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UPFRONT
BILL 32 – ONTARIO LEGISLATURE
PASSES REGISTERED HUMAN
RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS
ASSOCIATION ACT
On November 6, the Ontario Legislature
passed Bill 32, the “Registered Human
Resources Professionals Association
Act,” which will replace the Human
Resources Professionals Association of
Ontario Act, 1990, to reflect today’s realities
in the workplace and the evolving
importance of the association’s HR professionals.
The Human Resources Professionals
Association (HRPA) is the regulatory
body that sets standards of practice and
issues the Certified Human Resources
Professional (CHRP) designation.
“If everyone is moving forward together,
then success takes care of itself and
that’s what happened with the passing
of Bill 32,” said Bill Greenhalgh, CEO
of HRPA. “It was the unwavering commitment
and enthusiasm of our sponsors
David Zimmer, MPP; Vic Dhillon,
MPP; Christine Elliott, MPP; Michael
Prue, MPP; and the commitment of the
Government and Official Opposition
Caucuses that made this a success story
for HRPA and its members.”
Continued Greenhalgh, “The public
can enjoy greater confidence in regulated
HR professionals who are HRPA members.
The new Act gives consumers and
businesses a fair and transparent vehicle
to make complaints about HR professionals.
It will protect consumers and
businesses from unregulated HR professionals
and will provide a practical way to
achieve the goals set out in the Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities and
the Employment Standards Acts.
This legislation will benefit HRPA
members by elevating their profession to
a Tier 1 status that will increase the value
of the CHRP designation. The new Act
will also enhance HRPA’s control over
the unauthorized use of the “CHRP”
designation.
#MISSINGOUT? CIPD RESEARCH
FINDS THE ‘SOCIAL BUSINESS’
IS OUT THERE, BUT IT HASN’T
GONE VIRAL YET
Social media is a long way off infiltrating
the workplace to the extent it has become
embedded in our personal lives, and employers
could be missing out, according to
new research from the Chartered Institute
of Personnel and Development (CIPD). A
survey of more than 2,000 employees found
that while three in four use social media in
their personal lives, just one in four use it
for work purposes.
The research, entitled Social technology,
social business?, found that almost half of
employees who use social media for work
on a daily basis see real benefits for their
organizations.
The research also sought to find out
what might be holding employers and employees
back. Many employees are not yet
convinced of the value of social media or its
relevance to their role, and in those organizations
where policies on social media are
most relaxed, greater benefits are reaped.
The survey does not support concerns
that social media platforms used within
organizations leads to time-wasting and reduced
productivity due to non-work chat,
but nor has the potential for employee
voice and collaboration within organizations
been realized.
“Employers who actively embrace and
encourage the use of social media are most
likely to maximize the benefits and minimize
the risks,” said Jonny Gifford, research
adviser at the CIPD. “HR and communications
departments should be leading the
charge in this regard, since if they are not
Photo by Violetkaipa / Photos.com
focused on building strong and open cultures,
then who is?”
To download the report, visit
http://bit.ly/18h3XoY.
CANADIANS WANT FLEXIBLE
HOURS AND MOBILE
TECHNOLOGY AT WORK
Today’s workers are increasingly global,
mobile and flexible – and they expect their
employers to keep pace. Rogers set out
to uncover how Canadians feel about the
tools, policies and environment they work
in today. The Rogers Connected Workplace
report was released in December.
The report found that more than half
of Canadians (60 per cent) – including
both Baby Boomers and Gen Yers – want
to work with the latest technologies inside
and outside the office. However, this
group agrees they currently don’t have access
to tools, solutions or workplace policies
to make this a reality.
Canadians are also looking to work in
environments outside the office. Over 30
per cent said they would be willing to take
a pay cut or give up vacation in exchange
for the opportunity to work from anywhere.
Employers looking to attract and retain
the brightest talent should consider embracing
these trends for the workplace of
the future:
1. FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS
More than half of Canadians agree that
in the future, flexible work hours and the
ability to work from anywhere will be top
priorities when choosing an employer.
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ FEBRUARY 2014 ❚ 11