As things at the North Pole have slowed down and planning has started for a new year, the Human Resources Professionals at the North Pole are starting to become concerned about how they will recruit and retain valued employees. It seems that Santa and the elves are aging and thinking about the work ahead this year. This webtip focuses on providing strategies for an aging workforce in order to reduce injuries and determine how to create jobs to fit aging employee's capabilities.

Oh the stress of Christmas, the holidays, family and finances! Every year we face the same dilemmas! How can we help employees to manage this stress and remain productive through the turmoil of holiday planning and preparations? This webtip covers the statistics with respect to stress in the workplace and strategies for employers to manage stress in the workplace.

Many employers are faced with proposed return to work plans from well-meaning health providers, but what is a reasonable expectation of the employer to accommodate these return to work plans? This webtip will examine the human rights decisions that impact employers' decisions around return to work and accommodation.

This webtip examines the impact on eliminating mandatory retirement in the workplace and the duty to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Strategies for accommodation of an aging workforce and processes to determine when an individual is unable to perform the essential duties are provided.

Employers are becoming more aware of the costs of absence and the impact of ineffective return to work programs in the workplace. Both occupational and non-occupational return to work programs can cost an employer if done ineffectively; creating modified work pools and administrative processes that are unwieldy. Choosing not to manage the return to work is not an option. For employers who choose not to manage the return to work, absenteeism and lost time increases, cutting into the bottom line by up to 12% of their profit margin.

The newest research, with respect to disabilities in the workplace, has noted a rise in employer concern regarding presenteeism. What is presenteeism? Presenteeism is the measurement of the productivity of an employee when they are in the workplace. The employee may be present in the workplace but their productivity is low due to mental health issues, pain, disability, improper ergonomics or improper job match. The cost to the employers for presenteeism is hard to capture in direct dollars but it is noted in productivity studies.

Researchers have reported that mental health conditions comprise 30% to 40% of all long-term disability claims in Canada (2001). 20% to 30% of the population will have a depressive episode at some point in their lives, costing over $3 billion to Canadian businesses (2002). It is important for employers to understand the impact of mental health issues in their workplace and to find strategies to assist with return to work.

A well-documented Return to Work Program will assist you and your employee during the return to work process. Under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, employers must document all modified work offerings and return to work programs. This webtip provides key strategies to document a return to work program.

As we age, visual impairments become more apparent at the workplace. Our natural visual capabilities change as our years progress but our work demands appear to remain the same. Also, as individuals age, they are more prone to visual disturbances related to health issues such as diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and macular degeneration. This webtip focuses on strategies to accommodate individuals with visual impairments in the workplace.

The duty to accommodate individuals in the workplace usually falls to the employer as outlined in the legislation (both the Human Rights Code and the Workers' Compensation Act). It is easy, some may say, for the employee to sit back and let the process be done to him/her. This type of approach unfortunately leads to failed accommodation methods and sometimes a negative response from the employee. This webtip focuses on the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in the accommodation process.