and experience to run the family business;
4. How will future business and investment decisions be made?  Is the first-generation still making the key business decisions?  Or will decisions be made jointly by the first and second generation with the goal that over time the second generation of family will be making all key decisions;
5. Families will need to have discussions around implementing a governance structure. This ranges from having a Family Council Structure where all family members, owners and non-owners are involved, to an Advisory Board where input from individuals who are not part of the business can provide input on strategy and direction but the family still has the final say on decisions; to a formal Board structure which may include the appointment of outside third parties to lead or participate on the Board.

Q. When is the right time to create a succession plan? Are there signs to watch for?

There is no real right time to start a succession plan.  Just as the business did not grow over night your succession plan won’t happen overnight.  The process evolves over time

A good idea is to begin the process five to seven years prior to either selling the business (if that is what the family decides) or from the founder retiring/stepping back from day-to-day operations.  This will allow for enough time to affect a proper transition of the business or get it ready for a potential sale.

Q. Is creating a succession plan a difficult process?

The most difficult part is getting the conversation started as noted above.  The natural tendency is to avoid the conversation.  However, once the process gets started, most succession plans do have a positive outcome.  The key is getting everyone’s input and making the decision collectively.

The following piece is one of several that appears in the special summer edition of  our INSIGHT Magazine celebrating Cambridge’s 50th anniversary as we recognize just a few of the people, businesses and institutions that have made our community great.

‘Hang by your thumbs’.

It was a nonsensical expression Jim Chaplin would often use when saying farewell, his wife Daisy told the Waterloo Record in 2015 following the Cambridge industrialist’s death at the age of 82 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease.

The phrase, first used in a 1930’s radio comedy show, offers a small glimpse into Chaplin’s personality which took him a long way as not only a successful business leader who ran the family company for 57 years but a major community supporter.

Chaplin was only 32 when he took over the reins of Canadian General-Tower – one of the city’s oldest operating industries - after his father, Gordon, who had been MP for the former Waterloo South riding, passed away.

The company, a leading producer of polymeric coated fabrics and films used in the automotive and industrial sectors, has roots dating back to the 1800s when William Chaplin began manufacturing tools and wooden wheels in Galt. His son, J.D. Chaplin, took over the company – called Victoria Wheel Works – and renamed it Canadian General Rubber Company in 1927.

The company was a major supplier of coated fabrics during the war years, supplying rain wear, but switched to consumer products such as shower curtains and wall coverings, soon after.

Under his watch over many decades, Chaplin saw the company’s sales grow from $3 million annually to $300 million as he expanded its footprint throughout Canada and the United States until it was sold in 2012.

Despite a busy work schedule, he managed to serve on many boards for various organizations including the Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada, Woodbridge Foam Corporation and Commercial Financial Corporation Ltd.

While his professional affiliations were also important to Chaplin, he relished in serving his community and was a member of Galt City Council from 1963 to 1969, acting as Deputy Mayor for a year. Also, he served as Chair of the United Way Campaign from 1968 to 1970 as well as the Industrial Development Committee of the City of Galt Planning Board.

However, it was his role as the President of the Cambridge YMC from 1964 to 1974 that left a lasting impact on the newly-amalgamated Cambridge. The organization was in crisis at that time and the help he gave set it on a path to success for the future.

It was Chaplin and his brother, Gord, who provided the lead gift that allowed the YMCA to relocate from Queen’s Square in Galt to its current facility on Hespeler Road in 1996.

“He really believed the Y was an important part of the community,” John Haddock, who retired as chief executive of the YMCAs of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo in 1996, stated to the Waterloo Record in 2015. “He was a leader in the community for over 50 years.”

Not surprisingly, Chaplin received the Fellowship of Honour, the YMCA Canada’s highest award as well as several other prestigious honours including a Mel Osborne Fellowship from the Kiwanis Club of Cambridge for Outstanding Service to the Community in 1996.

When he wasn’t doing good work in the community, or running the family business, Jim could be found enjoying the outdoors at his cottage near Bracebridge, or skiing in Vail, Colorado, where he and his wife, Daisy, made many lifelong friends.

“He loved endeavours,” Haddock also stated in that same Waterloo Record article. “He encouraged you to take a risk and he supported you in it.”

The following piece is one of several that appears in the special summer edition of  our INSIGHT Magazine celebrating Cambridge’s 50th anniversary as we recognize just a few of the people, businesses and institutions that have made our community great.

Feisty. Fun. Skillful. Dedicated. Hard-working.

These are just a few of the words those who knew and worked closely with Claudette Millar were quoted in various tributes to describe Cambridge’s first mayor following her death in February 2016 after a battle with stomach cancer.

Born in Belleville in 1935 but raised in Kitchener, Claudette obtained a degree in sociology in Mississippi before taking a job in the travel industry which led her to move to Ireland for a time before returning to Canada to marry her husband, Clare Millar.

At the age of 35 in 1969, she was elected as Mayor of the Town of Preston making her not only Canada’s youngest mayor but one of the first female mayors in the country.

Standing firm on a platform of open government to ensure residents knew how things in their community were being handled, Claudette became the first mayor of the newly formed City of Cambridge following the amalgamation of Galt, Preston, Hespeler and Blair in 1973.

Bringing these communities together in an uneasy alliance was a big job for Claudette who used her outstanding leadership abilities and forward thinking to get Cambridge on track, only to be tested early on in 1974 when the Grand River overflowed its banks flooding downtown Galt causing millions in damages. And on the personal side, a month after the amalgamation a fire at her Blair home claimed the life of her 81-year-old father-in-law, Bertrum Millar.

Claudette persevered and went on to be lauded for her advocacy work to preserve the city’s cultural and environmental heritage. She was a vocal opponent against a proposed freeway bypass that would have disrupted the Dumfries Conservation Area and the Rare Charitable Reserve, but also knew how to have fun winning the annual mayors’ bathtub race in 1974 for the second year in a row at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.

Claudette also sat on numerous boards and committees as mayor, as well as Region of Waterloo Council where she gained the admiration from many of her political colleagues for being astute politically and never confrontational, always considering regional interests.

“Claudette never worked behind your back. She was upfront. We could have some great arguments about things, but it was always done with respect,” former Regional Chair Ken Seiling was quoted as saying in a 2016 Waterloo Record article upon Claudette’s death.

She served two non-consecutive terms as Cambridge mayor from 1973 to 1974, and again from 1978 to 1988 and played an instrumental role in bringing the Toyota plant to the community, creating a massive economic impact throughout Waterloo Region.

However, throughout her municipal career Claudette did set her sights on a provincial political career and ran three times unsuccessfully as an Ontario Liberal Party candidate to represent Cambridge. The first time was in 1975, again in 1977, followed by a third attempt in 1987. She made a final effort for the local Liberal nomination in 1999 long after her mayoral career ended but lost to Jerry Boyle.

Prior to that political attempt, Claudette was appointed to the Ontario Municipal Board when she retired as mayor and served on the board until 1992.

But her love for municipal politics brought her back and in 2003 she returned to serve on Waterloo Regional Council representing Cambridge before announcing her retirement in 2014. 

And when she wasn’t busy trying to make Cambridge a better place, Claudette could be found relaxing at her very rustic cottage located on a Sharbot Lake island, just north of Kingston.

“She’s a person who had a lot of extraordinary skills. Everything she did, she did well,” her good friend Justice Paddy Hardman was quoted as saying by the Record upon Claudette’s death.

Labour shortages remain the persistent challenge for both the corporate sector as well as small business owners who insist the lack of skilled and unskilled workers is the biggest impediment to increasing sales.

These shortages are expected to get worse as baby boomers retire, despite the fact the participation rate in the labour market appears to be higher. According to an analysis piece last month in the Globe & Mail, as of February, that participation rate – the proportion of the population 15 or older that is working or looking for a job – was 65.7% which is the same as it was in April 2018.

But when it comes to finding people to take on leadership roles, the outlook is much more positive, says leadership coach and expert Julie Dupont, Principal Strategist and Owner of Cambridge-based Reimagine Leadership.

“Filling leadership roles hasn’t been a struggle as much as trying to fill the technical or skilled talent roles,” she said. “People are usually happy to step up into a higher pay cheque.”

However, with that promotion also comes immense responsibilities which Julie says not all people are able to handle.

“Being a leader requires a different set of skills and mindset,” she says, noting some organizations often struggle to get the right people to fill the right roles. “And when they have them, there’s always this fear they are going to leave.”

To mitigate that fear, Julie says personal development is imperative and investing in leadership training will benefit the organization.

“You want to spend the money where it counts and that is on your people right now because they need to see there is a future for them,” she says.  “Leadership skills are an investment in long-term success. If an organization makes you feel unvalued, it hurts.”

Among the most important skills are the ones centred around emotional intelligence, which includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

“These skills are so crucial right now because people need to understand themselves and discover what their triggers are and if they’re going to be resilient,” says Julie. “They need to be able to figure out if what they do works, or if what they do gets in the way of them being successful.”

She says an employee can be great at the technical side of their job, but as a leader may not be much of a ‘people person’ and will struggle.

“It’s about creating that employee-centred approach and is about valuing each and every person in your care,” says Julie, noting that mindset shift can be very difficult for many people but that times are changing. “We are moving slowly in that direction but it’s a big ship and doesn’t turn on a dime.”

In terms of making that change, she says identifying your strengths as a leader is key and reiterates the value of training to create a foundation to help leaders succeed.

“When people feel a little more positive in their abilities, they’re likely to give themselves the grace of making better decisions,” says Julie.

Five skills to developing good leaders:

• Communication: Great leaders must be great communicators. We need people who can learn when to listen, ask the right questions, and speak words of encouragement and motivation to their staff. These skills can be taught.
• Accountability: Not only do we need to keep emerging leaders accountable we also need to teach them how to hold their team members accountable. Many emerging leaders have never been taught the skills necessary to manage staff and earn their respect.
• Time management: Moving people up in our organizations without giving them the skills to manage all the projects, paper and people in a timely manner will lead to burnout or, worse, a broken home life.
• Servitude: Great leaders serve their people by removing roadblocks to their staff’s success. We need to teach our leaders strategies to empower their people by supporting their efforts.
• Mentorship: Great leaders mentor and coach their team members so they can be successful. This isn’t a skill that comes naturally for many people. It needs to be taught.

•    Source Troy Media

The Ontario government will launch a first-of-its-kind program June 1 to make free naloxone kits (and free training) available at workplaces where there is a risk of staff witnessing or experiencing an opioid overdose.

In 2022, there were 2,521 confirmed probable opioid deaths in Ontario, which represents a 12% drop in cases compared to 2021. Despite this, the number of deaths last year remains substantially higher compared to what was observed prior to the pandemic (2017-2019).

Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose, restore breathing within two to five minutes, and allow time for medical help to arrive.

“Ontario, like the rest of Canada, is in the middle of an opioid epidemic made worse by a toxic supply of recreational street drugs,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, when the program was first announced last year.

According to a report released last summer by researchers from the Ontario Drug Police Research Network (ODPRN) at St. Michael’s Hospital, one in 13 opioid-related deaths in the province between 2018 and 2020 occurred in the construction sector. The reasons behind this, say researchers, are a complicated mix of pain management, job insecurity and having nowhere else to turn.

Bars and nightclubs have also seen increased opioid usage and accidental overdoses, often because of recreational drugs laced with deadly opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil.

For up to two years, Ontario will provide free nasal spray naloxone kits to businesses at risk of opioid overdoses through the Workplace Naloxone Program and free training needed to equip staff with the tools to respond to an opioid overdose.

Businesses can determine if they are eligible for the program and find additional information on accessing naloxone kits and training at Ontario.ca/workplacenaloxone. Once the requirement is in effect, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s inspectors will take an education-first approach to enforcement.

We reached out to Tushar Anandasagar and Hina Ghaus at Gowling WLG to provide some legal insight as to what this new legislation will mean for some businesses:

Q. What prompted the Province to introduce this OHSA legislation?

A. The province is recognizing that the ongoing opioid crisis is affecting workplaces across the province – something needed to be done.

Opioid overdoses may be preventable or possible to delay (to an extent) – the province has adopted the role of educating employers on steps they can take to recognize and reduce the severity of overdoses.

These measures also have the effect of reducing the load on the healthcare system – the province is pushing for early triage and prevention rather than escalation.

We’re already doing many of the same things when it comes to allergies – for instance, many workers with severe allergies are already carrying around EpiPens.

Many social changes start at the workplace – there is a good chance that we will start to see this protocol (or something similar) extending beyond the workplace.

The opioid crisis is ubiquitous - we have already seen other provinces discussing the adoption of similar requirements for workplaces.

Q.  Is there a possibility the free training and access to the kits could be extended beyond two years and could funding be provided by another source?

A.  Definitely. Our sense is that this is just the start.  There are numerous benefits associated with early prevention rather than treating severe overdose cases via the healthcare system. A stitch in time saves nine.

Q. Are workers legally required to make their employers aware they could overdose?

A. Not by operation of statute – the onus is on the employer to spot a potential health and safety issue and create systems to make the workplace as safe as possible.  Of course, nothing prevents a worker from voluntarily disclosing a substance use disorder to their employer. Aside from statute, employers may be able to establish early warning systems via fit for duty policies – such a policy would require the employee to report to work while not under the influence of an impairing substance. Employers are then responsible for enforcing the policy.

Q. What kind of privacy issues come into play with this legislation?

A.  An employee’s disclosure of a substance use disorder is considered strictly confidential information – the employer should be prepared to treat this information as it would any other medical information received from an employee

Appropriate protections should be put in place to safeguard the information – shared with only those managers or supervisors who “need to know”.

These issues, and sample scenarios, are discussed in the province’s updated guidance on naloxone in the workplace:  https://www.ontario.ca/page/naloxone-workplace

Q. What are potential concerns surrounding this legislation, if any, that managers of workplaces deemed as at-risk should be aware of?

A. There are risks associated with non-compliance with the OHSA – for instance, primary liability may result if the employer doesn’t run through a naloxone kit risk assessment to determine if there is a risk of a worker overdosing at work.  Every employer is required to do this.

There are also risks associated with running a deficient risk assessment or ignoring risks that come to the employer’s attention – for instance, an employee self-discloses that they have a substance use issue, and the employer does nothing.

Another consideration is what could possibly happen if a worker administers naloxone and the recipient has, for instance, an allergic reaction – as per the province’s current guidance, the Ontario Good Samaritan Act should kick in to relieve workers of liability when they are administering naloxone in good faith.

Q.  What should be the first steps an at-risk workplace should take when it comes to introducing this program?

A. Every workplace needs to run through a naloxone risk assessment – employers may wish to engage a third party to demonstrate that they have done this, as needed.

If naloxone risks are detected during the risk assessment, the employer should plan for implementation by referencing the OHSA guidance published by the province – this will necessarily mean engaging with staff, the OH&S rep, the JHSC, etc.

There are specific training requirements which need to be in place, which have been referenced within the province’s guidance. As needed, the employer should also prepare to procure naloxone kits – there may be free naloxone kits available depending on the sector the employer operates within.

Q. Can workplaces not deemed ‘at-risk’ access the program?

A.  All workplaces can access the Province’s guidelines and training resources. As for the free naloxone kits and on-site training, we know the Province is initially focusing on high-risk workplaces. In future we may see an expansion of the training programs and free kits to non-high-risk environments.

Q. Is it difficult to make changes to the OHSA?

A. Yes and no – some changes are met with objection from employers (and employer associations), trade unions, and other stakeholders (e.g., fine increases, doubling of limitation periods, etc.). It really depends on the type of change that is being made.

Q.  How will compliance of the legislation be monitored?

A. Effective June 1, 2023, we can expect standard MOL audits for employers – they will ask about naloxone kits in the same way that they currently ask about harassment policies, etc. There may also be acute responses triggered by workplace accidents – for instance, if there is a serious workplace accident and there is some indication that substance use disorder may have contributed to the situation, the employer’s risk assessment may be called into question, and they may be found not to have complied with these new OHSA requirements if they failed to identify reasonably apparent risks.

Once again, employers will need to be mindful of proving that they have undergone a risk assessment (document, document, document), particularly if they have concluded that there is no risk in the working environment.

Concerns about security on the app TikTok continue to mount as provincial and municipal governments consider or implement plans to restrict employees from accessing the platform on their work devices.

At the end of February, the federal government officially announced it was removing TikTok from all its mobile devices, joining a growing list of governments worldwide doing the same, despite assurances from the Chinese company Bytedance which owns the app that it does not share data with the Chinese government or store it in the country.

All Canadian provinces are implementing or considering bans, however, at this time it remains unclear if the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut will do the same.

But what does this mean for businesses, many of whom now rely on the popular social media platform to promote their business?

We asked Chamber Members and marketing experts, Ashley Gould of Cinis Marketing and Cathy Lumb of Cali Marketing Communications, to share their insight:

Q. What are some of the key benefits for businesses who use TikTok?

Ashley: TikTok is a great form of marketing for businesses looking to attract a younger audience. They also currently have a huge user base and extremely high engagement, so it is an easier platform to grow your audience on. The third benefit is that less businesses are using TikTok which translates to less competition, meaning that your posts will be seen more favourably and if you engage in paid ads the cost per engagement will be lower.

Cathy: TikTok lets you tell your business’s story with short, fun, and entertaining content that will attract and keep people’s attention. It’s ideal for fun interactive activities and challenges to keep your audience involved and growing.

A benefit for your customers is that they won’t feel they are being advertised to, as with some traditional advertising. Businesses can get a great idea of what their customers like about their products or services as well as what needs to be improved. But it’s important to answer the question: Is my audience on TikTok?

Q. What has made it such an attractive social media tool for them, and can they rely on it too much?

Ashley: The pandemic helped tremendously with the success of TikTok as a platform. Suddenly, people found themselves with extra time and TikTok was a great place to find the most recent dance or trend that you could then try for yourself. Now, TikTok has a billion active users, who are on the app daily looking to be entertained.

Relying on TikTok as your main form of marketing only works for a very small number of businesses, specifically those who can ship internationally and who are geared to a younger audience. Though TikTok can be helpful for other businesses, it is equally important to spend time on platforms like Instagram Reels that take into account, geographic location on a broader scale.

Cathy: It feels more personal and is interactive, videos can be quickly created to be current and in the moment. (You still do need to carefully plan and create engaging material on TikTok.) It is easy to create content with TikTok’s dynamic music and graphics.

It’s also a great way to work with influencers who are using your product or service. If your main target audience is on TikTok then it would be hard not to be there. If TikTok is your only social media platform and at some point, feel you want to get off, it is best to be building your audience on other platforms.

Q. Should businesses be concerned about their information being compromised and shared?

Ashley: Mainstream media has made it readily known that the majority of apps access more data on our devices than they need to. That said, what is on your device should play into that decision. If your phone holds confidential information that could compromise the government, or a hospital, yes keep TikTok off that device. If the most private thing you have is your banking app, studies thus far have shown you are OK to keep the app at this time.

Cathy: This is a big concern as we never want our or our customers’ confidential information to be compromised and used by others. We have already seen many examples of data being collected by other companies and put at risk by being passed on to third parties, without their customers’ consent. TikTok is very good at collecting a lot of information about its users and we can’t be sure where it will end up. More investigation is needed.

Q. What are some steps businesses can take to protect themselves? Or can they?

Ashley: There is definitely something to be said about keeping TikTok on your personal device only and off your work device. TikTok has developed several strategies for keeping your information more private from an audience perspective, but not from a downloading and data collection perspective.

Cathy: As with all social media platforms and search engines, TikTok collects a lot of information from its users so they can effectively target ads. It is impossible for a business or individual to fully protect themselves as there is no way to opt out of all the information TikTok collects.

It’s up to each business and individual to manage their privacy, security and cookies consent on TikTok as well as their browser settings.  Even so, it’s impossible to fully protect yourself from your data being collected and possibly shared as there is no opt out for all information being gathered. A business or individual can minimize some risk by choosing not to post easily identifiable locations in TikTok videos. Individuals can set their TikTok to private to reduce risk.

Q. Do you see businesses moving away from using this platform?

Ashley: The answer to this question is complicated as it is extremely industry specific. If government employees can no longer download TikTok on their devices, then businesses that are using social media as a means of marketing to this demographic will have to find alternative routes. That said, for the majority of businesses the opposite is true, where more and more businesses are starting to create TikTok strategies.

Cathy: I think it will be a tough call to make if a business’s customers and competitors continue to use TikTok, especially if the business is benefitting. A lot will depend on what we learn in the coming weeks about TikTok, as well as what the consumer decides to do. I do think that if a business is not benefitting in a tangible way, then they may be more inclined to move away from it. 

We know that Facebook has faced criticism over the past few years, as has Twitter, but it has not stopped people from using these platforms. However, major advertisers recently moved away from Twitter in droves, so we can see that if businesses are not happy with a social media platform, they will take action.

Many individuals on social media do not feel the need to stop using it and some find it hard to understand how they can be of any interest to TikTok or Facebook.

Q. Are there any social media platforms that are ‘foolproof’ when it comes to security concerns?

Ashley:  In my opinion, no. Apps are always collecting data, it is part of how they are created, and that data is meant to further your user experience. Therefore, there is always some kind of security concern with an app. 

Cathy: All social media platforms have their strong and weak points regarding security, and all are collecting data about us. Users of social media need to adjust the security, privacy, and advertising cookie settings to the levels they are most comfortable with. Businesses on social media platforms need to keep a close eye on their social media accounts, monitor frequently and address any concerns right away.  Regularly review your analytics to determine if your business’s marketing objectives are being achieved on social media.

As businesses continue to look forward as they develop staffing plans to tackle 2023, they may also wish to take a quick look back at new policies that have now been added to the Employment Standards Act, 2000.

These include the right to disconnect legislation first unveiled in Ontario Bill 27 in December of 2021, and the electronic monitoring policy outlined in Bill 88, Working for Workers Act, 2022, and added to the ESA in April of last year.

The new policies – the subject of much discussion since they were first introduced - directly affect employers that employ 25 or more employees as of January 1 of any year and must be in place before March 1 of that year.

We reached out to Meagan Swan, an employment law expert at Pavey Law LLP in Cambridge, to offer insight on what these new policies mean for employers:

Q. What should employers be thinking about when it comes to timelines surrounding these ESA changes?

Meagan:  Employers were supposed to have these new policies in place last year, but as we know for some employers it takes a new year to really start thinking about what needs to be done in 2023. If an employer now has 25 employees, inclusive of all the employer’s business locations, as of Jan. 1, these policies are to be in place by March 1 of each year and provided to their employees within 30 days.

The government has been very reasonable about rolling out the new requirements and giving lots of notice in advance. As we start a new year, employers need to think, ‘do I now meet the employee threshold’ and ‘if I do, how do I create the right policy for my business’. 

The timelines each year do give employers a buffer to ensure they have any new policy reviewed before implementing them with employees.

Q. What are some of the steps employers should be taking regarding these policies if they haven’t already?

Meagan: The first step is to make sure they have the necessary policies in place by March 1 that work for their business. However, employers need to understand that these new policies do not give any new rights to employees. They are basically setting out what the expectations are when it comes to electronic monitoring and the right to disconnect. These policies are all about being transparent. 

An employer can tailor these policies to their business.  For the Right to Disconnect policy, an employer can outline the expectations for when an employee is required to review or respond to emails after hours or engage in other after-hours activities. 

An employer can also include exceptions in their policy to address urgent work that may arise. 

Communicating these expectations to employees is likely not new.  Rather, we are now requiring employers to have these expectations outlined in writing. I have seen some employers implement standard form policies – because there are lots of templates online – and then they end up restricting themselves more than necessary because many are very employee focused. 

These standard form policies don’t consider or address each employer’s specific business or its needs, so it’s important to obtain advice regarding the use of any template to see if it’s the right fit for your business. 

An employer should ensure their policy includes those exceptions and considerations needed for their own operations. Simply, an employer should consider obtaining professional assistance when creating their policies.

Q. What type of penalties could employers be facing surrounding lack of policy implementation?

Meagan: The government has not updated the regulations to include any specific penalties related to these new policies.  As of now, the standard complaint process to the Ministry of Labour is available to employees if an employer had not complied with its requirement to implement the policies.  This type of complaint will likely trigger a visit or communication from an ESA officer to investigate whether the employer is compliant.  If not, an Order requiring the employer to become compliant will likely be issued.

Q. Were there many changes to the Employment Standards Act in 2022 and did the pandemic play a role?

Meagan: COVID-19 has really pushed the government to implement new regulations through the ESA. For example, we had the Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (IDEL) regulation implemented to temporarily change the ESA rules related to reduction of hours, pay and layoffs.   We all know that the pandemic also required many employees to work remotely.  

Many of these employees began feeling the stresses of remote work and maintaining a balance between their home and work life. I believe the government was reacting to these pandemic related issues by implementing the requirement for employers to have Right to Disconnect and Electronic Monitoring policies in their workplace.

Many employers were hesitant at first and believed these polices would be onerous or would take away their ability to manage their own business.

But in reality, most of my clients have been able to implement policies that fit their business and it is now very transparent to employees what the expectations are for remote work and the monitoring of work.   

It has become an all too familiar scenario for many small businesses: a potential employee doesn’t show up for the interview or a new employee, perhaps after a single day or a few weeks, suddenly disappears, never to be heard from again.

For businesses already struggling with labour shortages, the phenomenon of ‘ghosting’ has grown into a real challenge as our economy continues to rebuild.

“The last time we checked, we had about 30% participation in live interviews,” says Mike Black, owner/operator of Valet Car Wash in Cambridge and eight other locations. “I’m also finding that many people go onto Indeed and apply to dozens of job postings and they have no idea why you are even contacting them because they have so many irons in the fire and are just picking and choosing.”

He’s not alone in this regard. According to a survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), 37% of small business owners who responded said they have had potential hires suddenly disappear without explanation, while one out of three who’ve hired someone during the last year either had that employee not show up their first day or had them stop coming in shortly after being hired.

While salary is a clear motivator for many job seekers, Mike also believes there has been a cultural ‘shift’ as opposed to just an economic one in terms of how people currently look for work.

“There almost seems to be a complete lack of courtesy and respect for others,” he says, noting the adage ‘never burn a bridge’ no longer seems to apply.

Janice McVey, Manager Partner at the Dean Group which specializes in employment recruitment, says the fact there are so many jobs available and that accountability no longer seems to be there when it comes to referencing, are a few of the key factors.

“It used to be that having a good job reference was important and not having one used to be a real impediment,” she says. “Now, again with unemployment so low and good people hard to find, companies are lowering the bar. The job candidate understands that lack of investment from the client’s perspective, so it becomes a bit of a two-way street.”

Janice says conducting a short Zoom interview may not necessarily win over a potential employee and make them feel invested enough to sign on.  However, she acknowledges that most companies also no longer have the luxury due to staff shortages to properly acclimate a new employee –spending additional time on training or introducing them to all their co-workers - because they need them to start working immediately.

“As a result of tightening up the interview process, they actually lose that ability to truly engage somebody in the role and therefore they can lose them,” says Janice, noting ‘A list’ companies that offer higher salaries and benefits tend to have fewer ghosting issues. “I think what it boils down to is there are too many options out there and therefore people do not worry about not finding a job when they need one.”

To help combat this, she encourages her clients to really promote why a person should want to work for them.

“You have to make sure what you’ve got to offer is what the candidate is really looking for. You as an employer, have to be clear on why people want to work for your organization,” says Janice. “Because now, they’re interviewing you more than you’re interviewing them.”

And if the candidate accepts the job but there is a concern they could soon be looking elsewhere, she recommends reminding them why they accepted the job in the first place.

“What was their motivation; if money was the reason, you’re never going to keep those people because they’re going to go to the next guy who pays them more,” says Janice. “I think you’ve got to make sure you’re lining up what it is you’ve got to offer with what it is an individual is looking for.”

Mike agrees noting potential employees are paying much closer attention to a company’s core values and how it projects itself, especially online.

“You are definitely selling yourself more today,” he says, adding that communication is vital, especially during the initial interview process and explains how his company keeps in close touch with a potential employee once contact has been made.

“We stay in constant touch with that candidate, reminding them about the interview and confirming the date and time,” says Mike, adding they have had great success with video interviews which can also lead to an in-person meeting depending on the position they’re trying to fill.

Also, he says that close communication continues for the first few months after a new person has been hired.

“You really need to build a relationship that makes them feel welcomed and appreciated, and make sure they have everything they need,” says Mike. “You also have to be aware of how your employees are interacting with your new hires because they can play a major factor on whether they will stay or leave. It only takes a couple of bad apples to taint someone.”

Janice agrees, explaining leveraging your internal network can help an organization retain new employees.

“Your best salespeople as a good organization are your current employees,” she says, adding the pandemic has made the work of HR departments even harder. “I’m afraid the downside is they haven’t been able to do some of things that helped with engagement of candidates like they used to.”

When it comes to recruitment, Mike has purposely entrusted that responsibility to someone else in his organization.

“If it’s not something you’re comfortable with, you really have to delegate it to someone who is,” he says, adding each January his company also does an analysis of its turnover rate during the previous year. “We compare it with previous years to see if we’re getting better or worse. If we’re getting worse, then we really need to look at why and look at solutions as to why that rate when up.”

Employment turnover at a glance:

• More than one-third of Canadian companies (35%) say employee turnover has increased compared to last year, a significant rise from the nearly a quarter (24%) who said the same thing in 2021.
• According to the survey, employee turnover costs companies an average of over $41,000 each year (including the cost to rehire, lost productivity and more). Those costs are even higher for some employers, with more than 1 in 10 hiring managers (16%) reporting $100,000 or more per year in turnover expenses.
• For companies with increased turnover this year, the main causes identified include better pay and/or benefits offered elsewhere (36%), employees resigning (35%), employees feeling overworked (33%), retirements (30%), increased workplace demands (29%) and better perks elsewhere such as summer Fridays and unlimited vacation days (28%).
• Two-thirds of companies agree that employee turnover places a heavy burden on existing employees (64%). This is especially the case with large employers with 100 or more employees (75%) compared to small businesses with fewer than 10 employees (50%). With the added complexity of the current labour shortage, companies are having to lean heavily on their current employees.

•    Info provided by The Harris Poll commissioned by Express Employment Professionals

The decision by CTV’s parent company Bell Media to abruptly end its contract with its lead national news anchor Lisa LaFlamme this past summer sparked public outcry.

While touting the move as a ‘business decision’, accusations of sexism and ageism surfaced after the esteemed journalist let her hair go gray brought these issues into the spotlight and has sparked much conversation in the business world.

“It definitely has raised awareness and discussion and debate as some companies have been doing things to promote gray hair,” says Jessie Zhan, Associate Professor, Department of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, Wilfrid Laurier University, referring to Dove Canada’s ‘keep the gray’ campaign launched in wake of LaFlamme’s dismissal.

As a result of the publicity surrounding LaFlamme’s departure, Helen Jowett, President and CEO of McDonald-Green, a Cambridge-based HR Consulting Firm, says that Bell Media’s decision has left many in the business world questioning things about gender and ageism, noting the sudden end of the news anchor’s contract overshadowed the fact she was not given any real opportunity to have her long career celebrated.

“As a sixty something female, I too was disappointed that she had not been given the same respect that her male counterparts had been afforded,” says Helen.

Professor Zhan’s says issues surrounding sexism and ageism in the workplace aren’t new but have probably become more noticeable because of the whole demographic shift in the workplace.

“The population and workforce are aging and at the same time, in the workplace different age groups and generations are working together on a day-to-day basis and that makes ageism more noticeable,” she says, noting these issues, along with racism, make up the three main issues facing many workplaces and has been working with one of her students to investigate the intersectionality of sexism and ageism.

“In the literature, gender and sex and age have been studied separately but they’re not separate issues,” says Professor Zhan, adding that younger men and women in today’s workplaces do not seem to represent the stereotypical interpersonal perception of those older in which men are often perceived as being more dominate while older women take a more ‘supportive’ or ‘motherly’ role in the work environment. “The younger generation really tries to protect their gender equality in the workplace or making those gender differences less noticeable.”

Helen agrees, adding having various generations working together can also result in valuable mentoring opportunities.

“Many cultures revere the wisdom of age and I’m encouraged that the young leadership demographic rising today are embodying the desire to accept the benefits of diversity in relationships.”

Professor Zhan says in the workplace, age is the one constant noting that every worker will age and eventually become part of another work demographic.

“At different ages, people will belong to different age groups throughout their work career,” she says.

How to identify potential issues in the workplace

When it comes to identifying potential issues surrounding sexism or ageism, Professor Zhan says awareness is always key.

“It can be difficult to tell a person’s attitude,” she says, adding there may be observable behaviours in the workplace that may indicate an issue exists. “Are people interested in making friends outside their age group? Do you see people from different age groups talking to one another? Do you have the sense people feel comfortable working with others from a different age group?”

Helen says potential signs could also include something as simple as dismissing or exclusion of input, right up to psychological bullying.

“Leaders must be clear about the behaviours that they themselves model, reward and tolerate.  Early detection of out of sorts relations should be addressed with empathy, understanding and encouragement to resolve conflict,” she says. “Certainly, policy and process for safe communication of escalated behaviours should be well communicated, reported and disciplined.”  

What can be done when an issue is discovered?

There are laws and regulations in place when it comes to gender equality, including the Employment Equity Act, Pay Equity Act, Canadian Gender Budgeting Act, and the Canada Labour Code. At the provincial level, the Ontario Human Rights Code protects people from age discrimination.

However, Professor Zahn says taking a good hard look at those in your workplace is the best first step before taking any further action or implementing new policies.

“If you spend time with your people, you will be able to tell whether those from different age groups actually want to work together,” she says, adding positive contact between intergenerational employees can reduce stereotypical perceptions.

Helen says encouraging and celebrating the information exchange between employees can go a long way to setting the tone for inclusivity of all people and preferences.

“Raising awareness of the strategic benefits of understanding differences should be spoken of often and openly,” she says. “There will always be something to be learned from someone else if we can embrace the learning offered.”  

And if policy changes are required, Professor Zahn says implementing age specific ones can be a benefit and could include providing training or mentorship opportunities to older employees or creating a clearer path for younger workers to switch to a role they may find more challenging and meaningful.

“Traditionally, when people talk about HR practices, they are age universal. People rarely talk about whether certain HR practices have the same impact for people who are younger versus older in the workplace,” she says, noting each age group values different things. “Most findings have shown age specific HR policies/practices that keep age differences in mind have a positive impact on employees.”

But Professor Zahn is quick to note there can be a negative side also to such policies and practices, explaining by highlighting these age differences may make some employees feel they are being treated ‘differently’ than others.

“It could hinder their performance or lower their self-esteem,” she says, adding there is a new stream of research being conducted highlighting benevolent sexism and racism in the workplace where ‘over accommodating’ employees can be just as harmful. “These actions and feelings are not always coming from the intention to harm.”

Are workplaces getting better at curbing sexism and ageism?

There is no real clear answer to this question, however, Professor Zahn says there is clearly more discussion going on centred around age in the workplace.

“When it comes to ageism, older people are not the only targets. Younger workers are targets as well,” she says. “They can often be perceived stereotypically as less reliable, and they may not get the opportunities to be promoted to certain advancement programs.”

As a result, it’s imperative to celebrate the multicultural and multigenerational perspectives found in workplaces and try to do things in different ways.

“Hopefully, we can value and celebrate that and enjoy the positivity,” says Professor Zahn. “The first step is always becoming aware of the problem.”

Helen says while most organizations are capable of recognizing differences in people’s gender, age, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual preference and many other observable differences, there are still strides to be made.

“Without oversimplifying, we must get better at recognizing and appreciating the strength of sameness and differences for peaceful coexistence,” she says. “Successful organizations learnt early that harnessing employee differences in a respectful way can actually be a strategic imperative resulting in improved support for their customers, suppliers and employees.”

A few steps to creating an open and equitable workplace:

1. Public profile. It begins with simple things like the website – ensuring that photos of employees not only demonstrate racial diversity but generational diversity as well.
2. Training and development. Training and development opportunities need to be communicated to all employees and seen as being fair to all ages and all levels. 
3. Manager training. They often inadvertently display biases. For example, they often request younger workers as hires and seeing them as more likely to stay (false), less likely to get hurt than older workers (false), and more malleable.
4. Promotions and new hires. Organizations must demonstrate their commitment to an age-inclusive workplace by promoting the most qualified and most capable candidates.
5. Workplace programs. Workplace activities must be seen as inclusive, targeting all age groups,
6. Encourage key older workers to stay past retirement. Hanging on to older and long-term employees will be vital in the talent-scarce future and organizations need to find ways to encourage their 50-plus employees to stay on and lure retired workers back.
7. Fair downsizing. In times of business downturns or corporate takeovers, it’s often younger workers who are redeployed, while mature workers are given the stark choice of being laid off or accepting early retirement packages.

Source: Monster.ca