1. Managing Your Human Resources: What you need to know Jennifer Young Grant Thornton AFOA Conference Feb 2004 Calgary

2. Agenda Human Resources Planning (in general) HR Planning (in Aboriginal Communities) Employee vs. Labour Relations Training and Development Occupational Safety & Health Discipline, Grievance and Termination

3. What we won’t be covering Job Descriptions Performance Appraisals Harassment Organizational Charts & Governance Models HR Management Information Systems Leadership and employee motivation HR Policy and Employee Handbooks Hiring, pay & benefits (covered by Kathy Gaudry)

4. Purpose of Workshop Provide you with background information and a few key tools to take back to your communities Best Practices and Options Very brief overview of very complex area Not a lawyer – presentation from perspective of HR Manager

5. Jennifer Young - hummingbird

6. What is Human Resources Management? Planning HR Needs Staffing organizations based on HR needs Compensating and motivating employees Appraising employee behaviour Enhancing potential – training & development Maintaining effective work relationships & work environment

7. HR Planning!

8. HR Planning in Corporate For Profit Environment Entrepreneurial Strategy – high risk, short term Dynamic Growth Strategy – balance between current work and potential future work Extract Profit Strategy – focus on profit, cost cutting, frequent terminations Liquidation Strategy – selling off assets, cutting further losses, workers a commodity Turnaround Strategy – short term strategy for long term survival

9. HR Planning in Aboriginal Community Preparation for Self Government – developing scope of skills required to manage all aspects of future government Job Creation – only employer in town: lots of short term jobs rotated through portion of members Economic Driver – supporting Economic Development Plan: nurturing business skills Social Driver – supporting recovery and social wellbeing: nurturing counselling and cultural

10. HR Planning in Aboriginal Community Linked to vision of community leaders and elders Linked to reality of location – geography, rural/urban Linked to resources – natural, financial, population size Linked to previous & current investment in education

11. HR Planning in Aboriginal Community In past, Band hiring was often directly linked to election cycle However, employees tend to stay long after election and/or program runs out of money Growing awareness of employee rights and employment standards Few skilled and educated individuals available in some remote communities

12. Developing a HR Plan Articulate Vision and Long Term Strategy of Community; acknowledge political reality Balance between long term vision and short term reality Link HR with Education Committee Planning

13. Questions on HR Planning?

14. Employee vs Labour Relations Non-unionized vs. Unionized Employee Relations: (in general, the topics we are talking about during this workshop) covers overall management and balanced of employer and employee rights and responsibilities Labour Relations: covered under collective agreements

15. Labour Relations VERY CLEAR regulations in each province on how employer and employees can/must act during unionization process as well as during bargaining Avoid – threats, reactionary firing, political positioning Seek legal advice from Labour specialist First Nations are currently targets of Labour Unions

16. Reasons for Unionization Direct connection between employment/HR strategy and tendency of staff to want to Unionize Breakdown in communication Lack of clear vision or leadership Taking away power from small group in effort to make system fairer – hiring decisions by policy/committee Power = Money; Money = Power (Taking away an individual or groups ability to make money)

17. Questions on Employee vs Labour relations?

18. Training & Development Enhancing Human Potential: training and development career management and planning Determining, defining and implementing a training & development program is key to increasing employee abilities & performance, as well as the community’s ability to be prepare to meet long term goals

19. Designing a Training & Development Program Balance between individual needs, departmental needs, and community needs Long term vision vs. short term reality Developing a Learning Culture Job specific vs. culturally specific program (language training) Requires Assessment of skills, knowledge and attitude of individuals and community to ensure efficient use of funds

20. Skills Assessment & Needs Analysis Conduct a needs analysis of organization and compare skills across group – develop training program based on organizational needs Conduct individual skills assessment part of personal career planning. Link to organization by making training a condition of hire, pay increases, promotions

21. Questions on Training & Development?

22. Occupational Safety & Health The idea behind all OS&H programs is “to make the workplace as hazard free as possible” OS&H policies articulate an interlocking set of rights and responsibilities on the part of the employee and the employer

23. OS&H Program Canada Labour Code  Canada Occupational Safety and Health Regulations Provincial legislation & regulations similar in all provinces but each has unique elements Note: Bands covered by federal code, but depending on set-up may also be required to meet provincial requirements

24. Components of OS&H Program 1. OS&H committee or worker representative in place 2. OS&H training for all staff completed 3. OS&H program or policy written and in place 4. Injury reporting system in place 5. Early and safe return-to-work program or policy in place

25. Components of OS&H Program Key is not just written policy but all staff must be fully trained and aware of program/policy Documentation of regular meetings, evaluations, reports must be kept Most successful programs involve staff and in someway are staff driven

26. Penalties for non compliance In almost every province there are penalties for non-compliance Ignorance not acceptable Hazards can include such things as: building safety, electrical, emergencies, fire protection, lighting, materials handling, ventilation Sometimes also linked to Harassment Policy

27. Questions on OS&H Programs?

28. Discipline, Grievance & Termination Almost impossible to cover these topics in such a short time! These topics should be understood from the perspective of: Maintaining a healthy and effective work environment and work relationships (carrot rather than stick)

29. Discipline Before you can discipline, the employee needs to know what they were supposed to do and/or not supposed to do:  Job descriptions, OS&H policies, HR policy,… Need to have clear process and policy for measuring performance (good and bad):  Performance Appraisal System

30. Discipline (cont’d) Disciple problems often result of poor management, poor instructions, and/or inconsistency in application of policies All policies and procedures must be followed consistently and fairly Application of discipline must occur in a timely manner, too late to wait until annual review

31. Progressive Discipline Generally three stages (based on written/published policy that states authority to discipline and resulting action at each stage) 1. Verbal warning (with note put into employee file) 2. Written notice (original of letter given to employee, copy to file) 3. Written final notice (followed by immediate dismissal for cause)

32. Discipline Policy Recommended that the Manager inform HR Manager of discipline issue before first warning (if no HR Manager – Band Manager, CEO) Sometimes HR Manager sits in on verbal warning but definitely for second and third warning – witness and record keeper

33. Discipline Some policies allow employee to bring along a friend  not recommended; at least for first 2 stages. This is a matter between employee/employer and should not be confused with Grievance which is an employee/employee matter

34. Discipline Policy Some offences are cause for immediate dismissal and should not go through discipline process – ask lawyer Conditions for “Dismissal with Cause” should be clearly stated in HR Policy

35. Grievance Where discipline deals with an employee not meeting employer/employment standards; Grievance is designed to address a problem between two (or more) employees The two employees can be co-workers (peer to peer) or subordinate to supervisor/manager

36. Grievance Issues between employees and clients or outsiders generally, should be handled through a customer service policy If however, an employee complains of outside treatment and nothing is done, the employee may Grieve the supervisors lack of response

37. Grievance Like Discipline – need to have clearly stated policy and process for dealing with Grievance issues Policy must protect subordinate from unfair treatment/ retribution as a result of filing a complaint Policy must also protect accused of unfair/false claim

38. Grievance Policy should set out Steps for hearing Grievance Progression of hearing process Who should be involved at each stage of process Rights to external assessment/arbitration if internal process unsatisfactory

39. Termination With cause and without cause Organizational restructuring Loss of funding Terms and conditions of employment contract HR Policy …all will impact ability to terminate

40. Questions?

41. Thank you Note: Grant Thornton offers a comprehensive three module - three week Aboriginal Human Resources Management Training Program: Developed for senior managers that have responsibility for HR issues working in Aboriginal or Band environment. Customized for and taught in your community. (See me for details)

42. Jennifer Young Senior Consulting Manager jenniferyoung@GrantThornton.ca 709-778-8820