BOWEN Workforce Solutions is committed to making our community a better place. Whether it is linking great employers with talented employees, incorporating sustainable practices into our day-to-day business, giving of our time to worthwhile organizations or donating funds to causes we care deeply about, we take our corporate citizenship seriously. We care about our environment and incorporate sustainable practices into our day-to-day business routines. We believe in sharing our financial success with the community where we live, work and play by helping families who need it most, and making our community a better place. Our desired legacy is a caring, successful company that truly makes a difference for our community.

As a company, we felt it was worth the time and investment to make sure we identified meaningful ways to give back to our community, while giving our employees, candidates and clients opportunities for engagement and involvement.

There are fantastic organizations that are on the front lines each and every day, caring for those who need help and hope. Whether it is a homeless family, a hungry child or a parent needing suitable work clothes to start a new job, we can reach out and help make our community a better place for everyone. Individuals and corporations all have a role to play and I am proud of our employees commitment to making a difference.

In the weeks ahead, I will share more about our vision and how you can join us on this exciting new journey!

We just had a sunny weekend and according to the Weather Network we will continue to have sunny days right into the upcoming long weekend. This is welcome news after the cool start to the summer we have had.

I am really looking forward to some downtime with my family as we go on vacation. However, if you are like me, the time leading up to vacation and the time immediately following can be really hectic. I’m hoping this time around will be different and have sourced a few tips to help with the work/vacation /work transition.

Prepare early, You mark on your calendar and start dreaming of your vacation in advance so in turn, start preparing for your work departure just as early. Notify co-workers, arrange for coverage in your absence and start compiling a list of items that need your attention before leaving. The added time to prepare relieves stress and ensures items are not missed.

Do not forget the basics. Some tasks will need to be done before every vacation such as recording your out of office voicemail and setting your out office email message. Your work may have a standard list of pre-vacation policies. If so, make sure you are aware and adhere to them.

Make a vacation preparation list. Lists in general are a great way to stay on track and with each item you check off you are that much closer to fun in the sun.

Schedule a buffer day. It is not always possibly but if you are able, you should schedule in a home day between when you get back from vacation and when you start work. On this buffer day you can adjust your sleep schedule, re-stock on groceries and other tasks. This will make sure that on your first day back at work your mind is focused and you are ready to work.

Leave yourself notes on projects that you will be continuing with when you return. This way you will be back up to speed more quickly and can hit the ground running. Also, if you have them written down at work you can put them out of your mind when on vacation.

Do you have any vacation tips? I’d love to hear them!

If you haven’t had a chance to read it, check it out here:

//www.calgaryherald.com/life/Bullying+workplace+rise/3145498/story.html

Interestingly, the story resulted in some great responses from Herald readers who were happy to see that this important topic was being discussed!

Yesterday, newspapers across Canada were picking up the story based on Queen’s University’s School of Business research that shows workplace bullying can be more damaging than racial or gender harassment. Interestingly,the Province of Ontario is preparing to pass a bill that will require employers to “develop and communicate workplace violence prevention policies, assess the risks of workplace violence, and take reasonable precautions to protect workers from domestic violence in the workplace”.

(http://http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/canada/Bullying+work+worse+than+gender+racial+harassment+Report/3151623/story.html

Quebec and Saskatchewan already have similar legislation in place. Let’s hope it is not long before every province follows suits. Workplace bullying is wrong - plain and simple!

I recently celebrated my 26th anniversary with BOWEN and can honestly say I still love coming to work each day. This is a dynamic and challenging industry, that is also very rewarding. There is such satisfaction in helping people find a job that will carry them along their career path and balance their work / life responsibilities! At the same time, I am honoured that so many of Canada’s top companies have trusted BOWEN’s experience and expertise, and invited us to essentially become part of their human resource and business teams.

The past few years have been particularly challenging for the staffing industry, as we were so directly impacted by the economic downturn and the effects on business. However, there is a positive shift happening and I know that regardless of what the future holds, we will continue to give our best to the employers and job seekers who want our help. Congratulations to all who are part of the staffing industry and enjoy the week!

It’s also something that can be difficult to talk about or address, but not doing so can cost employers more than they may realize. An article on the Canadian Women’s Health Network states A 2007 survey of bullying targets conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute in the United States found that 45% of the respondents experienced stress-related health problems, including anxiety, panic attacks, sleep problems or depression.

Prolonged exposure to stress in the workplace can lead to other serious health concerns, such as problems related to cardiovascular, neurological and immune system health. Also, targets often decide to quit their jobs and end up trading the stress of bullying for the stress of being unemployed.”

As an employer, I want to ensure that I know what signs to look for so that my employees can feel safe and remain focused on their responsibilities, while enjoying a healthy workplace. When we start to count the costs, both from a monetary and a morale perspective, it is too great to tolerate any form of bullying. We don’t accept it at school and we shouldn’t accept it in our workplace.

Check out my May 20th entry for more information on our upcoming free seminar about workplace bullying.

Bullying impacts employees and corporations in many ways, including financially and psychologically. There are also many questions. How do you identify a workplace bully? How do the seek out their targets? Most importantly, how do you stop it?

I firmly believe that there is a tremendous opportunity for workplace leadership by tackling the tough topic of bullying. BOWEN is pleased to be offering a free seminar about this issues as part of our new Building a Better Workplace series. The session takes place June 10 between 12 and 1 p.m. For more information, you can e-mail hbrooks@bowenworks.ca.

Watch for new blog posts next week when I dig a little deeper into this topic. It’s worth talking about!