The Driving Force Behind Canada's Manufacturing Future  

Canada's manufacturing sector, like many other sectors, is going through a transformation. A new wave of energy, innovation and creativity is crucial to driving this change. The force that can help drive this change is our youth - the next generation of thinkers, innovators and leaders. Youth are the catalysts to propel the industry into the newly charted territories of Industry 4.0 and sustainable practices. 

Youth in Manufacturing

To harness this potential, manufacturers can align with future industry needs by embracing new technologies, fostering and mentoring youth in manufacturing careers. This will not only help fill employment shortages today but also help propel progress in key areas. 

### Investing in the Future of Manufacturing 

Both federal and provincial governments are investing in programs to develop manufacturing skills in youth, ensuring a strong workforce for tomorrow's industry. 

Funded programs like EMC's suite of Work Integrated Learning programs aim to support the next generation of workers with foundational skills training in areas of communication, managing conflict and difficult interactions, effective problem solving and more. These skills are developed at manufacturing facilities alongside work-integrated / on-the-job training for youth. Work integrated learning programs are designed to introduce today’s youth to viable career options within the sector.  

EMC is currently offering two national work integrated learning programs,[ WILWorks Post Secondary](https://emccanada.org/emc-network/funded-programs/wilworks-swpp) and [WILWorks Skilled Trades in Advanced Manufacturing](https://emccanada.org/wilworks). This fall, EMC launched[ BC Youth In Manufacturing](https://emccanada.org/emc-network/funded-programs/youth-in-manufacturing---bc), for manufacturers in British Columbia, and [WILWorks Youth in Manufacturing](https://emccanada.org/emc-network/funded-programs/youth-in-manufacturing-wilworks), for Atlantic Canadian manufacturers. These programs create pathways for youth to enter the manufacturing sector. 

By providing students and young professionals with access to work experiences and education in the fundamentals of manufacturing, these initiatives can support a well-rounded workforce of industry professionals capable of driving innovation in today's global market, both now and in the future.  

### Embracing the Digital Age  

In [Plant Magazine's 2023 Advanced Manufacturing Report](https://www.plant.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PLT_AdvMfg_OCT2023_LowRes.pdf), sponsored by EMC, 89% of companies cite a lack of skilled workforce as a reason for not investing in technology [1]. With their digital savvy, youth can help implement cutting-edge technologies and streamline operations.  

Today's youth are digital natives. Digital skills like data analytics, coding, machine learning and cybersecurity are becoming increasingly important in manufacturing. Moreover, cutting-edge technologies like IoT, 3D printing, and robotics in manufacturing processes can streamline operations, increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Youth can help spearhead the implementation of these technologies, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to problem-solving.   

Encouraging a culture of digital literacy and continuous learning includes: 

- Providing opportunities for upskilling and reskilling. 
- Fostering a collaborative environment where ideas can be freely shared. 
- Encouraging the exploration of new technologies. 

In this scenario, youth are uniquely positioned to assist the current workforce in adopting new technologies, helping manufacturers overcome the skills gaps that will inevitably widen as this transition progresses.   

### Fostering Future Leaders Through Mentorship  

Establishing robust mentorship programs can facilitate the transfer of knowledge from seasoned professionals to the leaders of tomorrow. This strategy promotes a culture of continuous learning and growth, ensuring that invaluable industry insights are passed on to the next generation.   

In the rapidly evolving manufacturing world, where technology and innovation are at the forefront, mentorship programs are more vital than ever. These programs bridge skills gaps, foster innovation and enhance employee retention.  

EMC's recognizes mentorship's critical role in shaping the industry's future. EMC is actively investing in the next generation of manufacturing leaders by offering mentorship training for employers, helping upskill current employees so your organization can see success in fostering youth's careers in the manufacturing sector.   

In summary, the role of young people in shaping the future of manufacturing in Canada cannot be underestimated. By empowering them through education, embracing technology, focusing on sustainability and fostering leadership through mentorship, we can ensure a prosperous and innovative future for the manufacturing industry.  

### Empower the Next Generation of Manufacturing Leaders with EMC. 

- Shape the Future: Collaborate with young talents, infusing your operations with fresh ideas and perspectives. 
- Build a Skilled Workforce: Develop the skills and expertise needed for tomorrow's manufacturing landscape. 
- Strengthen Community Ties: Play a pivotal role in creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals, women, and Indigenous youth. 

Leaders in a well-functioning manufacturing organization are like skilled technicians

Can you imagine a well-oiled manufacturing floor where machinery hums in precision, processes are seamlessly interlocked, and everyone is attentively focused? When all things are in order, manufacturers experience a significant increase in productivity and their business. This harmony doesn't happen by chance – leadership teams fine-tune it.   

Orchestrating Harmony in the Workplace

The leader's role extends beyond machinery; they dive into the complex realm of team dynamics and interpersonal relationships. Leaders build teams. Ideally, they build an environment of seamless interaction where everyone feels valued, heard, and motivated. 

Leaders become the troubleshooters of interpersonal issues, balancing the human elements - diverse personalities, skills, experiences, emotions, and perspectives - to foster a harmonious work environment. So, how do they strike this balance amidst negativity or discord? This exploration provides insights into successfully maintaining the delicate equilibrium called harmony. 
 
### The Role of Leadership in Fostering Harmony 

In a manufacturing environment, leaders set the foundational rhythm, much like initiating an assembly line. Their behaviours and attitudes sketch the blueprint for the team, signaling how to contribute to a harmonious workspace. Yet, as any good technician knows, adjusting settings is essential to accommodate diverse needs and challenges - a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't always work, and staying flexible to the situation is key. 

Leaders, like attentive operators, tune in to each team member's unique needs, investing in their growth, coaching and guiding them. Whether through training opportunities, mentoring, or guidance, they ensure everyone is well-equipped to contribute to the team's harmony. 

Like how each piece of an assembly line contributes to the whole, having a team with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences can greatly enhance productivity. It's important for leaders to value and encourage this diversity by promoting open communication and inclusivity. This approach helps to build trust and fosters a culture of mutual respect and understanding within the organization. 

But what happens when the gears jam, when discord disrupts harmony? How do leaders guide their teams through difficult conversations? Let's dive into that. 
 
### A Judicious Approach to Difficult Interactions 

Even the most meticulously maintained assembly line can have moments of friction or misalignment. Problems arise for many reasons, and leaders can approach difficult conversations positively, either between themselves or other team members. They can also help their teams become skilled at difficult interactions. EMC's Learning Center offers material on [Conflict and Difficult Interactions](https://emccanada.org/training/conflict-and-difficult-interactions), which effectively trains people on how to address problems in the workplace without negatively impacting the people on the team. The course is designed in a workshop style, allowing everyone to learn and practice new skills. By taking this course, participants learn common sources of conflict, as well as how the role of strong communication skills, and effective strategies for conflict management will all help ensure conflict does not escalate. With practice, conflict management will lead to less stress and improved productivity in the workplace. 

Let’s consider that each person brings a different perspective. By focusing on other people's perceptions, leaders open their minds to new possibilities and see how everyone contributes to the issue. Frame the problem without making accusations. Like a technician looking for the root cause of a mechanical problem, ensure the conversation focuses on the issue, staying away from personal attacks.  

A good technician doesn't just hear the machine; they listen for what it's telling them about its state. The same goes for leaders. Fully engage with the other person, ask clarifying questions and paraphrase what you heard to show your understanding. Listen for affirming signals, showing them that their perspective matters. 

In troubleshooting a mechanical issue, finding the common elements that could lead to the solution is often necessary. Similarly, finding common ground can pave the way for resolution and focus everyone on shared goals or purposes. 

It's important to work together and consider everyone's perspective to resolve a conflict. Encourage everyone involved to express their thoughts and summarize the differences. Ask questions and make proposals to find the best solution. It's okay to repeat these steps if needed. 

Just as a technician would devise a plan to rectify a mechanical problem, leaders can agree on a plan to end the conflict and move forward. This plan can aim to satisfy as many interests as possible, be fair and reasonable, and, most importantly, preserve the relationship between the parties involved. 

It is important to schedule regular check-ups and preventive maintenance to ensure the smooth operation of your team. Leaders can develop a conflict resolution plan and establish a way to measure its success. Effective communication is key to ensuring that everyone works together harmoniously. 

Leaders in a well-functioning manufacturing organization are like skilled technicians who fine-tune complex interactions between people. They provide guidance, support, and flexibility while leveraging the power of diversity, promoting open communication, and adeptly managing interpersonal issues. These abilities require ongoing development and improvement. 

EMC's [Leadership Certification](https://emccanada.org/certifications/mec-leadership) program is designed to enhance leadership in manufacturing and increase performance of the workforce. This program is designed for existing supervisors, managers and those in leadership looking to enhance their skills. Participants will gain knowledge and skills to lead engaged, high-performing teams and to become not only people leaders but leaders of organizational culture. By developing these skills, companies can expect stronger team collaboration, higher productivity, fewer conflicts, positive workplace culture, and overall better employee engagement.  

For more information about programs that EMC offers to support leaders in your organization, please contact EMC’s Learning Centre – [learningcentre@emccanada.org](learningcentre@emccanada.org). 

The manufacturing industry offers a diverse range of career paths

The manufacturing industry offers a diverse range of career paths, making it suitable for individuals with various interests and skill sets.

10 Reasons Why Manufacturing Careers are Awesome for Youth

There are several reasons why youth may desire to work in the manufacturing industry:

**Career Opportunities:** Manufacturing offers a wide range of job opportunities, from entry-level positions to highly-skilled roles. It can be a great starting point for youth to build their careers and gain valuable work experience.

**Skill Development:** Working in manufacturing allows students to develop practical skills, such as problem-solving, teamwork, time management, and technical expertise. These skills are transferable and can be valuable in various other fields too.

**Industry Growth:** Manufacturing is a vital sector for economic growth in many countries. As technology advances and consumer demands evolve, there is continuous innovation and development in the industry, providing a dynamic work environment for students.

**Innovation and Technology:** Modern manufacturing incorporates cutting-edge technology and automation. Working in this industry exposes students to advanced tools and processes, making it an exciting field for those interested in innovation and technology.

**Job Stability:** Manufacturing careers are often considered more stable than jobs in some other industries, as there is a consistent demand for products. This stability can be attractive to youngsters seeking long-term career prospects.

**Diverse Opportunities:** Whether a student is interested in engineering, design, quality control, logistics, or management, there are various roles available within the manufacturing industry to cater to different interests and skill sets.  Even marketing, finance, data analysis, health and safety and environmental sustainability are career options within the manufacturing sector.

**Industry Impact:** Who doesn't own a cell phone these days? Being part of the manufacturing process means contributing to the creation of tangible products that people use and rely on daily. This aspect can be personally rewarding for individuals who enjoy seeing the real-world impact of their work.  

**Competitive Salaries:** Manufacturing careers often come with competitive salaries, benefits, and opportunities for advancement. This can be appealing to youth who want to secure a stable financial future.

**Global Opportunities:** Manufacturing is a global industry, and employees may have the chance to work with international teams, travel, or even explore job opportunities in different countries.

**Industry Revitalization:** In some regions, there has been a renewed focus on revitalizing the manufacturing sector, which may lead to increased investment, job growth, and a broader array of opportunities for youth interested in the field.

It's essential for youth to consider their interests, skills, and long-term career goals when deciding on a particular industry and career path. Manufacturing can be an exciting and rewarding career path for those who find its unique challenges and opportunities appealing.

For business success

Traditional top-down approaches that undermine employee engagement and fail to address their concerns aren't proving successful in today's dynamic and competitive landscape. 

Cultivating a Positive Shop Floor Culture

The success of a business greatly depends on the presence of effective leadership. Traditional top-down approaches that undermine employee engagement and fail to address their concerns aren't proving successful in today's dynamic and competitive landscape. Business owners and leaders should consider shifting their styles and recognize the importance of fostering a positive shop floor culture, where employees feel valued, empowered and heard. There are a few strategies that can improve the organization’s culture and, subsequently, enhance the manufacturing business’ financial success. 

**Understand The Team's Perspective**

Actively engaging with employees, listening attentively to their concerns and empathizing with their challenges can go a long way in cultivating a productive and positive shop floor. Leaders can create an environment where employees feel valued and respected by practicing active listening, free from bias or judgment. Actively seeking feedback from the team will provide valuable insights into potential areas for improvement within the team and organization. These strategies foster open communication channels and the potential for leadership to identify and effectively address operational inefficiencies. Employees who see their ideas implemented feel like valued team members, improving employee retention. 

**Engage and Empower the Team**

Employees on the shop floor have firsthand knowledge of daily challenges. Encourage them to share their ideas and suggestions for solving problems and streamlining processes. By giving the production team a voice and making them feel heard, leaders demonstrate respect for the team's expertise and create a sense of ownership in the organization's success. Additionally, it removes the pressure from a single individual to create efficiencies. After all, two heads are better than one. Engaged employees are more likely to be motivated, innovative and committed to achieving shared goals.  

**Implement and Communicate Change**

Employees become disheartened when they see changes made without prior knowledge, especially when they value their work. Additionally, soliciting ideas that are never implemented can also frustrate employees. Implementing change requires strategic planning and, most importantly, communication. As a leader, communicating change initiatives and their progress, even if there are delays or setbacks, helps create buy-in and allows employees to adapt. Regularly update your team on the status of ongoing projects, demonstrating your commitment to their concerns and showing that their input is valued. Transparent communication builds trust fosters engagement and enhances collaboration between leadership and the shop floor.  

Manufacturers can improve their capabilities and create a positive work environment by considering employees' perspectives, involving and empowering them and effectively communicating changes in the workplace. Leaders can significantly improve the company's overall culture by fostering open communication, respecting employees' opinions and demonstrating a commitment to progress. This, in turn, can result in better financial performance and long-term prosperity. 

A Guide to Creating an Effective Attendance Program 

Rewards can be an effective way of encouraging employees to maintain a consistent attendance record. It is important to consider a comprehensive employee engagement strategy when creating an attendance program. While rewards can certainly play a role, they should not be the sole solution. Integrating rewards as one aspect of a larger plan can lead to better outcomes for all involved parties. 

Ideas For Rewards in Attendance Programs

Manufacturers may consider that rewards should not be used as a substitute for addressing or correcting any underlying issues in the attendance program, such as unclear expectations or miscommunication. It's important to avoid using rewards to incentivize employees to show up to work while they are sick. This could harm their health but as well as their coworkers. 

Below are a few ideas to help your organization get started on building rewards for your attendance program:

**Perfect Attendance Bonuses:** Provide a financial bonus to employees who achieve perfect attendance over a specified period. The bonus can be awarded monthly, quarterly, or yearly. 

**Additional Paid Time Off (PTO):** Reward employees who haven't missed any work with additional paid time off. This can serve as a significant incentive for many workers. 

**Attendance Lottery:** Each month or quarter, the names of all employees with perfect attendance go into a drawing for a significant prize, like a high-end tech gadget, a vacation package, or a substantial gift card. 

**Points System:** Employees earn points for each day of perfect attendance, which they can accumulate and exchange for rewards like merchandise, dining coupons, movie tickets, or even a day off. 

**Recognition Programs:** Recognize employees with perfect attendance publicly during team meetings, company newsletters, or on social media platforms. A certificate or a trophy could be awarded to make the recognition more significant. 

**Early Leave Passes:** For every month of perfect attendance, employees earn an early leave pass that allows them to leave work a few hours early on a day of their choosing. 

**Team-Based Rewards:** To foster a sense of camaraderie and collective responsibility, consider team-based attendance incentives. If a team achieves a combined attendance goal, they could receive a team lunch, a group outing, or another reward. 

By implementing an attendance-based incentive program, manufacturing companies have a compelling opportunity to influence their productivity and bottom line positively. Regular monitoring and evaluation help employers adjust the program based on employee feedback and changing circumstances, ensuring its long-term effectiveness. A successful attendance program is more than a set of policies; it invests in the company's most valuable resource – its employees. By prioritizing employee attendance, manufacturing companies can proactively boost their overall performance and strengthen their organizational culture. It's a win-win situation that benefits the organization and its dedicated workforce. 

For more information on building an attendance program, please see related article: [Improving Attendance and Boosting Productivity](https://emccanada.org/newsroom/improving-attendance-and-boosting-productivity).

A good attendance program can motivate employees to maintain consistent attendance while promoting a healthy and balanced work environment. Here are some helpful tips to help today's manufacturers stay productive. 

Improving Attendance and Boosting Productivity

In our fast-paced world, productivity is key, and this rings especially true in the manufacturing sector. According to a recent study by Statistics Canada, the manufacturing sector's absenteeism rates have steadily increased over the past few years [1]. In 2023, the average absenteeism rate was 13.2 days per full-time employee, up from 9.9 days in 2018, a 3.3-day increase over five years. 

Furthermore, a Manulife report shows that absenteeism costs Canadian companies nearly $645 million annually [2]. It's not just lost wages; it's also reduced productivity, increased workload for other employees, and potential overtime costs. These statistics underscore the significant impact of employee attendance on productivity levels and the bottom line. 

### Creating An Attendance Program: Tips and Guidelines 

**Define Goals & Set an Internal Benchmark:** Setting internal benchmarks is a strategic process that can help manufacturers measure the success of their attendance program. It's important to define what the program aims to achieve clearly. Is it reducing absenteeism, improving productivity levels, or boosting employee morale? Then, measure the current state of attendance. This involves tracking the number of absences and lateness over a specific period, the reasons for absences or tardiness, any patterns or trends in absenteeism and tardiness, and the cost to the company regarding productivity and efficiency. 

**Set Clear Guidelines, Communicate & Train:** A good program is easy to understand and implement. Clear guidelines remove ambiguity, ensure all employees understand the program and its benefits, and set expectations for employee behaviour. Establishing clear attendance standards, guidelines for rewarding positive behaviour, and penalties for absences through a policy will help create success. It can also address different types of absences, such as sick leave, personal leave, mental health days, and vacation days, and how these impact the program. It is important to ensure that all employees are informed about the program and that managers and supervisors are trained to implement it effectively within their teams. 

**Equitable and Fair:** Creating a fair program for all employees, regardless of their position, role, or tenure, gives everyone equal opportunities to benefit from the rewards. Ensuring that all employees are fairly recognized and rewarded with incentives of equal value and significance would be beneficial. Also, consider the legitimate reasons an employee may be absent from work, such as illnesses, family emergencies, or parental leave. Encouraging sick employees to come to work is not ideal, especially if they are contagious. Penalizing these absences might lead to a program that seems discriminatory or insensitive. To address this, manufacturers can consider a system distinguishing between unavoidable and avoidable absences. 

**Engage Employees:** Involve employees in the planning and implementation to ensure buy-in and commitment. Conduct a quick internal survey to determine what motivates employees to come to work and stay engaged. This will help you discover what programs will most benefit your workforce. Manufacturers can also ask for program feedback, create a committee of involved employees to help design and evangelize the program internally, develop a test group to assist in discovering unforeseen issues and adjust the program before rolling it out company wide. 

**Regular Monitoring and Evaluation:** This is an important step in the life cycle of any attendance program. It ensures that the program meets its intended objectives and allows for necessary modifications. Track and analyze the same data used in the benchmarking process to show progression or regression in the data. Conduct regular check-ins or surveys with employees to assess their satisfaction with the program. It can be extremely helpful to gauge the program's effectiveness by analyzing its reception and impact on attendance. 

**Adjustments Based on Feedback and Data:** Use the insights gained from monitoring and evaluating to tweak the program. This could involve adjusting the rewards, the criteria for perfect attendance, or even how the program is communicated. The key is to be responsive and flexible, showing employees that their feedback is taken seriously and used to make improvements. 

**Formal Review Periods:** Set specific times for formal reviews of the program - for instance, every six months or annually. These can involve a thorough evaluation of all aspects of the program and a plan for implementing any necessary changes. 

**Health & Wellness Programs:** Sometimes, poor attendance is due to health issues. A health and wellness program promoting a healthy lifestyle can help reduce absenteeism. These programs can include fitness challenges, mental health resources, or incentives for regular health check-ups. Consider offering several health check days or half-days employees can use for routine doctor visits, dental visits, or lab work. Health days will encourage employees to stay on top of their health while not going against their allotted PTO or sick days.  

Looking to build a rewards for your attendance program?  See our [Ideas for Attendance Program Rewards](https://emccanada.org/newsroom/ideas-for-attendance-program-rewards) article.

**Sources**

[1] Statistics Canada. [Table 14-10-0191-01 Work absence of full-time employees by industry, annual ](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410019101)

[2] Manulife, The Wellness Report 2022: Key Findings 

Keep Growing with Youth Boost!

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Preparing Youth For Career Growth

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That’s too bad, because young workers need plenty of help in facing the challenges of the future. So do most businesses of all sizes.

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The learning labs offered through Youth Boost are developed with support and input from employers, industry leaders, and educators. Users complete projects based on real-world challenges, using the skills required in a specific industry.

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Current State of Manufacturing

Industry Reimagined 2030 is the catalyst for national associations, institutes and companies of all sizes to collaborate and speak with a unified, compelling voice for this vibrant future. 

Reimagine Lean - Industry Reimagined

It is hard to escape the message that manufacturing is critical to our country’s long-term success.  From the initial worries about retiring baby boomers many years ago, to the supply chain issues caused by a global pandemic more recently, our governments have finally realized the importance of manufacturing ‘on shore’.  The recent government messaging, in both Canada and the USA, highlighting manufacturing’s importance doesn’t immediately solve the issues however and, running successful manufacturing operations remains challenging to say the least.

On top of all this, we consumers, have been conditioned over the last 30 years or so, that deflation (the lowering of product prices) by off-shoring manufacturing to lower cost regions helps sustain our lifestyles but, now that inflation is hitting us again, consumers are looking to governments for solutions!  

In 2020, Industry Reimagined 2030, a US based organization, began talking about and talking with manufacturing insiders and experts about re-thinking our manufacturing future and what might be needed for a sea-change level of improvement in productivity and global competitiveness.  In 2022, they reached out and across the border to Canada, engaging with our very own Chad Metcalf of [Value Stream Solutions Inc](https://emccanada.org/about/partners/value-stream-solutions), whom many of our members will be very familiar.  One key area of focus for the Industry Reimagined agenda is in the adoption of Lean Manufacturing.  We all know, or have read reports, that widespread adoption of Lean Thinking in our manufacturing operations in North America is woefully low and, a small group of industry experts and leaders including Chad, began exploring and experimenting with changing the narrative with a focus on increasing Lean adoption by 3x.  From research provided by Industry Reimagined, it is estimated that a 3x increase in Lean adoption across our manufacturing companies, a revolution in competitiveness will occur.

From Chad: “The greatest insight among our team was that the Lean movement has primarily been geared toward and adopted by the decision makers with Innovator and Early Adopter mindsets (leaders who see clear connection between the tools and their organizations needs).  The struggle is often with leaders of companies that have been historically successful and operating for decades with status quo.  The motivation and mindset for these Mainstream Leaders is often very different from those companies with early adopter mindsets (regardless of the age of the company).  As Lean teachers and implementers, we know developing a ‘cookie cutter’ approach to Lean doesn’t work and so the group’s focus was on developing an approach to messaging and communicating the Lean Tools and WIIFM (what’s in it for me – and my company).”

One of the tools developed by the team Chad worked with, is a short questionnaire that was shared throughout the US and later Canada (through EMC) to confirm the current state of manufacturing among the respondents.  The results of the survey have been published and highlighted in this recent[ article in Industry Week](https://www.industryweek.com/operations/continuous-improvement/article/21267990/widespread-lean-adoption-would-make-the-us-more-competitive).

If you are interested in contributing more to the North American manufacturing collective, the survey is still open and your input will be added to the discussion.  Links to the survey and results are available here:
[Reimagine Lean | Industry Reimagined](industryreimagined2030.org).


Being the Plan Administrator of a group employee benefits plan is a big job with a lot of responsibility- and a lot to remember!

10 Common Mistakes to Avoid as a Group Benefits Plan Administrator

Here are 10 of the most common Plan Administrator mistakes (and how to avoid them):

**- Terminating Employees from the Plan Due to Spousal Coverage**
Employees on your plan may also have group insurance coverage through a spouse or partner. Employees with an alternate plan may seek to remove themselves from your plan, citing overlapping coverage. However, only the Extended Health Care (EHC) or Dental Insurance benefits can be waived due to alternate coverage. All other coverage should remain in place for each employee.
It’s worth noting that having access to two benefits plans isn’t a bad thing! Employees with alternate coverage through their spouse can still benefit from having dual coverage by coordinating their benefits plans to work together. 

**TIP:** To waive an employee’s health and/or dental coverage, the Plan Administrator can have an employee complete the Employee Change Request form to update their account.

**- Not Listing Dependents to the Employee’s Plan Due to Spousal Coverage**
Similarly, some employees may not add their spouse to the plan because their spouse has alternate coverage. Even if an employee has waived their Extended Health or Dental coverage for their dependents, it is important to still have all eligible dependents listed. That way, if an employee loses their alternate coverage, dependents can be easily reinstated. This also ensures the dependent(s) have coverage for all other benefits such as Dependent Life Insurance, or EAP services. 

**TIP:** If an enrolment form arrives at your desk and an employee has not listed their spouse as a dependent, you’ll want to go back to them and advise them of the above.

**- Enrolling Employees as Late Applicants**
When an employee reaches their eligibility date for benefits, they have 31 days to enroll in your plan before becoming a late applicant. Late applicants could be required to back-pay premiums. Or worse, they may need to submit medical evidence to qualify for benefits.
Allowing employees to miss this crucial 31-day window could negatively impact their coverage or lead to a denial of coverage altogether. When an employee becomes eligible, make sure you get them on the path to enrolment right away and that you’re following up to remind them to submit.

**- Leaving Terminated Employees Active on the Plan**
Whenever an employee leaves the organization (one way or the other) it is important to remove them from the plan as soon as they are no longer eligible for benefits.
Otherwise, employees no longer working at your company may be able to continue to use the benefits plan. Furthermore, any co-pays (cost-sharing) the employee was previously paying from payroll deductions won’t be able to be recouped, since they’ve left your organization.

**- Trustees Not Listed for Underage Beneficiaries**
When employees enroll in their benefits plan, they may need to name a beneficiary(ies) to receive select benefits payouts. Employees can name anyone to be a beneficiary (spouses and partners are common) but must name a trustee for beneficiaries under the age of 18. Minors are unable to access these funds until they reach the age of majority, so a trustee must be appointed to manage the funds in the meantime.
Keep an eye out for employees naming their children as beneficiaries and remember to check that they’ve also designated a trustee. Not doing so could bring complications if it comes time to pay minor beneficiaries without named trustees.

**TIP:** Make sure the employee does not name themselves as the Trustee either, since the beneficiary designation is set up for them to receive the benefit from a Life Insurance claim.

**- Entering Eligibility date vs. Hire Date**
In many cases, employers have specified a waiting period that employees must meet before they become eligible for benefits. The day that the waiting period ends is known as the eligibility date, while the hire date is when the employee first started working. Most Insurer’s systems will automatically attach any applicable waiting period to the hire date entered in the system.
For example, if an employee was hired January 1st with a 3-month waiting period, their eligibility date would be April 1st. However, if the eligibility date (April 1st) was mistakenly entered as the hire date (January 1st), then the insurer’s system may add the three-month waiting period, resulting in an eligibility date of August 1st.
Not only does this cause confusion for the employee, but it may also affect their coverage as they could end up as a late applicant.
**TIP: **Always confirm if the insurer’s system is requesting the hire date, or the date of eligibility.

**- Adding Ineligible Common-Law Spouses**
In order to be considered common-law, individuals must have been continuously cohabitating for at least one full year. Employees whose living situations do not meet these criteria should not designate a spouse as common-law.

**TIP:** Remind new employees enrolling about the criteria for common-law spouses. Set a reminder to follow up if and when the relationship is approaching the 1-year mark. Also, remind employees to inform you of any changes to their marital status (or other information) so you can make sure to keep employee data accurate.

**- Not Reviewing Employee Information Regularly**
Employee information changes frequently and Plan Administrators need to ensure that they’re keeping information up to date. Employee information on file is what is used to pay claims or issue benefits payouts. If salaries aren’t updated or beneficiaries aren’t changed as requested, problems can arise.
Some of the most frequent changes to employee information include salary, beneficiaries, legal names, addresses, and dependents.

**TIP:** Encourage employees to provide updated information whenever things change, while you take care of any employment information such as salary.

**- Not Submitting Student Confirmation Forms**
Dependent children are eligible for benefits through your plan until they reach a certain age (usually 19 or 21). Afterwards, they may continue to remain on the plan up until the age of 25 or 26 (depending on your plan), provided they are enrolled full-time in a post-secondary institution.
Prior to each new school year in September, employees will be required to submit a Student Confirmation Form. It’s generally a simple form indicating that their dependent child is enrolled full-time in a post-secondary institution. If confirmation of enrollment is not received, the dependent child will be removed from the plan.

**- Not Using the Most Up to Date Form**
Insurers occasionally update their forms with important changes and conditions, improvements and quality of life changes, or new fields. It’s important to double-check check you’re using the most up to date forms to ensure all information is captured and reflects accurate information.

**TIP:** If you’re the type to save forms to your desktop, consider redownloading the forms every once in a while. Better yet, always grab the latest forms from your Insurer.

For more information about this topic, or other topics related to Insurance and Benefits, please [click here](https://emccanada.org/programs/insurance-and-benefits).

Part of the 2016 Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act

Recycling in Ontario is changing, and some manufacturers will soon be more directly responsible for collecting and recycling the materials used in consumer products and packaging after users discard them.

Get Ready for the New Blue Box Regulation

On April 11, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) hosted a virtual talk by Sydney Baker,  Senior Compliance Officer and Blue Box Coordinator at the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA), to help manufacturers understand this new obligation.

Ms. Baker explained that if you are a Canadian manufacturer whose products are supplied to consumers in Ontario, you will need to understand how the new regulations apply to you and what your obligations are.

### What’s changing?

Ontario’s new Blue Box Regulation, which comes into effect on July 1, 2023, is part of the 2016 Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act. The Blue Box Regulation makes producers fully accountable and financially responsible for their products and packaging once they reach their end of life and are disposed of. 

### What products and packaging are affected?

RPRA describes them as follows:

**Product packaging**

- Primary packaging for the containment, protection, handling, delivery, and presentation of a product at the point of sale, including all packaging components, but not convenience packaging or transport packaging (like film and cardboard used to package a 24-pack of water bottles and the label on the water bottle).
- Transportation packaging provided in addition to primary packaging used in handling or transportation such as a pallet, bale wrap or box, but not a shipping container designed for transporting things by road, ship, rail, or air.
- Convenience packaging  used to facilitate end users’ handling or transportation of products. It also includes packaging that is supplied at the point of sale by food-service or other service providers, such as takeout bags and boxes.
- Service accessories supplied with a food or beverage product that are disposed of after a single use, whether or not they could be reused (straws, cutlery, plates, etc.).
- “Ancillary elements” directly attached to packaging to be consumed or disposed of with the primary packaging, like a mascara brush or the pouring spout on a juice carton.

**Paper products**

These  include printed and unprinted paper, like a newspaper, magazine, greeting cards, calendars, notebooks and daily planners, promotional material, directory, catalogue, or paper for general use. (But not books.)

**Packaging-like products**

These are products ordinarily used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery, presentation, or transportation of products, and which are disposed of after a single use, like aluminum foil, a metal trays, plastic film, plastic wrap, wrapping paper, paper bags, beverage cups, plastic bags, cardboard boxes ,or envelope It does not include products made from flexible plastic for the containment, protection, or handling of food, such as cling wrap, sandwich bags, or freezer bags.

### Your obligations as a producer

You are considered a producer under the Blue Box Regulation if you supply Blue Box material to consumers in Ontario. 

**Under the Blue Box Regulation, producers of Blue Box materials are required to:**

- Register with RPRA
- Provide Blue Box collection through a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) 
- Establish and operate a system for managing Blue Box material 
- Implement a Blue Box promotion and education program 
- Annually report their supply data to RPRA

### What’s a Producer Responsibility Organization?

A producer responsibility organization, or PRO, is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection, management, and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the Blue Box Regulation, including:

- Arranging, establishing, or operating a collection or management system
- Arranging, establishing, or operating promotion and education system
- Preparing and submitting reports
- Representing a producer for any purpose under the regulation

There’s a lot more to learn about the “New Blue” recycling regulations. To learn more, visit the [RPRA website](https://rpra.ca/programs/blue-box/regulation/), or [contact Leah Nacua](mailto:lnacua@emccanada.org), MCM & Food, Beverage, Bio & Ag Initiative Lead.




Companies that embrace a full complement of improvement projects yield more benefits

Continuous improvement is all about providing the most value for customers with the least amount of waste in providing products and services.  To stay on top of improving year over year, there are many initiatives that are often kicked off by the management teams.  Some are big, bold expansions of business while others are merely small, incremental improvements.  

The Art of Finding $100 Bills

Society often rewards the big, bold announcements and political ‘points’ that can be scored by claiming business expansion, acquisition, equipment purchases and so on.  These big announcements often imply that the business is doing well and offer headlines of good news to the community.  I am not saying these are not important.  They are. But, they should not be the only improvement and growth strategy applied.  In the table below, we can see that smaller initiatives can also deliver the same or even better results!

I often ask company leaders, “With the few ‘big’ projects going on and the focus on tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefit, who is focused on picking up the thousands of hundred-dollar bills?”

Companies that embrace a full complement and variety of improvement projects yield more benefits, more employee engagement and more leverage to their project savings and productivity.  Let’s look at it this way.  Large capital projects take a lot of time to discuss, approve and plan for. Once decided upon, there is a project leader named and a team of people (internal and external) that begin working on it.  There are very few employees involved and often, there is a lot of delays, extra costs, and problems with the implementation.  It is no wonder why many employees feel like big projects do not really improve things, they just make life more difficult and take more effort on their part.  Certainly, one can do better and improve the quality of execution on these projects but, it does not change the fact that very few employees get to be involved with such efforts.  There is no doubt, these types of projects can deliver tens or hundreds of thousands in ROI over time.  This may be why they get so much attention too.  Big projects, get big attention.

When companies begin embracing more improvement activities, led by internal (or external) facilitators, they learn to apply improvements in smaller, more manageable scope and timeframes.  Decisions can be made quicker, with fewer delays and resources to get going.  Typical projects in this area are Kaizen events that focus on reducing waste, set up times, quality defects and equipment downtime.  Perhaps you set up a PDCA (Lean) or DMAIC (Six Sigma) team to resolve customer complaints or solve supplier issues and internal problems. These activities require the input of employees as team members and resources to participate in the team tasks. Employee engagement, pride, and ownership for change is far higher in this realm of project types.  Often what happens is that companies start scheduling more and more Kaizen events and PDCA projects and it becomes engrained enough that employees begin asking, “When are you going to do a Kaizen in my department?”. This is a sign that employees are really embracing the efforts and excited about positive change in their workspace.  Another statement you might here from employees is, “Can I be on the next kaizen event?  I have some good ideas I’d like to implement.”  This is a sign that you are ready for the next phase!  Projects of this scope often return tens of thousands of dollars (sometimes hundreds of thousands) but because we can complete more of them per year, it is possible to achieve hundreds of thousands per year in savings and can engage many more employees along the way.

Quick and Easy Kaizen is all about finding small improvements in your work, every day that make it easier to complete your tasks so that you can accomplish more tomorrow or, free your time to make even more improvements for you, your team, department, and company.  At FastCap in Bellingham, WA, they call it 2-Second Lean.  Others call it Daily Kaizen.  It does not matter what it is called in your company, just get it happening!  Please do not confuse this with a “suggestion program”.  They are not the same.  In fact, a good ‘solution program’ like daily kaizen, should kick your “suggestion program” to the curb!  Now, for the ‘how to’.

### Where to start…

1. Build off the structure of Kaizen Events and PDCA problem solving from those medium sized projects.  Every kaizen, big or small, follows the same logic and process.  The only thing that changes is the scope (size of project) and the actual improvement goal.  
2. Develop the front-line leadership to teach, lead and coach employees in the identification of issues, analysis of problems, development of solutions and implementation of change.  This is the critical and most needed step!  If the Team Leaders, Supervisors, and front-line Managers can perform in these key activities, there is no stopping the future of continuous improvement! Every front-line leader needs to be able to guide employees through the process, without just taking it on their own shoulders and at the same time, fully grasp that employee engagement in improvement is as much a part of the employees’ job as performing the value-added work for customers.
3. Provide employees with ongoing teaching and practice of improvement. Insist on it.  Teach them how to problem solve, what makes a great solution to a problem and how to collaborate to get solutions implemented.  Your future front-line leaders will come from this group of employees.  Use this as the training ground.  As an example, if an employee comes to you with a problem, coach them on evaluating the problem.  Can they define the problem in measurable terms?  Teach them to pay attention to the time variations, defects, rework, etc. and be able to convey that to those they need support from.  If the employee comes with a solution to a problem, simply ask them a few key questions.  Is this the best of the many solutions you thought about? Does this solution affect more than just you?  Have you involved them in your process? Do you need any support from other departments to implement?  Is there anything you need from me to be successful?  Now, there are variations of these of course depending on the responses you get.  The important point is to ask questions that lead the employee through the thought process so that each time they go through it, they get better at it.  Eventually, they will be answering all the questions before you even ask them.
4. Set up the support departments to be flexible, agile, and responsive to the needs of employee led improvements.  Internal requests for help in implementing continuous improvement must be a priority for departments such as Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Purchasing, I.T., HR and so on.  After all, the value of those departments is in their ability to collaborate to remove roadblocks, provide service to the value adding processes and improve the overall business value streams.  Departmental silos are a nemesis to daily kaizen and a hindrance to improvement. Value stream mapping and visual, gemba management are a way to make this process transparent and much more effective.

Working toward daily kaizen should be part of your strategic plan to hit those lofty and necessary goals.  Having most, if not, all your employees focused on improvement everyday results in productivity gains and quality improvement the likes of which, very few have seen.  Don’t discount the hundred-dollar bills laying around in your company.  Inspire the masses to go get them!  There are thousands of them out there!

So, the next time you are asked, “Who is picking up the hundred-dollar bills?”, you should now have an answer!

We offer you success in your Lean Journey!

Author - Chad Metcalf

Chad is President and founder of Value Stream Solutions Inc., a Canadian company that specializes in teaching and implementing Lean Thinking into businesses of all types and sizes.  Covering coast to coast and the USA, our mission is to strengthen manufacturing capabilities and communities. 

[Original blog post](https://www.valuestreamsolutions.com/post/the-art-of-finding-100-bills-daily-kaizen).

Ensuring the security and integrity of your company data and systems

IT policies for end-users typically cover guidelines and procedures for the appropriate use of technology resources in the workplace. These policies can help to ensure the security and integrity of your company data and systems, as well as promote productivity and responsible technology use in the workplace. 

IT Policies for End Users - 7 Key Areas of Focus

Here 7 key areas that IT policies for end-users might cover:

- **Acceptable use:** This policy outlines the rules for how company-owned technology resources can be used by employees. It might cover topics like personal use of technology during work hours, downloading and installing software, and accessing inappropriate or harmful websites.
- **Password management:** This policy can help to ensure that employees create strong passwords, change them regularly, and avoid sharing them with others.
- **Email and communication:** This policy might cover guidelines for appropriate email use, including avoiding spam and phishing emails, using appropriate language and tone, and protecting sensitive information.
- **Data security:** This policy outlines the measures that employees must take to protect sensitive company data. It might include rules around file sharing, data backups, and data encryption.
- **Mobile device management:** This policy covers the use of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets in the workplace, including guidelines for downloading apps and accessing company data.
- **Social media:** This policy outlines the rules for using social media in a professional setting. It might cover topics like appropriate language and tone, avoiding controversial or sensitive topics, and protecting company information.
- **Remote work:** This policy might cover guidelines for using technology resources while working remotely, including the use of VPNs and secure networks, data protection, and communication protocols.

These are just a few examples of the types of IT policies that might be included in your end-user policy manual. It's important to ensure that these policies are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in technology and the evolving needs of your organization.

Becoming a more powerful, more recognizable brand 

On behalf of Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC), I am proud to share the launch of our brand's refreshed look and feel!

EMC's Newly Expanded Logo

In recent years, the transition to online business has been unwavering; evolutionary, in fact. EMC is embracing this transition and as a result, will evolve to become a more powerful, more recognizable brand presence for the benefit of the Canadian manufacturing sector.
 
### Expanding outside of the box!

​Our refreshed logo expands EMC's signature cube to showcase an explosion of idea generation and program offerings that support manufacturers across Canada. The elements of EMC are represented by each surface of the expanded cube - the value of excellence, the focus on manufacturing and the collaboration of consortium-based networks. 

![](https://files.benecms.com/emc/media/EMC%20brand%20reveal.jpg)

### ​We meet manufacturers where they are.

​EMC was formed by manufacturers, for manufacturers and offers industry expertise in the areas of productivity, quality, purchasing, supply chain, energy,  health & safety, continuous improvement, operations, human resources and much more.

​Connect with [your consortium](https://emccanada.org/about/consortiums) of manufacturers today! ​

**JP Giroux | President**

Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium

Tel: 866-323-4362  |  Mobile: 613-447-8838

*Canada's Largest Manufacturing Consortium*


Nominations are now being accepted.

The awards recognize the outstanding health and safety professionals and companies for their achievements, leadership and innovation over the past 12 months. 

Canada's Safest Employers 2023

For 13 years now, the annual Canada’s Safest Employers Awards (CSEAs) has been recognized as the leading independent awards program in the occupational health and safety profession. 

The awards recognize the outstanding health and safety professionals and companies for their achievements, leadership and innovation over the past 12 months. 

Review the list of categories and criteria here. The criteria will outline the set of questions that will be asked in the nomination forms, which are unique for each category. Each question can be answered briefly within the word limit.   

Nominations will be open from February 27 to April 21, 2023, 11:59 PM EST. Kindly submit your nomination via the online form below.  

Each nomination entry requires contact details and a brief reason for nomination (under 300 words). To strengthen your nomination, the reason for nomination should encapsulate why the nominee deserves to be recognized in that award category according to the criteria. The brief reason for nomination is a major factor in the selection of finalists.  

A nominator can enter a particular nominee in multiple categories. Several nominators can enter the same nominee in a category.  

There is no cost for submitting a nomination.   

To submit a nomination, [please click here](https://safestemployers.com/nominate).

Government taking further action to bring more manufacturing jobs back to Ontario

The proposed new Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit would be available to Canadian-controlled private corporations that make qualifying investments and that have a permanent establishment in Ontario (meaning a fixed place of business including an office, a factory or a workshop).

Ontario Introducing New Investment Tax Credit for Manufacturers

### NEWS RELEASE
**Ontario Introducing New Investment Tax Credit for Manufacturers**
Government taking further action to bring more manufacturing jobs back to Ontario

March 22, 2023
Premier's Office
 		
**TORONTO** — To attract additional investment in the province’s economy, the Ontario government is announcing plans for a new Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit to help local manufacturers grow, innovate, become more competitive and create jobs.

As part of the upcoming 2023 Budget, the government will propose legislation that would, if passed, create a new 10 per cent refundable corporate income tax credit of up to $2 million a year for Canadian-controlled private corporations on qualifying investments in buildings, machinery and equipment for use in manufacturing or processing in the province.

“This new tax credit will give Ontario-based manufacturers another reason to invest in home grown, Ontario-made innovation and expand operations,” said Premier Doug Ford. “As we navigate global economic uncertainty, our government is working around the clock to ensure that we are creating the right conditions for Ontario’s world-class manufacturing sector to grow and create more jobs.”

The proposed Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit would, if passed, provide an estimated $780 million over the next three years in Ontario income tax support to qualifying businesses. Savings from the new tax credit is just one of the many initiatives the government has taken since 2018 to improve Ontario’s competitiveness by lowering costs for business.

“Our government is continuing to bring back the province’s manufacturing sector by attracting key investments and creating and protecting jobs in communities across the province,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “The new Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit is just one part of our plan to build a strong economy for the future, today.”

In 2022, Ontario secured more than 150 investment deals from a wide range of sectors including automotive, technology, manufacturing and life sciences. These investments will contribute to the creation and retention of thousands of good-paying jobs. Ontario’s Plan to Build will continue to improve the province’s competitive edge, while encouraging existing businesses to expand their operations, so the products of the future are made right here at home.

The government will provide more information on its plan to build a strong Ontario and navigate these uncertain economic times in the 2023 Budget, to be released tomorrow, March 23.	

**Media Contacts**

Caitlin Clark, Premier’s Office - Caitlin.Clark2@ontario.ca 

Emily Hogeveen, Minister’s Office - 647-294-6166 or Emily.Hogeveen@ontario.ca

Scott Blodgett, Communications Branch - 416-728-9791 or Scott.Blodgett@ontario.ca

Source of the article can be [found here](https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1002853/ontario-introducing-new-investment-tax-credit-for-manufacturers).



Top 5 Factors That Will Impact Injury Prevention

Ask yourself – does our organization have the key components for a successful Ergonomics & Injury Prevention Program? Here are the top five essential ergonomics program components.

2023 Ergonomics Program Audit

2023 is underway and it’s the perfect time to evaluate your Ergonomics Program and identify gaps to ensure risk reduction, as well as improved productivity, work quality, and overall job satisfaction.

Ask yourself – does our organization have the key components for a successful Ergonomics & Injury Prevention Program? Here are the top five essential ergonomics program components. 

### 1. Management Commitment

- Does management see value and invest time, people, and money to identify musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) hazards and mitigate risk?
- Do you involve management in annual goal setting and tie ergonomics to compensation?
- Do you track metrics like productivity, job satisfaction, discomfort, and quality to better demonstrate your ergonomic program’s benefits?

### 2. Hazard Identification

- Does your safety policy outline how to report ergonomic / Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) concerns?
- Do your JHSC monthly inspection checklists include identification of MSD hazards?
- Does your policy identify when an ergonomic assessment is needed, and what the process is?
- Does your policy address changes in work, such as how ergonomics is handled for home offices and hybrid work situations?
- What does your policy say about equipment for hybrid workstations?

### 3. Employee Participation
Educating and empowering employees will help get more accomplished.

- Educate employees on how to recognize MSD hazards and how to mitigate MSD risk.
- Consider providing online, easy and accessible training modules for office staff to self-complete.
- Set up self-assessment checklists for computer users.
- Provide ergonomics tips during safety talks.
- Train Ergonomics Teams or JHSC members on how to identify hazards and implement controls as part of their monthly inspection process.
- Plan an “ERGO Month” with incentives for submitting ergo improvements.

### 4. Risk Assessment

- Strategies might include office self-assessments, ergonomic screening tools,or more in-depth ergonomic risk assessment methods.
- Consider what evaluation tools are already in use in your facility (e.g. pre-start safety checklists, standard work documents, Kaizen or 5S documents) and embed ergonomics into them. This helps ensure everyone has their eyes on ergonomics.

### 5. Selecting & Implementing Controls
Consider the types of improvements your facility made in 2022.

- Did you implement engineering controls to eliminate risk, or rely mainly on administrative controls such as training and work method reminders (which although effective, are not as successful as directly engineering out a risk)?
- Did you complete follow-up ergonomic assessments to ensure that risk was mitigated without introducing new hazards?
- Did you celebrate ergonomic successes? Sharing successes can get additional buy-in and participation in your program. Consider posting your ergonomic “wins” in common areas.

To identify new opportunities for improvement, use ERGO Inc.’s audit to assess your Ergonomics Program. A Certified Ergonomist can help identify ergonomic strategies and initiatives resulting in even more success in 2023.  We invite you to send ERGO your results and they will prepare a no-obligation sample plan and proposal to assist with reaching their goals. 

Material written and supplied by [Ergo Inc](https://ergoconsulting.ca/).

How can you say with certainty that there is or isn’t a risk? 

As part of a news release by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) on Dec. 14th, 2022, it was announced that commencing June 1st, 2023, employers must provide naloxone in the workplace if specific circumstances prevail. From this announcement, Ontario businesses were left questioning whether they need to have naloxone kits in their workplace. The quick answer is maybe. 

Are Naloxone Kits Required in the Workplace?

As part of a [news release](https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1002593/ontario-providing-free-naloxone-kits-in-workplaces) by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) on Dec. 14th, 2022, it was announced that commencing June 1st, 2023, employers must provide naloxone in the workplace if specific circumstances prevail. From this announcement, Ontario businesses were left questioning whether they need to have naloxone kits in their workplace. The quick answer is maybe. When we first started hearing that the ministry wanted to legislate the availability of naloxone in the workplace, statistics showed that over 30% of those who died of opioid overdoses worked in the construction sector. We heard chatter about it applying to all “high-risk” workplaces; our first thoughts were of construction sites, restaurants, bars, or other public workplaces with a history of people overdosing. We were surprised to see that the ministry has defined it as “Employers must provide a naloxone kit when an employer becomes aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, of the following scenarios:

- There is a risk of a worker opioid overdose
- There is a risk that the worker overdoses while in a workplace where they perform work for the employer
- The risk is posed by a worker who performs work for the employer

In the news release posted by the MLITSD in December 2022, where it states the above, it also went on to say the following:

- If all of these scenarios are present, the employer must comply with the OHSA requirements to provide naloxone in the workplace
- If any one of these scenarios are not present, an employer does not need to comply with the OHSA requirements to provide naloxone in the workplace

That tells me that if any of the above variables are not present you do not have to have a naloxone kit available to your workers. So, the answer to the question of “do we need to have naloxone kit”, seems to be pretty easy to ascertain. Not so fast, let’s explore the three (3) elements that must be present.

First, where it says, “there is a risk of a worker opioid overdose”, how do you make that determination? How can you say with certainty that there is or isn’t a risk? Those who die of drug overdoses come from all walks of life, so you cannot honestly say that there is no risk at your workplace because you do not know who may be using hard drugs (hard drugs we are referring to are drugs that contain opioids and are causing people to overdose and die). So again, how can the employer become aware of or determine risk? This is where your JHSC Committee can assist; they can conduct a risk assessment, discover evidence of opioid use during regular workplace inspections, or have previously had an incident of an overdose in the workplace. Also, a worker who uses opioids may voluntarily disclose this risk to their manager or supervisor. Keep in mind that these requirements do not apply to non-workers, such as customers, patients, or other public members.

When it comes to the question of “there is a risk that the worker overdoses while in a workplace where they perform work for the employer”, again, if there is a possibility of a worker that uses hard drugs, how can you say that it won’t happen in the workplace. Those with drug addictions may require those drugs to function in a normal capacity and, therefore, may use drugs more than once a day. Is there any way to say for certain that they will not take them while at work? Conducting a risk assessment of the workplace may be a valuable tool in determining the risk of an incident while the worker is performing work in the workplace.

Lastly, when it says, “The risk is posed by a worker who performs work for the employer.” They are clearly saying that the risk only applies to the workers performing work for your employer. It does not apply to workers of other employers onsite at your workplace, such as sub-contractors or worksites shared by multiple employers.

After pondering all the information conveyed above, how does a business make the decision to place naloxone kits in the workplace and train staff as prescribed? The answer is that a workplace needs to conduct a risk assessment to glean a broad and objective view. This risk assessment should be done by those with a good understanding of the workforce, ideally, someone who works with the workers. This would include members of your health and safety team (safety reps), supervisors, union (if any) and the workers. Industrial Safety Trainers has developed a “Drugs in the Workplace Risk Assessment” that you can use to determine whether your workplace needs to have naloxone nasal sprays in your workplace. [Click here](https://thesafetybus.com/free-stuff/) to download that risk assessment.

As of December 2022, naloxone nasal spray kits are free to all employers, one per workplace, through [Ontario’s Workplace Naloxone Program](https://www.ontario.ca/page/naloxone-workplace#section-2). That’s great to hear, but you should also be aware that this offer is only available for the next two (2) years, after that, we are not sure what, if any, will be the costs of maintaining those kits. Naloxone has an expiry date written on the ampoules or vials or on the nasal spray device. They must be stored at room temperature, between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius and protected from light.

How many naloxone kits do I need to have? Good question. Under OHSA, employers must provide at least one naloxone kit in each workplace in which they are aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, of the risk of one of their workers having an opioid overdose. If there is any reason to believe there may be multiple employees at risk, then employers may determine multiple kits are needed for the protection of their workers (clause 25 (2)(h) and subsection 25.2(5) of the OHSA). This differs from Regulation 1101 for First Aid. This regulation states that a workplace requires a first aid kit where it is accessible to all workers. It would be acceptable to store a naloxone kit with the first aid kit but remember, dependent upon your workplace, consideration may need to be given towards a requirement for multiple naloxone kits within the workplace.

Various organizations offer naloxone kits. The MLITSD has secured the Canadian Red Cross and St. John Ambulance as program providers, but there are also several select participating pharmacies. For guidance, [click here](https://www.ontario.ca/page/where-get-free-naloxone-kit) to search a map for the closest pharmacy or community organization where you can pick up a kit. As supporters of the prevention of drug overdoses,[ Industrial Safety Trainers](https://thesafetybus.com/contact-us/) has been providing free naloxone kits to businesses for over three years now and can be contacted if you need more than one kit (until such time as they remain free for public distribution).
The Ontario Naloxone in the Workplace Program has defined what is needed to comply with training requirements. The MLITSD has indicated that training will be offered for free, for up to two workers per workplace, by the Canadian Red Cross, and St. John Ambulance. I understand that one must register online via one of these approved program providers to be granted access to approved online training.
Who does a workplace train? The requirements indicate that the kit is in the control of a worker who,

- works in the vicinity of the kit
- has received the required training

When one considers who needs the training in administering naloxone nasal spray, the more staff who know how and when to administer the sprays, the better. Front-line supervisors should have this training in addition to the first aid persons. You will also need to consider vacation coverage, sick days, along with shift schedules when determining who of your workforce will be trained.

Another consideration is how to train front-line supervisors to recognize signs of substance abuse and impairment at work due to drug use or consumption of alcohol, as well as what to do if they suspect a worker is impaired. While many companies have updated their Drug and Alcohol Policies to reflect the changes in the legalization of cannabis in 2017, many companies haven’t addressed training for Supervisors and Managers on how to determine impairment and what to do if you suspect a worker is impaired. This is a huge gap as impaired workers pose a grave safety risk, not only to themselves but also to fellow workers and members of the public.

Management is expected to act when it is suspected that a worker may be impaired. How does a business educate and train the management to initiate appropriate actions related to substance abuse in the workplace? Industrial Safety Trainers has worked with the OPP drug recognition experts to develop a training program for frontline supervisors called Reasonable Suspicion. This extremely interactive training program will allow supervisors and managers to recognize what impairment looks like, learn what the police are looking for when determining impairment, how to investigate possible impairments in the workplace, and how to deal with impaired workers. This program also educates on looking for changes in their workers’ performance or demeanour that may be a precursor to drug and alcohol usage, which can help prevent drug overdoses and accidents in the workplace. Visit our website for additional information on this unique health & safety training program.

We should all be aware that the number of opioid-related deaths is now considered a crisis in this province. It is not only recreational users at risk; anyone who takes opioid medication for pain management can also experience an overdose. Providing a naloxone kit and appropriate training within your workplace not only meets legal requirements to protect your workers, but it can also save someone’s life!

Submitted by Randy Dignard, Senior Safety Consultant, Industrial Safety Trainers Inc.

Benefit plan news for People Corporation plan sponsors

As of December 18, 2022, the Government of Canada will permanently extend Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits from 15 weeks to 26 weeks.



Changes to Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits

To protect Canadians facing illness or injury typically associated with recovery rates longer than 15 weeks, the Government of Canada is extending EI sickness benefits to 26 weeks, starting December 18, 2022. This change is expected to help approximately 169,000 Canadians per year who need more than 15 weeks to return to work after an illness, injury, or quarantine. Eighty-seven per cent of claimants return to work within a year after an illness or injury; slower returns to work typically involve cancer, cardiovascular, nervous system and musculoskeletal diseases, mental health issues, and pregnancy-related conditions. ([Evaluation of the Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits report](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/esdc-edsc/documents/corporate/reports/evaluations/ei-sickness-benefits/Sickness_Evaluation_Report_20201110_EN.pdf)).

Employees currently receiving EI sickness benefits, or who have a date of disability prior to December 18, will be limited to only 15 weeks of sickness benefits.

### What changes must you make to your plan before December 18, 2022?

While the December 18 date provides a sense of urgency, there are no mandatory changes required to your group benefits plan coverage as a result of the update to the EI sickness benefits. Additionally, no changes to STD plan designs are required to remain compliant with eligibility for the EI Premium Reduction Program at this time. This may change in the future.

However, with changes to the EI sickness benefits program, we recommend that you review your disability plan design and policy language and update any HR policies related to disability management or medical absences, as required. The experts at People Corporation are here to help, starting with the guidance below.

### General guidance for managing the extension of EI sickness benefits

If your plan offers short-term disability coverage, salary continuance, or a supplemental unemployment benefit (SUB) plan with benefits coordinated with EI benefits:

- You may want to align your short-term disability (STD) benefit period to be at least as long as the new EI benefit period of 26 weeks, plus one week for the EI waiting period. This may allow your eligibility in the
new Premium Reduction Program to be maintained, however, there are no details yet on what the new program may be.

**If your plan offers long-term disability (LTD) benefits only:**

- If your organization offers LTD benefits, but doesn’t have an STD plan, you may want to align your LTD elimination period with the 26 weeks of EI sickness benefits payments, plus one week for the EI waiting period.

**If your LTD program has a waiting period of less than 27 weeks:**

- In this case, remind plan members receiving EI sick benefits to submit their LTD claim to your insurer according to the timelines indicated in your benefits plan. They must also inform Service Canada of their
approved LTD benefit so these benefits can be appropriately coordinated.

### Recommended next steps for plan sponsors

As the Employment Insurance sickness benefits shift from 15 weeks to 26 weeks, speak to your [People Corporation](https://emccanada.org/programs/insurance-and-benefits/) benefits consultant about reviewing your plan.

*The content of this publication is provided to People Corporation plan sponsors for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be legal or tax advice. The content of this publication is based on information available at the time of publication, which is subject to change. Efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, it may contain errors or omissions or become out of date following publication. Consult your advisor or benefits consultant for more information specific to your circumstances.*

NorthBridge has compiled a summary of key points

In early November, the Government of Canada’s Fall Economic Statement was released, which included updates on items proposed as part of Budget 2022. Included in this were several proposals related to net-zero commitments, such as new investment tax credits, a growth fund, and an innovation agency. NorthBridge has compiled a summary of key points outlined as part of the Statement to offer an insight into the government landscape changes and proposals for the upcoming fiscal year.

Government Funding Outlook for 2023 - 2024

### An Investment Tax Credit for Clean Technologies

Originally proposed in Budget 2022, an investment tax credit will be made available from 2023-2035 to boost adoption of clean technologies, specifically net-zero technologies, battery storage solutions, and clean hydrogen. 
The refundable tax credit can be claimed to cover up to 30% of the capital cost of investments in:

- Electricity generation stations (e.g., solar photovoltaic, small modular nuclear reactors)
- Stationary electricity storage systems that do not use fossil fuels (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors, magnetic energy storage, gravity energy storage, thermal energy storage)
- Low carbon heat equipment (e.g., active solar heating, air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps)
- Industrial zero-emission vehicles and related charging/refueling equipment (e.g., hydrogen or electric heavy-duty equipment used in mining or construction)

Businesses which do not follow certain labour conditions will only be eligible for a credit of 20%. 

### An Investment Tax Credit for Clean Hydrogen

The establishment of an investment tax credit to support clean hydrogen production has been announced, as wider implementation of clean hydrogen is considered an essential part of Canada’s path to net-zero. 
The refundable tax credit will run from 2023-2030, with the lowest carbon intensity tier eligible to receive a credit of at least 40%. The level of tax credit received will be dependent on whether certain labour protection requirements are met, related to wages and apprenticeship opportunities. 

Further details about this tax credit, including the appropriate carbon-based system in a Canadian context and the level of support needed for production pathways, will be announced following consultations between the Department of Finance and relevant stakeholders. 

### An Investment Tax Credit for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage

For businesses incurring costs related to carbon capture, utilization, and storage, a refundable tax credit will soon be made available for expenses incurred following January 1, 2022. 
Currently, tax credit rates would be: 

- 60% for capture equipment used in a direct air capture project from 2022-2030, and 30% from 2031-2040
- 50% for other eligible capture equipment from 2022-2030, and 25% from 2031-2040
- 37.5% for eligible transportation, storage, and use equipment from 2022-2030, and 18.75% from 2031-2040

Eligible expenditures would include purchases and installation of equipment used on eligible CCUS projects, such as capture, transportation, storage, and use equipment. This includes the conversion of existing equipment, building costs, and monitoring and tracking equipment. Projects must capture CO2 in Canada and must have eligible expenses of $250M or more over the lifespan of the project in order to be eligible. 

### Clean Energy Tax Incentives 

Additionally proposed tax incentives for clean energy include: 

- Expanded tax deductions for business investments in clean energy equipment to include air-source heat pumps.
- The 50% reduction of the general corporate and small business income tax rates for zero-emission technology manufacturers will be extended to include manufacturers of air-source heat pumps.
- Halved tax rates for businesses that manufacture zero-emission technologies. 

### Investing in Skills for a Net-Zero Economy

Beginning in 2023-2024, $250 million will be invested to support a Sustainable Jobs Training Centre, which would provide micro-credentials for upskilling and reskilling, in areas such as the sustainable battery industry and low-carbon building and retrofits. 

In addition to this, projects will be funded to support unions in leading the development of green skills training, and the Sustainable Jobs Secretariat will provide information on federal programs and funding available for low-carbon projects. 

### Launching the Canada Growth Fund

Upcoming legislation will provide further details on the Canada Growth Fund, an investment fund designed to leverage private sector investment to meet climate and economic objectives. The primary goals of the fund include: 

- Reducing emissions
- Accelerating key technologies
- Scaling up clean companies
- Capitalizing on Canada’s natural resources

Through the Fund, concessional loans and contracts will be available to allow businesses to plan for long-term investments in decarbonization.  Run by a team of investors, the government will establish guidelines for investment policies, application processes, ESG compliance, and performance measurement prior to opening the Fund. 

### Launching a Canadian Innovation and Investment Agency

As stated in Budget 2022, the Canadian government has committed $1 billion over the next five years to establish a Canadian innovation and investment agency which will support domestic innovation and commercialization efforts. Overseen by Parliament with advice from private sector experts, the agency will focus on job creation, goods and services generation, and business success. 

### Sector-Specific Investments and Strategies
To accelerate the advanced manufacturing sector, continued investments will be made in consultation with industry experts and unions to make investments that will create jobs and build on a net-zero economy. Specific announcements regarding the manufacturing sector will be made in Budget 2023. 

In addition to this, the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy was released in December to secure Canada’s role as a leader in the critical mineral supply chain. This strategy includes recommendations to develop the mining, processing, manufacturing, and recycling industries to provide the minerals required in clean technologies including electric vehicles, batteries, and renewable energy technologies. Specifically, the strategy addresses five core objectives: supporting economic growth, promoting environmental protection, advancing reconciliation, fostering diverse workforces, and enhancing global security and partnerships. Through a 30% Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit, continued investments in the sector, streamlining regulatory frameworks, and building sustainable infrastructure, the strategy presents a long-term approach to the growing critical minerals industry. 

### Changes to the SR&ED Program

A review of the SR&ED program is underway with updates to be provided in Budget 2023. 


Leveraging funding options will allow your business to adapt to the future

What is Industry 4.0? While the full scope of this paradigm shift is not yet known, it is widely agreed upon that it started at the dawn of the third millennium with the ascendence of the Internet. 

How to Join the Industry 4.0 Revolution in Canada

The first industrial revolution quite literally picked up steam in the mid-18th century, as adoption of the newly invented steam engine in combination with coal power and the mechanization of manufacturing lines fueled massive economy growth. A century later, the second industrial revolution saw the discovery of new energy sources—electricity, gas, and oil—which led to increased assembly line efficiency and the creation of the internal combustion engine, thus ushering forth automobiles and planes by the beginning of the 20th century. In the latter half of the 20th century, nuclear energy came on scene and the third industrial revolution got underway with the advent of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and robots, accelerating production processes with partial automation and opening the door to space exploration, biotech development, and new technology research. Now approaching the second quarter of the 21st century, we find ourselves in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, otherwise know as Industry 4.0.

### What is Industry 4.0? 

While the full scope of this paradigm shift is not yet known, it is widely agreed upon that it started at the dawn of the third millennium with the ascendence of the Internet. It has given way to the ubiquitous implementation of information and communication technologies within industry, the full automation of so-called “smart factories” and cyber-physical production systems, the application of predictive algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI), wide-scale conversion to Internet of Things (IoT) manufacturing environments, and an overall increase in operational capabilities through process optimization and value chain tracking. 

As Industry 4.0 technologies continue to gain ground, many worry about the displacement of human workers with automation, AI, and digitalization, but experts are predicting a different outcome. The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association (CMEA) estimates that 25 percent of the manufacturing workforce will retire by 2030, resulting in 2.1 million unfilled jobs in Canadian manufacturing if Industry 4.0 practices are not more widely integrated by outmoded businesses.  Currently, 55 percent of entrepreneurs report difficulties finding employees while 26 percent say they have trouble retaining them, and 64 percent say the labour shortage has limited their growth. That is why Industry 4.0 is being promoted as a means of augmenting the workforce to ensure that the Canadian economy keeps up with the time.

Not only will Industry 4.0 help address manufacturing labour shortage challenges via technological solutions, but it will simultaneously create new job opportunities for the next generation of tech-minded workers. The streamlined technology-augmented workforce to ensue is expected to be safer, healthier, and happier while driving productivity to ever-higher levels within companies that embrace this fourth industrial revolution. In recognition of such a critical matter, organizations like Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) offer a variety of funding solutions to facilitate digital transformation in advanced manufacturing through pilot project/feasibly study funding programs for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) all the way up to supercluster financing and resources for multi-million-dollar projects. Similarly, Canada’s Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have emphasized current funding priorities and services in the advanced manufacturing arena, with new funding available to support business scale-up and productivity.
The Canadian government has also launched the [Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP)](http://magnet.today/bybt/emc) with $4 billion in funds to help SMEs increase their capabilities through Industry 4.0 technologies via grants worth up to $15,000 per organization followed by an interest free loan of up to $100,000. Regardless of sector, startups and SMEs can benefit from CDAP, as a strong digital adoption strategy is key to an organization’s success, fostering digital literacy among employees becoming accustomed to a new digital culture. 

It is no wonder that these digital transformation initiatives are being carried out by industry leaders. Take, for example, Michelin, the global tire and mobility company, who has been steadily incorporating augmented reality (AR), human-machine collaboration (cobotics), and AI tools to help operators control their machines. Or HP, the electronics manufacturer, who has worked to digitize operational processes from presales to maintenance while setting up an infrastructure to gain real-time insights on elements like supply chain and customer habits. Even within the government itself, transformation is underway, as Transport Canada prepares its workforce for a cloud migration to balance the supply and demand of IT services.

With NGen, RDAs, and CDAP programs offering billions of dollars in government funding, support, and training to Canadian businesses, there has never been a more opportune time to initiate your digital transformation and join the Industry 4.0 revolution, especially when considering an array of other non-dilutive funding opportunities within Canada. 

The government of Canada’s funding and assistance programs extend beyond strictly Industry 4.0 endeavors as well. Any scientific research and experimental development conducted within Canada has the potential to qualify for SR&ED tax credits. In an effort to encourage technological innovation in Canada, the SR&ED tax incentive program allows companies to ceaselessly push engineering boundaries and create cutting-edge technologies without the financial risk typically associated with experimentation and development. Programs like SR&ED drive Industry 4.0 expansion in Canada by extending the runway and bridging the funding gap for businesses striving to stay at the forefront of their sector and remain competitive in the new digital age. Industry-4.0-enabled facilities will only serve to expedite the discovery and development of novel technologies, providing a competitive advantage, as the more money a company saves through funding assistance, the more money it can spend on research and digital conversion. This will have exponential benefit in the post-pandemic era where remote work demands an unprecedent degree of digital literacy, automation, and virtual control over physical processes. 

Industry 4.0 is here for the long haul. Leveraging all of these funding options will allow your business to adapt to the way of the future. From steam engines to smart factories and beyond, the industrial revolution never rests and neither does [NorthBridge Consultants](https://emccanada.org/about/partners/northbridge-consultants/) in our pursuit to help secure the maximum funding possible for our clients. Please reach out to learn more about funding and grant opportunities in Canada.


To start off, we have to look at what the legal definition of a competent person.

Most participants always assert that the Employer must be a competent person, but let’s think that a lot of the time, our Employer is a corporation, not necessarily an individual. The OHSA S.25 (3) states, “an employer may appoint himself or herself as a supervisor where an employer is a competent person.” So when I am given the answer that it’s obvious the Employer should meet this definition, and I provide clarity - that’s it’s a big fat maybe. It depends! 

Who is a Competent Person in Your Workplace?

As a trainer, there seems to be a lot of reoccurring discussions in the courses we teach. It could be about lack of adequate anchorage, understanding load center calculations for forklifts, or derating a slings’ working load limits for rigging, but those are course-specific. What I personally find, and I’m sure my colleagues would attest to this, is that all courses we teach inevitably end up with a discussion regarding competence. It doesn’t matter if the subject being taught is equipment-based, JHSC focused, or practical applications such as mock rescues or investigations - the importance of knowing who in your workplace has to be competent people and why this is significant always come up. 

To start off, we have to look at what the legal definition of a competent person. The reason I say this is that our personal characterizations of this trait vary from person to person. Some workers say it’s someone who doesn’t ask them to do silly things, others say that it’s someone who doesn’t require assistance tying their shoes in the morning (yes, they are being sarcastic at this point), but then others say it has to be someone who knows how to do the job right. Even pulling up the definition of “competent” on the Merriam-Webster dictionary gives me options! There it can mean either “having requisite or adequate ability or qualities” or “legally qualified or adequate” – which one is it?

When you pull out the good ol’ green book, open it to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and go to Section 1 - sing the alphabet song down to “C,” we find it. It reads, a “competent person means a person who, (a) is qualified because of knowledge, training and experience to organize the work and its performance, (b) is familiar with this Act and the regulations that apply to the work, and (c) has knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health or safety in the workplace.” Although it seems pretty straightforward, let’s take a moment to walk through it. 

Clause (a) tells us they need knowledge – so the individual has to be a repository of information. They need training – so they need to have undergone some sort of knowledge acquisition exercise. They need experience – they need a past history of the practical application of said previously gained theoretical knowledge. Finally, it gives us a condition for those three elements – to organize the work and how it is performed. 

Clause (b) tells us that they need to be acquainted with, or at least roughly know what the Occupational Health and Safety Act and any applicable Regulation under that Act says about the work they are doing. This is generally where I find a shortfall at most facilities, to be honest. But, we are here to make your life easier. To throw you a proverbial life raft, if you take the law/regulations and your company’s health and safety program, they will in the very least lineup, if not exceed the statutory obligations.  

Clause (c) tells us that they need to be aware of the actual and apparent hazards associated with the work being done and any potential surprise elements to may arise. The individual must be able to see what is in front of them and predict the possible outcomes of their ever-changing situation!

Pretty simple, eh? I told you it was straightforward. But now that we have cleared up **WHAT** a competent person is, the next question is **WHO** now needs to meet that definition. Again this is a discussion I have had many times. So time to go back into OHSA and do some research!

Most participants always assert that the Employer must be a competent person, but let’s think that a lot of the time, our Employer is a corporation, not necessarily an individual. The OHSA S.25 (3) states, “an employer may appoint himself or herself as a supervisor where an employer is a competent person.” So when I am given the answer that it’s obvious the Employer should meet this definition, and I provide clarity - that’s it’s a big fat maybe. It depends! Some organizations will have Employers who are very involved and have appointed themselves accordingly, other just the opposite. 

Now, if there is a chance that you still haven’t found the competent person you are looking for, read on – time to continue working through the parties of the Internal Responsibility System. Next on that list is the supervisor. The OHSA S.25 (2)(c) does require that “an employer shall, when appointing a supervisor, appoint a competent person.” Boom, there we have, the first manifestation of required competence! 
When you think about it, a supervisor is the Employer’s representative at the worker level. They have been put in place to ensure productivity and quality levels are maintained and, most importantly, the worker’s safety. I had a participant once complain to me during a course that they felt underemployed. They had a degree in Occupational Health and Safety. They felt they were more than qualified to be a Health and Safety manager. What they lacked was any real-world experience in the construction sector they had been applying to. I sympathize with a new grad; trust me, I have been there as well – but a manager is a supervisor, a supervisor must be a competent person, and that requires experience to organize the work and its performance. 

### So is that it? Is the hunt for the required competent person over? 

Well, not quite yet. A quick glance over Section 28 of the OHSA shows us there is no prerequisite for the worker, but that isn’t a stern “No.” A worker can be assigned a variety of tasks. Some do require competence, while others do not. We now have to look at the regulations, which change depending on where you work. 

Ontario Regulation 851 for Industrial Establishments lists “competent person” 11 times (yes, “ctrl + f” is your friend here). A worker who operates a nail gun, performs a rescue for electrical contact, operates a lifting device and inspects the same, to name a few. 

Ontario Regulation 213 for Construction Projects lists “competent person” 14 times. Examples include workers who assist supervisors, give instruction on working at heights, or supervise the removal of a support system for the walls of an excavation.

Those are just two of the 25 current regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. But, remember, part of being competent is knowing what applies to you! So only check the regulations that apply to your work. Work smart, not hard, right?

So now that you have all of this information in your head, what to do with it? Do you know who in your workplace has to be a competent person? If so, how did you verify it? The reason that we have to ask ourselves this question is twofold. 

Firstly, it’s all about compliance. We want to ensure that our organization is following the requirements of the Act. I don’t know about you, but I personally do not like being surprised – especially when that surprise was a legal obligation that can now affect my financial situation. Not cool. 

Secondly, it’s about safety. While there is a direct correlation between safety and compliance, it just isn’t always; how do I put this nicely… internalized by workers. People occasionally fail to make the connection between amendments to the OHSA and real-world injuries. Remember, if they put it in there, it happened, probably more than once.  

While we may have found not everyone in the workplace to legally be a “competent person,” some clarification ideally has been made. With that knowledge, training, and experience, you should now be better able to spot potential hazards in your workplace. That starts off with getting rid of the assumption that everyone has to be a competent person. If someone appears to be a competent person, or they say they are – awesome! Believe them, but verify it before you start the work.

Realistically, verification should come in the form of documentation. For workers, it is easier of the groups to generate. As a training company, we provide ROTs with all of our courses (record of training). If you have been a participant in a safety course and always get excited that the instructor is willing to “do the test as a group” – which you think make your life easier, but perhaps it is done for a different reason – documentation. There is a completed quiz, in your hand writing, with your name on, proving you KNEW better if something were to go awry. For supervisors, life gets a little trickier. Not only do they have to have the same knowledge base as their workers in terms of safety consideration, but there is the higher onus for legal compliance. That can be found in Ontario Regulation 297. Section 2 states:

**Basic occupational health and safety awareness training — supervisors**
2. (1) An employer shall ensure that a supervisor who performs work for the employer completes a basic occupational health and safety awareness training program that meets the requirements set out in subsection (3) within one week of performing work as a supervisor. 
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if,
(a)  the supervisor previously completed a basic occupational health and safety awareness training program and provides the employer with proof of completion of the training; and
(b)  the employer verifies that the previous training meets the requirements set out in subsection (3). O. Reg. 297/13, s. 2 (2).
(3) A basic occupational health and safety awareness training program for supervisors must include instruction on the following:
1.  The duties and rights of workers under the Act.
2.  The duties of employers and supervisors under the Act.
3.  The roles of health and safety representatives and joint health and safety committees under the Act.
4.  The roles of the Ministry, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and entities designated under section 22.5 of the Act with respect to occupational health and safety.
5.  How to recognize, assess and control workplace hazards, and evaluate those controls.
6.  Sources of information on occupational health and safety.

Now that begs the question, how does you company not only initially train the supervisors, but how do they maintain their level of competency? Is it a Health, Safety, and the Law course? Do you have internal KPIs that are reviewed and documented consistently? Have you simply relied on the 5 Step training avail online? – food for thought. 

Just to really throw a wrench in your day while you have your OHSA open – check out the legal definition of what a supervisor really is; you may be surprised how that applies. I’d talk about it now, but that’s a topic for another day. 

Geoff Rowatt | CHRL
Safety Trainer,
Industrial Safety Trainers 


I don’t understand why my computer does this!

I don’t want to go to a web browser, I want to reply to an email! While it does not happen on a frequent basis, it is frequent enough that it warrants an explanation. 


Default Mail Applications

I don’t understand why my computer does this?
Why won’t you work the way you are supposed to?
I don’t want to go to a web browser, I want to reply to an email!

These could be common thoughts that run through your mind when you are trying to reply to our Member Needs Help email - to request responses to the question being asked, or to give the information being asked of you.

**While it does not happen on a frequent basis, it is frequent enough that it warrants an explanation.**

If you do not have Administrator rights on your machine, you will have to get your IT department involved.

The "request responses" and the "answer question" button use a common protocol called “mailto:” This tells the computer that the user wants to send an email and it will open the appropriate mail program for them to complete this. 

**Several things can happen at this point:**

1. The email program opens a new email with all the appropriate information already populated (this is what we want – everything is all good, and the user can go on their merry way).
2. The computer attempts to open Windows Mail – hang on a minute, I don’t use windows mail, I use outlook? Therefore an account creation dialog box comes up for you to set up an account with Windows Mail. This occurs when your default mail program is set to Windows Mail, rather than Microsoft Outlook.	
3. The computer attempts to open a web page.

### To fix this, type default Apps in your search bar:

![](https://files.benecms.com/emc/media/Default%20mail%20app%20image%201.jpg)

### This window will open:
![](https://files.benecms.com/emc/media/Default%20mail%20app%20image%202.jpg)

You want your mail program to be the default one, in this case, Outlook. If it isn’t, click on the app that is listed there and then you can choose which one is correct.

The above scenario also works for the opening of a web page browser as well.


In today’s worker-led culture of recruitment, a strong benefits package is a major competitive advantage for manufacturing businesses. By creating and promoting a comprehensive set of workplace benefits, you’ll be able to draw potential employees to any role! 

Using Workplace Benefits as a Recruitment Tool

It shouldn’t be a surprise to any manufacturer that, in today’s employment landscape, workers are seeking the best packages. Labour shortages run rampant across Canada’s manufacturing sector, and, without offering attractive, compelling job opportunities, businesses may lose prospective employees to their competitors. Comprehensive benefits packages are an important component of any position in the 2020s, and, by building and promoting them, manufacturers can effectively demonstrate the value of their organization in a tangible, eye-catching way. Let’s examine the elements of a modern benefits package, and learn about how they can be leveraged to strengthen our companies’ recruitment efforts.  

### Showcase an Array of Benefits
When analyzing the benefits packages of today, it’s important to keep our contextual awareness up-to-date. In decades past, many businesses offered benefits packages that took away from employees’ paycheques on a regular basis — in today’s worker-focused culture, this is no longer a desirable practice. Modern job-seekers desire an array of benefits to be provided in addition to complete compensation, and, if a particular role requires them to pay for these benefits out-of-pocket, these potential employees may lose interest. Instead, employers should focus on offering a set of benefits that correlates with their organizations’ operational capacities and financial resources. In a recent video uploaded to [EMC’s Manufacturing Masters](https://emccanada.org/services/manufacturing-masters/) platform, Pascale Mapleston, President of Mapleston Benefits Consulting Inc., identified that today’s employees are willing to accept fewer benefits that are paid for entirely by their employer than the alternative. Consider the issue from the employee’s perspective: **Would you rather have a benefits plan that allows you the choice to pursue your own supplemental demands, or a plan that reduces your income in exchange for a fixed set of support services? **

### Create a Timely Benefits Package 
This is only the first step to improved recruitment activities. Once you’ve built an array of benefits that align with your business’s functional and financial capabilities, you should next focus on broadcasting these benefits directly to potential employees through effective hiring material. Fortunately for recruiters, benefits are easy to include in job postings, and are likely to be one of the first aspects of a position that prospective workers look for when considering a role. Keep in mind that, to maximize the effectiveness of a benefits package in a job post, it should be described in full and made as transparent as possible to the applicant. Willingly making certain benefits ambiguous seriously reduces the trust of both potential and existing employees, which can significantly harm a business’s reputation in the marketplace at large. To avoid any potential recruitment hazards surrounding benefits packages, be sure that the applicant is well-aware of what supplemental services your organization can offer them throughout the entirety of the hiring processes, and be prepared with satisfactory answers to any outstanding questions.  

Thorough workplace benefits aren’t just a complement to a paycheque — they’re an essential aspect of a strong organizational culture in the today's employment landscape. By developing and promoting a collection of benefits that meet the needs and wants of today’s workers, you’ll gain a vital resource in your recruitment efforts, and be clearly demonstrating the value that your company places on its labour base. Employees of all backgrounds, roles, and experience levels appreciate a meaningful benefits package, and reward genuine interest in their well-being with loyalty, passion, and engagement.  

To learn more about building timely, effective recruitment strategies from Canada’s manufacturing leaders, become an EMC member to gain access to [EMC's Manufacturing Masters ](https://emccanada.org/services/manufacturing-masters/)platform today.

Being present - online.

The internet is today’s most effective tool for reaching one’s customers, but many manufacturers still aren’t achieving their maximum potential in the digital space. Let’s examine what helps a manufacturer succeed online, and discuss the importance of staying timely!

Succeeding in the Digital Age

There’s no doubting that the internet has revolutionized the way we learn, communicate, and shop. As online services continue to permeate society, manufacturers may face challenges while adapting their long-established activities to modern-day digital processes. Effective utilization of the internet is becoming the “norm” in modern manufacturing — online systems can significantly improve efficiency throughout the supply chain, broaden a business’s consumer base, and serve as a major asset to promotional marketing. By leveraging the internet and its many operations, even centuries-old manufacturers can keep themselves at the forefront of international production, and strengthen productivity, competence, and profitability across their entire organizations. 

### Website and Social Media
Even if online processes aren’t interwoven into every part of your company, your business likely already has a website that provides visitors with information about its services and products. In today’s digital environment, though, a website alone may not be enough for potential customers or partners — most modern businesses also maintain a selection of social media channels to keep interested parties informed about their activities. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram provide your organization with an array of promotional benefits, like keeping your customers informed about new product launches, providing immediate production updates, and visually showcasing your facilities and staff. These platforms are designed for speed and simplicity while also serving to demonstrate your company’s timeliness and relevance to the manufacturing sector. 

### Online Selling
Another web platform that can provide major advantages to Canadian manufacturers is Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer. There’s no shopfront more pertinent to modern consumers than Amazon — the platform facilitates millions of dollars worth of transactions every day, and is most customers’ primary destination for purchasing goods online. Amazon offers a wide range of features to make digitally selling your products simple and can rapidly facilitate your business’s online orders even if you’ve never sold your wares over the internet before. Through the use of Amazon, you’ll be able to open up direct lines of commerce and communication with your customers, helping your business reinforce its connections with its target demographic and eliminating the need for unnecessary third-party merchants. The website’s customization features even allow you to apply your own branding to your company’s retailer page, solidifying your business’s professionalism and adhering with your existing marketing strategies. 

### A Ripe Medium
The internet is today’s equivalent of what television, radio, and print were in the last millennium — a creative medium ripe for the promotion of your business in appealing, engaging ways. Modern consumers purchase more goods over the internet than they do anywhere else. In the same way that a manufacturer should stay in touch with timely production and employment practices, so too should they strive to ensure their business’s presence in the digital world to reap the many operational and financial benefits of doing so. 

Ready to optimize your business’s online presence? Log on to EMC’s Manufacturing Masters platform today, and learn about how to succeed in the digital space from Canada’s top manufacturing experts! 


Let’s delve into the elements of a beneficial succession process! 

Worker experience is one of the Canadian manufacturing sector’s most important resources. Alas, this resource isn’t unlimited — as workers age out of their positions and began to retire, keeping what they’ve learned inside of your company can be a difficult task. If employees approaching retirement aren’t able to pass on their knowledge to their colleagues, critical manufacturing methods and processes could be lost. 

Put Success in Succession Planning

Through effective succession planning, long-time employees can keep their experience alive and well within their organizations - even after they retire – all while ensuring that new workers have a strong foundation of expertise to build upon. Let’s delve into the elements of a beneficial succession process! 

### There are two core parties involved in succession planning — the employee and their successor. 

To make succession planning effective, both the employee and successor must have a shared goal in mind, and both should be willing to teach and learn from each other. Oftentimes, many long-time employees can be unwilling to share what they’ve learned over their careers with newer workers, feeling that these parties may not be able to understand something that has taken years (or decades) to develop. Overcoming this barrier requires that long-time employees understand why succession planning is taking place: for the collective benefit of the company. Consider that if an employee leaves a company without passing on what they’ve learned, the company will be without that knowledge entirely. Even if a successor isn’t able to fully comprehend a process or lesson, retaining a part of that knowledge will still provide the company with a net benefit. Strong communication is a necessary to provide workers with context for their goals. 

Of course, successors must also be willing participants in the succession planning process. For this reason, only select a worker to be a successor if you are confident in their engagement, willingness to learn, and long-term commitment to your company. If, after an employee retires, their successor also decides to pursue opportunities outside of your enterprise, your succession planning efforts will have become redundant. The act of choosing a worthwhile successor shouldn’t come down to simply selecting a younger or more recently-hired worker — it should be a thorough, involved process that ensures the original employee’s talents remain actively-utilized in your business. Ideally, an employee’s successor should also be an effective teacher themselves, which can help propagate and spread knowledge throughout your entire organization. Remember that while the early stages of succession planning may only be possible between two employees, the right successor can help make pieces of specialized information into standard operating procedures!

As many employed by the Canadian manufacturing sector continue to age out of their roles, effective succession planning will need to become commonplace for businesses that want to remain competitive in a globalized economy. By selecting the right combinations of knowledgeable, experienced employees and enthusiastic, motivated successors, even the most obscure methodologies and processes can be continuously understood and employed by your workers. Stoke a culture of sharing and spreading knowledge throughout your business, and you’ll find that consistent innovation and progress become easy to achieve. 


Strong recruiters can be valuable to a business’s hiring process.

Recruiters are your business’s first point-of-contact for job-seekers, and can set the tone of your entire hiring process. By understanding what makes a recruiter effective, you’ll be able to easily obtain high-quality labour and provide your workers with the knowledge they need. 

Selecting an Effective Recruiter

Strong recruiters can be valuable to a business’s hiring process, but many Canadian manufacturers are using recruiters that struggle to capture potential workers’ interests. It’s important to remember that, in many ways, a recruiter acts as the face of your organization in the job pool — they are typically the first person within your business that a job-seeker makes contact with, and, as such, sets the tone for the entire interview process. Choosing an effective recruiter is easy if you keep the following attributes in mind!

### Strong communication skills

There isn’t any getting around it: your recruiters must have strong communication skills if they’re going to be working directly with job-seekers. Today’s employees expect a significant deal of eloquence, diplomacy, and empathy in their employers, and, if your recruiters aren’t able to display those values, potential workers will view your entire business in a poor light. Your recruiters should have a strong sense of contextual awareness surrounding their duties and the job-seekers that they work with — they should be able to speak to potential workers clearly and with a friendly tone. They should have the tact and conversational skills to avoid offending or upsetting the applicant, and they should never scold or speak harshly to them. If most of your workers don’t speak English or French as their first language, the recruiter should have an understanding of these applicants’ preferred languages — and, ideally, they should be fluent in them, or employ teammates who are. Communication is critical throughout the entire interview process.

### Organizational knowledge and understanding
Recruiters should also be extremely knowledgable about the activities, processes, and particulars of your company and of the roles they are seeking to fill. Applicants will likely have several questions to ask during the interview process, and, as many of these questions could be quite specific, being able to answer them accurately and immediately will be key to your recruiters’ success. If you’re promoting an employee to the level of recruiter, ensure that they already have a deep understanding of your company’s operations, your employment practices, and the technical details of your business’s available roles. Before any interviews begin, provide your recruiters with a thorough briefing of expectations for the role, and encourage them to make these requests known to job-seekers. Ensuring that your recruiting staff has the information they need to keep applicants informed during the hiring process is essential to securing worker trust, and reflects well on your company’s preparedness in the greater manufacturing landscape.

The right recruiter is just as important to the hiring process as the securing the right applicant. Remember that the purpose of an interview is to produce and gather information in a way that makes your company appealing. Effective recruiters are able to build firm connections with job-seekers, empowering them throughout their range of interviews and putting them in the best possible position to begin serving your business. Utilize the talents of a friendly, knowledgable recruiter, and you’ll find that obtaining labour is quick, easy, and impactful!

Eager to know more about what makes an effective recruiter? EMC’s [Manufacturing Masters](https://emccanada.org/services/manufacturing-masters/) platform has a variety of information about achieving success over the entire hiring process! Become a member today to log on, and begin learning from Canada’s manufacturing experts!

Innovation, Technology & Government Funding Opportunities

Canadian manufacturers have consistently been leaders in research pursuits and discoveries for advanced products and technologies. Manufacturing is an abundantly diverse and innovative sector, relying on information technologies, automation systems, materials science, among many other technologies.

Manufacturing in Canada by the Numbers

Canadian manufacturers have consistently been leaders in research pursuits and discoveries for advanced products and technologies. Manufacturing is an abundantly diverse and innovative sector, relying on information technologies, automation systems, materials science, among many other technologies. 

The manufacturing sector represents a cornerstone of the modern Canadian economy. Manufacturing represents more than 10% of Canada’s total GDP, and accounts for roughly $174 billion of our overall GDP. Even greater than this, exportation conducted by manufacturers is greater than $354 billion per year, comprising 68% of all of Canada’s merchandise exports. Overall, these numbers add up to 1.7 million full-time jobs across the country. Whereas the sector continues to modernize itself, manufacturers will continue to rely on a diverse workforce made up of designers, researchers, programmers, engineers, technicians, and tradespeople. The manufacturing sector is anticipated to grow exponentially until at least 2026. 

Today’s manufacturing requires constant innovation to implement new ideas and incorporate the latest production processes. As a consequence of the highly competitive nature of the global economy and the increasingly complicated supply chains, the significance of innovation will only continue to become more important. 
Canada’s manufacturing industry has ample opportunity for growth in Canada’s economic future. The advancements in our world mean that novel technologies are opening new markets for goods and expanding the routes in which goods are produced. Success of the industry will depend on innovation through encouraging industrial clusters that cultivate skills, technology, and knowledge. Given this growth, manufacturers act as magnets for new investments and young people to join the work force. 

### Innovation and Technology in the Sector:

Based on anticipated growth, companies are exploring methods to streamline manufacturing and distribution processes. Innovation is central to maintain the validity of manufacturing within today’s market, with technology-related spending increases occurring across our economy as more and more firms implement Industry 4.0 solutions for enhanced production and services.
Industry 4.0 has the potential to boost productivity, reduce costs, and improve product quality. The core innovation lies in monitoring and regulating machinery and equipment in system integration, artificial intelligence (AI) sensors, robotics, machine vision and automation. These advancements have far-reaching effects in Canadian manufacturing sectors, including aerospace, automotive, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals. As technologies continue to advance step-by-step, Canadian businesses have time to adjust – but shouldn’t wait if they want to be ahead of the curve.
Below are some notable examples of Canadian companies developing innovative solutions for the manufacturing sector:
Eigen Innovations, based in Fredericton, uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve manufacturing efficiency. Their technology also assesses the impact of new material introductions, preventing unnecessary costs. 

LaPlace Robotics in Ontario has developed a compact robot platform to automate complex handling applications through its unique vision system. 
Worximity helps manufacturers monitor real-time production through their sensors developed to collect data from any type or equipment or machine. Manufacturers in any industry can use the data to impact production efficiency by tracking labour, production speed and other KPIs in real time.

### Funding for Canadian Manufacturers

Some of the most valuable government funding programs are specifically catered to supporting Canadian manufacturers. These government funding opportunities are a proactive means to offset a portion of all strategic project costs through grants, tax credits, and loans. 

In 2017, the government of Canada implemented the Superclusters initiative and included Advanced Manfuacturing as one of the key areas of targeted growth for the future of Canadian technology. The Next Generation Supercluster (NGen) was created as a hub to facilitate growth in automation, robotics and digitization technologies. The program offers funding in the form of grants for collaborative projects that seek to enhance the manufacturing sector through the development of advanced manufacturing technologies.
 
The implementation of advanced manufacturing methods may require an upskilling of the workforce to work with the new processes. In these cases, the Canada Job Grant (CJG) can be leveraged to provide support with third-party training costs for both new and existing employees. The program will provide non-repayable funding for 50-100% of training costs for companies across Canada.  

**Other forms of various non-dilutive funding programs:**

- Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits
- CanExport
- Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) 
- Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
- Regional Development Agencies 
- Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF)
- Student Work Placement Program

Co-authored by Lilja Rodway-Norman, Technical Writer, and Chloe Carloni, Director, Special Funding / Strategic Growth, at [NorthBridge Consultants.](https://emccanada.org/about/partners/northbridge-consultants/)


Waste is an unavoidable byproduct of the manufacturing process

Consider the parts of food that are typically discarded during the manufacturing process. As food and beverage manufacturers, we tend to exclude elements that are traditionally unpalatable, visually unappealing, or nutritionally hazardous from our products. Things like fruit cores, animal bones, and hard shells usually can’t be incorporated into processed foods for various reasons: consumer preferences, health and safety legislation, etc.

Making the Most of Food Waste

### Waste is an unavoidable byproduct of the manufacturing process

To refine resources into something of value to a consumer, certain elements of that resource need to be stripped away. For many manufacturers, this means generating piles upon piles of unusable, non-renewable refuse that must be discarded. Food and beverage manufacturers are in an interesting position, though – as processors of edible goods, the waste generated by their activities isn’t unusable or non-renewable, and consumers aren’t typically averse to it. The repurposing of excess materials created by food processing certainly isn’t a new idea but, in today’s age of sustainability and environmental awareness, the practice is now being given serious reconsideration by a diverse variety of manufacturers. Let’s examine the use of food waste as a manufacturing resource and determine whether or not it can serve as a valuable asset to our businesses. 

### Before we begin reviewing how food waste is generated, let’s ensure we have a strong understanding of what food waste is. 

For food and beverage manufacturing, and as defined by the Harvard School of Public Health, food waste is excess material that occurs as a result of processing and that is still viable for usage by consumers in some form.  Food waste is not excess that is toxic, hazardous, or otherwise non-consumable. Discarded coffee grounds are food waste, for example, but mouldy banana skins are not. It’s important to recognize what the “waste” in “food waste” implies: food that could be consumed (or otherwise utilized), but willfully isn’t. Under these criteria, food waste remains a viable resource to its manufacturing entity, even after being stripped of its other components. Remember that, in food and beverage manufacturing, “waste” means “an unused surplus”, not “garbage”, and you may begin to realize this resource’s potential. 

### An idea recently gaining traction in food and beverage manufacturing is “upcycling”: the practice of re-using food waste for various processes. 

Upcycling has become a popular concept for several reasons — in addition to its eco-friendliness, the re-use of waste eliminates costly disposal fees, and maximizes the value of food and beverage manufacturers’ resources. Through events like Anthesis Provision’s annual Upcycled Food Fest , consumers are rapidly becoming aware of upcycling as well. Judging by the success that this event and others like it have seen, upcycling food waste may well become the sector’s next big trend. Many organizations have also chosen to use their participation in upcycling processes as promotional material, and it’s clear to see why: upcycling demonstrates businesses’ willingness to reduce food waste as much as possible, and positions them as responsible, environmentally-aware organizations. If upcycling activities are marketed effectively to manufacturers’ consumer bases, they can serve as critical competitive advantages in a culture of environmental preservation. 

Consider the parts of food that are typically discarded during the manufacturing process. As food and beverage manufacturers, we tend to exclude elements that are traditionally unpalatable, visually unappealing, or nutritionally hazardous from our products. Things like fruit cores, animal bones, and hard shells usually can’t be incorporated into processed foods for various reasons: consumer preferences, health and safety legislation, and established formulas make these parts of food unsuitable for products meant to be ingested. Today’s food and beverage processing machinery automatically removes these items from the production line. If they are not re-introduced at a later part of the process or used as input materials by another business for other types of product, they go entirely unused, thereby becoming waste. According to a 2019 article from The Globe and Mail citing the most recent study on the subject, Canadian manufacturers generate about 4.63 million tonnes of food waste per year, which is about 13% of the national total.  This makes food and beverage manufacturers the third-largest generator of food waste in the country, direly harming Canada’s environment — and these businesses’ bottom lines. 

### Let’s take another look at what food waste is typically comprised of: rinds, peels, shells, bones, cores, stems… 

Interestingly, these different forms of waste have several components in common, which allows us to make certain generalizations. On the whole, food waste seems to be relatively hard, rough, and dry, whereas the parts of food that can be easily processed are relatively soft, smooth, and moist, making them ideal for human consumption through eating and drinking. Keep in mind that many foodstuffs with the qualities of food waste are typically consumed, but only after further processing. For example, rinds and peels can become zests and flavourings, shells, and bones have long been used to create gelatin, and cores and stems are common ingredients in natural oils. A wide variety of processed food products that use items typically thought of as waste exists in the Canadian marketplace today, and many of them (seasonings, condiments, sauces, etc.), belong to multi-billion-dollar industries.  Food and beverage manufacturers likely already have the equipment and processes needed to enter these industries — and, by utilizing their food waste, they have the resources to do so as well. 

There’s no need to limit one’s utilization of food waste to foodstuffs themselves either — many kinds of food waste are exceptionally useful as elements of non-consumable goods. Foods are a common ingredient in various household items (soaps, medicines, aromatics, etc.), and consumers are already familiar with their inclusion in contexts outside of dining. While food and beverage manufacturers may not have the capabilities to process food waste into non-consumable items, a wide range of manufacturing businesses in other industries certainly do. Approaching these organizations with partnership opportunities based on food waste is an excellent way to develop vital in-sector connections. Many manufacturers lack the time or resources necessary to build strong working relationships with their peers. Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC), which maintains Canada’s largest manufacturer network, is well-suited to facilitating these connections through access to a team of Manufacturing Consortium Managers experienced in the industry and in establishing mutually-beneficial partnerships. Through EMC’s Opportunities Alerts service, manufacturers can even advertise their food waste for purchase by other businesses!  Foodstuffs are commonly-used materials in a multitude of manufactured goods, and food and beverage manufacturers would do well to recognize their value in the greater manufacturing space. 

### Livestock!

While not all food waste can be repurposed for products targeted to humans, there is another market that’s more than happy to consume waste as-is: livestock! A steady source of animal feed is necessary for prosperity in meat and produce farming, and Canadian food and beverage manufacturers generate high-quality meals for farm animals on a gigantic scale. The World Wildlife Fund has identified food waste as a valid source of sustenance for several species of farm animals  and, as long as farmers’ demands for healthfulness in this waste are met, food and beverage manufacturers will have a sustainable method of eliminating excess foodstuffs in a mutually-beneficial way. This method of disposing food waste is exceptionally efficient for food and beverage manufacturers — many businesses in this industry already have strong working relationships with the agricultural sector, and can use this contribution of potential animal feed to strengthen their shared bonds. Farmers are an essential part of the food and beverage ecosystem and, by supporting them in procuring a critical resource, food and beverage manufacturers can showcase their own businesses’ value. 

It’s true that certain kinds of food waste cannot reasonably be re-utilized, upcycled, or integrated into other products. As biological materials, most forms of foodstuff eventually rot, solidify, or degenerate to the point of toxicity. If all else fails, though, there is one final use for food waste that is no longer safe for human or animal usage: compost! Even if food waste isn’t fit for consumption or further production, the inherent biodegradability of all foodstuffs makes using them for compost an ideal disposal method. Compost — a natural fertilizer necessary for the continued growth of healthy plant life — can be created from most forms of food waste.  By generating it on a facility-sized scale, food and beverage manufacturers will be able to display their dedication to the environment in a tangible, quantifiable way. The Government of Canada offers several resources that food and beverage manufacturers can use to begin integrating composting processes into their activities and provides various tools and programs to these businesses for making these operations easier.   

As food and beverage manufacturers, we understand that eliminating waste from our processes entirely will never be a feasible possibility. Fortunately, food waste is one of the most versatile forms of excess in the manufacturing industry and, if we utilize it effectively and proactively, it can reap a vast array of operational and financial benefits to our businesses. With new legislation surrounding environmental sustainability being passed every year, the elimination of food waste in an ecologically-conscious manner may become mandatory. By putting upcycling procedures in place now, we can gain significant competitive advantages. The usage of food waste isn’t just a smart idea in terms of a business’s environmental impact though — it can open additional revenue streams, strengthen the bonds between manufacturers, and demonstrate an organization’s progressiveness to a consuming public. Start making the most of your business’s food waste today, and you may find this excess to be one of your greatest resources!

Are you a food and beverage manufacturer looking to empower your business’s practices, knowledge, and professional relationships? A membership with EMC is exactly what you need! Learn about the benefits of an [EMC membership now](https://emccanada.org/become-a-member/) and discover the value of Canada’s largest manufacturer network! 


Top Ten Tip Series by Paul Hogendoorn

Giving credit where it’s due adds to your currency in the organization as well as puts another potentially impactful contributor on the corporate radar. True winning team players are never afraid of having another high performer on the team. ‘Credit’ is an important currency and needs to be invested back into the business wisely. 

Leading for success: Part 2: Best practices learned over a 40-year career

I’m continuing the series of sharing tips I’ve learned from manufacturing companies and leaders I had the privilege of working with that were clearly succeeding and thriving, rather than just surviving. The tips are the best things I gleaned from them. The idea behind this series is to share all so everyone can do even better.

In the first column, the two tips were:[ 1) “Don’t make a big production of it”, and 2) “Your people are the smartest people in the room”](https://emccanada.org/newsroom/leading-for-success-best-practices-learned-over-a-40-year-career). The first dealt with introducing new ideas and technology to the floor, and the second was to make sure you listened to the smart people involved in your day-to-day operation before relying on outside advice or influence. 

### Tip #3: “What gets measured gets improved.”

You might’ve heard this before, but there’s a catch – two actually. The first is “what” you measure is very important. If you measure the wrong thing, the improvements you make won’t make much difference – if any at all – to your operation. The best example I saw was a large tool and die company undertaking a major project to measure the OEE of their critical machines to improve that number. Several years into the project and their second attempt at doing it, one very astute manager concluded that they were focusing on the wrong thing. He observed that the time “under spindle” was relatively short compared to all the time that the pieces of work sat on skids at the end of aisles waiting for the next process to be run on them. He also found that minimizing the time between machining processes was a more pertinent objective than minimizing time under the spindle. The net result of measuring and improving that more relevant metric was a near 100 percent capacity increase in their facility, eliminating all overtime and outsourced operations as well as winning more business and taking on more work. The second catch is that to engage everyone in the improvement effort, the measurement must be shared in real time and be meaningful for the people actually involved. Sharing reports at the end of a month may be good for plant managers and executives to review in their meetings, but that has little motivational or behavioural change value.
   
### Tip #4: “You can get a lot more done when you don’t care who gets the credit.”

I learned this one early on, from one of my mentors at the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC). He quarterbacked all sorts of small and large initiatives, deferring the credit to others. He was making investments into the people that he knew could leverage the projects’ successes, and if he ended up placing great champions to lead them from that point on, it would become a recurring win with an exponential result. Plus, he’d be free to quarterback another project. One of his most successful endeavours was the formation of the London Region Manufacturing Council. He initiated it and then placed it in the hands of a series of people (myself included) that received a lot of the credit for what the organization accomplished. Twenty years later, his initiative continues to be a strong advocate for manufacturers in the region. 

But there is a catch to this tip too. Be careful that the right people get the credit. There are ‘credit takers’ in every organization who will quickly fill every credit void. Even worse, there are ‘credit destroyers’, people sensitive to the perception that when someone else looks good, it’s not good for them. To counter this, praise and credit should be shared publicly and evenly sprinkled over a larger group. The primary praise and credit should be shared more specifically and shared up the ladder a couple of rungs so that the individual may receive more opportunities to do even more great things for your company. Giving credit where it’s due adds to your currency in the organization as well as puts another potentially impactful contributor on the corporate radar. True winning team players are never afraid of having another high performer on the team. ‘Credit’ is an important currency and needs to be invested back into the business wisely. 

*Paul Hogendoorn co-founded FreePoint Technologies with the goal of giving manufacturers the benefit of information technologies that inform, empower and motivate their most critical asset – their people. *

If you are the leader, there really is no “off switch,” unless you have the company running very smoothly like a flywheel spinning on its own momentum – but in that case, you likely have effectively delegated the leadership to another person, and that person relates to what I’m saying here. 

Leading for Success: Best Practices Learned Over A 40-year Career

I’m a half-dozen weeks into “non-employment,” which is a new and interesting condition for me. I’ve been writing this column for 16 years now, typically writing about the business stresses and challenges that kept me awake most Sunday evenings and opportunities and ideas that kept me going to back to work on Monday mornings anyway. Building a business or running a plant is not easy; there is a relentless pressure to deliver something “tangible” every day, week, month and year. 

Many others in the organization have different degrees of separation in their lives; the longer-term, big-picture objectives can be deferred to others, and shorter-term objectives can be delegated. There is an “off switch” they can apply, and even though many opt to leave it on most of the time, that option is still theirs. 

But, if you are the leader, there really is no “off switch,” unless you have the company running very smoothly like a flywheel spinning on its own momentum – but in that case, you likely have effectively delegated the leadership to another person, and that person relates to what I’m saying here. 

I’ve been asked to continue writing this column for a while longer, and its something I’m glad to do. I’ve had the privilege of visiting hundreds of manufacturing plants all over the world, spending time on the floor, working with people and on machines (I loved that part), planning, executing, failing and succeeding, and always growing. It would be tempting to add “improving,” or “continually improving,” but I’ll be frank – that wasn’t always the case. In the next few columns, I’ll share some of the best learnings from both the good and bad experiences, and key lessons other leaders taught me along the way. 

### Tip #1: Don’t make a big production out of it.

If you want to be innovative, or try something really different, do it quietly and on a small scale. “Under radar” in other words. Most people resist and even oppose change. (I’ll deal with this more in a book I’m writing). They may clamour for change, but they really just want to be heard and considered. 

When it comes right down to changes actually being discussed openly, resistance builds on the floor (fueled by natural skepticism), and through the ranks of management (fueled in part by career defensiveness). In both cases, change disrupts their sense of security. 

The best way to avoid the near-certain resistance and opposition to your idea is to prove it first in a small, non-threatening way. If it works, you have tangible evidence – “certainty,” to combat doubt. 

It’s still early enough to let others buy in to the idea and adopt and embrace it, and be part of it as it gets planned for larger rollout. If the small project fails, its not an “epic fail” that gets in the way of future ideas and initiatives you might bring forward. 

Remember, manufacturing is largely filled with “tangible and tactile” people; they like to see, feel and experience. They are not as likely to buy in to things that are still abstract, or feel like “marketing,” sales or slogans. Do it small and succeed or fail under radar. If the small project works, consider that the official starting point. Achieve “undeniability” first and then it can’t be resisted or opposed by people on the floor or in the management ranks.

### Tip #2: You and your people are the smartest people in the room.

Over the years, I developed a healthy skepticism towards consultants, government-sponsored funding programs, and people being positioned as specialists and “experts” in their field. There is an army of people lined up to tell you or your people how to do your or their job better. They have a vocabulary that only they understand, and they use it to quickly tilt the conversation to where they become the smart ones and you and your people need them to really improve your operation. 

The truth is, you and your people are the smart ones; you are the people that built the business, run it successfully, and have figured out how to get things done, day in and day out. They need to be learning from you before they can offer you any insight of value at all. There are good ones, and there is a place for them, but always remember that your people know your company, plant and product far better than third parties ever will. 

The best they can do, in my opinion, is bring in a good project process, help you be accountable to the goals you set, and “coach” you and your people to be the best they can be. Your business will only ever be as good as your people can make it; a good coach will make your people better, and your people will make your company better. The consultant, or government funding programs, or “experts” can’t. Only you and your people can. 

“Training” is one thing, “teaching” is another, but what you and your people would likely benefit most from is “coaching.” You can train people to follow a process – perhaps a refined process – but it’s a process nonetheless. Teaching is what expands their knowledge. 

With the Olympics freshly in mind, every successful athlete needs quality coaching in order to achieve an identified goal. Training and teaching are part of coaching, but they can (and should) go on indefinitely. The goal of coaching is to achieve an identified significant goal. Coaching helps your people achieve their potential, making sure the hours, dollars and energy invested in teaching and training pays off in a tangible, definitive way.

Those are my first two big tips on how to achieve your goals, as I look back and share the best things I’ve learned working with hundreds of successful manufacturers and their amazing, often unheralded people. Feel free to send me a note at hogendoorn.paul@gmail.com if there’s a specific topic or question you’d like me to address in a following column. 

Manufacturing created and continues to sustain our socioeconomic well-being. We are in it together!

*Paul Hogendoorn co-founded FreePoint Technologies with the goal of giving manufacturers the benefit of information technologies that inform, empower and motivate their most critical asset – their people. *

So, how do we ensure they are effective?

We all have heard of and probably have even been a part of a safety meeting at one point or another in our careers. This may be a regular occurrence; you may even be the one in charge of conducting them. So how do we ensure they are effective? How do we ensure that it is informative and educational while engaging and interactive so that people do walk away taking something out of it, rather than them being a complete waste of time?

Tips for Effective Safety Meetings

Erring on the side of caution, to explain and simplify, a safety meeting is exactly as it sounds and is conducted by companies providing an opportunity to promote and update employees on workplace safety. Typically, the presenter has selected a topic/theme relevant to their industry and company. Safety meetings act as an opportunity to educate, demonstrate, correct mistakes, and ultimately to connect with your workforce on the topic of health and safety.

As EHS Insight says, “informed employees are safe employees. They can benefit from the direct face-to-face interaction, the chance to ask questions/provide input or the motivation to follow company safety policies”.

This is exactly what safety meetings provide the opportunity for companies to do. It gets everyone together and allows for value and importance to be added to health and safety at work.
Just like most things, safety meetings are only effective if done right. Unfortunately, it is very easy to fall into the trap of them being boring, lecture-like meetings. Safety meetings quickly become everyone’s most dreaded time when you fall into this trap.

### How would you conduct an effective safety meeting?

**Here are some tips.**

**Planning.**
This is one of the most important and time-consuming steps for holding an effective safety meeting. Start by planning your topic/theme. Ensure it is relevant to your industry but, more importantly, that it’s also relevant to your specific company. Next, think about delivery, where is the best place to hold this meeting? If you’re talking about equipment hazards or a close call on a piece of equipment and how that has been corrected, why not conduct that meeting right by the piece of equipment? That is just one example, but the point is to ensure always that you’re thinking logically, even about the location of your safety meeting, when it comes to maximizing its effectiveness.

**Consistency.**
 Holding regular safety meetings is essential to staying on top of issues, challenges, and relevant information. It is also key to helping you keep safety meetings brief and to the point. Trying to cover too much in a meeting will lose your audience, as attention spans are short for these topics. Best idea? Do something like scheduling these on the second Wednesday of every month, mid-week. Then people expect them and can plan around them; they also know they are important and valued if done consistently. Please stay away from Mondays
and Fridays and schedule them early in the day before too much gets started. This helps again avoid distractions and helps ensure you have the full attention for the meeting from your audience.

**Interaction + Visuals.**
Use visuals. Be hands-on when you can. Give out handouts. Most importantly, though, be interactive. Always leave time for questions and try to influence discussions—change up who plans and presents the safety meetings. Ask employees for feedback on past meetings and then ask them for topics they actually want to hear about. Avoid off-topic discussions as they can be distracting too and just end up pushing the meeting longer. One way to avoid this is to send out the meeting agenda in advance and then from there just manage what arises throughout. Create awareness and encourage participation.

**Closing the Meeting/Follow-up.** 
Always finish with a summary of what was covered. For example, if you have come up with an action plan, ensure it is defined and that all participants know and understand their responsibilities. Then, send out a follow-up that includes the meeting notes and next steps. Ensure the follow-up is brief, just like the meeting and that all points are clear. Please focus on the positive takeaways and ensure they have this within 24hours of the meeting concludes. This gives participants a chance to process the meeting, review the follow-up and then check their understanding and get any needed clarification.

**General Tips**

- Communicate meeting details in advance and send out a reminder the day before
- Start and finish on time. Do not wait for late arrivals, and definitely don’t start over when they do arrive. Everyone’s time is valuable. Let these people read the meeting notes/follow-up
- Be relevant!!! Talk about topics that truly apply, or else you will lose your audience, quick
- Focus on being interactive and adding value to safety in the workplace
- Always encourage discussion and leave room for questions – just avoid off-topic movement

In conclusion, like anything, if you want people to buy in and listen, you ultimately need to add value, show them you care, and show that you have put the time and thought into making the meeting matter rather than just being a formality or lecture.

Safety meetings are a great opportunity to better your workplace and keep your workers safe. Health and safety in the workplace is essential, and safety meetings are one of the best tools to use when it comes to communicating and facilitating relevant topics, changes and all other issues/challenges related to health and safety.

By: Sarah Laybolt, Industrial Safety Trainers Inc.

Manufacturers in Atlantic Canada are always eager to build connections with their peers, and the value of these relationships benefits every business involved. Let’s examine many of the advantages that developing a local network can provide to Maritime manufacturers. 

The Value of Networking in Atlantic Canada

During a recent EMC networking event with [Bouctouche Bay Industries](https://www.bbigroup.ca/) — one of New Brunswick’s leading manufacturers of commercial fishing products — EMC representatives Deanna MacDonald and Joan Richard enjoyed bright sunshine, delicious oysters, and the company of Atlantic Canada’s top manufacturing experts. After a deluge of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, this opportunity for in-person networking was greatly appreciated by all attendants, and allowed for meaningful discussion to be held in an inclusive, productive environment. As the event drew to a close, MacDonald and Richard began to reflect on the importance of communication and collaboration for Atlantic Canada’s manufacturers, and further realized the value of networking — in any way — for this sector’s business leaders. 

![](https://files.benecms.com/emc/media/Atlantic-Canada-Event.jpg)
*(Attendees of the EMC networking event at Bouctouche Bay Industries.)*

One of the defining features of Atlantic Canadian culture is the eagerness to build strong relationships, and the region’s manufacturing base is certainly no exception to this rule. Relationships between manufacturers are important, especially in Canada’s Maritime provinces. As businesses with strong presences in many global economies, being able to form meaningful, effective connections with each other allows these enterprises to remain competitive on an international scale. By sharing ideas, processes, and, in many cases, resources, manufacturers in Atlantic Canada continuously improve their activities and local economies, creating a cycle of perpetual growth and development. As many manufacturers have doubtlessly become aware over the past few years, operating without powerful working bonds is detrimental to every aspect of production and distribution, and can seriously impact the activities of an otherwise-effective organization. Networking — and networking in close proximity especially — provides all businesses involved with critical safeguards and contingencies, keeping them well-prepared for negative circumstances of any kind. 

Consider also the types of relationships that manufacturers typically maintain, and the different kinds of value that can be derived from them. Every manufacturer has needs for equipment, staff, and related operational resources, and, by utilizing their networks, they can gain easy access to these supplies through business-to-business commerce. This kind of buyer-seller relationship is particularly valuable in Atlantic Canada. As many manufacturers utilize the same kinds of materials and machinery to produce their goods in this region, these resources can be bought, sold, and shared easily and without delay. As many Atlantic Canadian manufacturers begin to diversify their range of products, these relationships can also serve as vital channels to new partners or consumers in an innumerable amount of industries — domestically and abroad. Fortunately for manufacturers, networking isn’t a finite process, and, by utilizing the connections that their peers’ networks provide, Maritime businesses can overcome the barriers between different target demographics without significant investments in time or money. 

Manufacturers in Atlantic Canada aren’t just willing to network — they’re passionate about establishing mutually-beneficial partnerships with peers of any size, shape, or industry. The benefits of developing extensive networks are limitless, and, when each member of the network has a firm grasp on the needs, processes, and operating environments of their colleagues, the collaborative opportunities for success become even greater. Take advantage of the shared experiences, knowledge, and insight of your fellow Atlantic Canadian manufacturers, and you’ll discover a range of expertise that can’t be found anywhere else. 

**Start networking in Atlantic Canada today with an [EMC membership](https://emccanada.org/become-a-member), and attend [EMC events](https://emccanada.org/events) often for more networking opportunities with Maritime manufacturing leaders!**

A state of not speaking, or writing, or making a noise.

Health and safety is one of those topics that exist, but how many people actually discuss the subject during their day-to-day work life? Is it becoming more prominent in the last few years? Absolutely! But it is still something that we find is NOT largely discussed.

Is Silence Golden?

As an employee at a company which provides health and safety training and consulting (for over 20 years!!), we have pretty much heard it all and there is not much that would surprise us – with the exception of the SILENCE.

Silence surrounding protocol, the silence surrounding hazard recognition, silence regarding accident or injury in the workplace – SILENCE to the potential RISKS involved in the workplace.
Cambridge dictionary defines Silence (noun); ‘as a state of not speaking or writing or making a noise’.

Silence isn’t golden. On a beach enjoying a well-deserved vacation, silence can be a huge indicator of risk, accident or injury. A drowning person very rarely makes noise; this is because the body automatically prioritizes breathing over anything else, making it impossible for them to scream for help. A person choking rarely makes a noise, but you could notice it if you happen to glance in their direction. This example is a good analogy to health and safety issues in the workplace.
 
Worker #1 sees a spill on the floor, barely even mentally acknowledges it and keeps walking. Worker #2 is walking the exact same path not even 2 minutes later, reading the most recent employee memo, doesn’t see the spill, hits it and lands the hardest fall on a concrete floor, hits their head and it knocks them out. This results in personal injury to Worker #2, Emergency Professionals Responding, emergency room medical professionals tending to the injured worker, an investigation by the company’s designated team of accident investigators, WSIB and Ministry of Labour.
 
There is a certain level of complacency regarding health and safety; perhaps a mindset of ‘it won’t happen to me’ sets in. But it does happen, it can happen and it will happen, perhaps not to you, but to someone you know. Six degrees of separation; every one of us knows someone, who knows someone that was severely injured, lost a life or suffered from a workplace injury. How many of us actually take the initiative to become involved in health and safety?

- What is the mindset pertaining to health and safety in your workplace? Do you discuss it?
- Are you encouraged by your hierarchy to bring potential situations to the attention of others so that they may be addressed?
- Do you know what the protocol is in your workplace??

**ARE YOU ENCOURAGED TO BREAK THE SILENCE??**

In some environments, being silent is considered a valuable trait. Within the workplace, however, it proves to be an impediment that prevents the minimization of hazards which in turn leads to improved safety performance. When one witnesses unsafe acts, or hazards within the workplace, choosing to remain quiet allows for someone to risk injury or even death. Not only that, by staying silent, you are offering subtle tacit approval. Silence is never the solution; it may be a challenging conversation to voice, but one can choose to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
Workplace injury is avoidable, we just need to know how to recognize a hazard, and what to do about it. The one thing that is certain is – Silence is NOT golden.

Kris Ramey
Account Manager
Industrial Safety Trainers


Co-op students are a major source of passion, knowledge, and talent for Canadian manufacturers in any industry. As manufacturing leaders, how can we begin recruiting these motivated workers in an efficient, effective way?

Making the Most of Co-Op Recruitment

Students are one of the most prosperous sources of labour for Canadian manufacturers, but many business leaders are still reluctant to seek workers in the nation’s academic environment. Common misconceptions about the complexities or high costs of recruiting students have led to countless organizations missing out on a critical solution to their labour needs — and, more pressingly, have contributed to minimizing the interests of students in the manufacturing sector altogether. Fortunately for manufacturers, though, hiring students has never been easier, more accessible, or more cost-effective than it is today. Let’s dive into the world of student recruitment, and examine how co-operative education can meet your company’s demands for labour in every department. 

Co-operative recruitment — the process of temporarily hiring students between academic semesters — is a standard aspect of modern post-secondary education throughout Canada. Almost every major university or college offers co-op programs to its students, and, in many cases, completing these programs is a necessary component of these students’ academic credentials. To facilitate this process, schools often partner directly with a wide variety of businesses, providing a diverse range of options suited to varying student interests. Manufacturers looking to recruit student talent should make communicating with these academic institutions their top priority — today’s schools employ entire departments of co-op representatives eager to establish connections with business leaders. Once the foundations for these relationships have been laid, manufacturers can begin promoting their available positions directly to students, typically through online job boards or on-campus events. These activities are an easy way of building awareness of one’s organization within a student base, and act as the first step to a successful student hire. 

While the process of *advertising* an available position may be simple, *attracting* students to the role is decidedly more complex. Today’s students have a vast array of expectations for their potential workplaces that stand *in addition* to their need for fair compensation. Without adequately responding to these desires, manufacturers won’t be able to draw these students towards their organizations. In a recent study conducted by the University of Waterloo’s [Work-Learn Institute](https://uwaterloo.ca/work-learn-institute/), nearly 50% of co-op students confirmed that they would not apply to a position that didn’t align with their own personal values — even if they were the position’s prime candidate. The expectations of modern co-op students make writing timely, appealing job posts critical, especially for manufacturers that do have distinct competitive advantages in their organization’s culture. When posting about an available position at your organization, be sure to highlight what makes your work meaningful to the employee, the industry, and the world at large. Students that can immediately understand the tangible impact of a role on its surrounding environment will be eager to learn more, which allows manufacturers the ideal opportunity to demonstrate the value of their company. 

Today’s co-op students offer a level of passion, knowledge, and talent unmatched by any other labour demographic, and securing these early-career professionals is key to building modernized manufacturing processes. If your organization is ready to begin utilizing the abilities of Canada’s academics, an initiative specialized for student recruitment in manufacturing — like [EMC’s WILWorks Post-Secondary program](https://offers.emccanada.org/en-ca/emcwil) — is your greatest resource. By taking advantage of the numerous funding, networking, and operational benefits that these initiatives provide, your business can harness the power of co-operative education in a straightforward, efficient manner, and start developing the next generation of manufacturing success!

**To learn more about EMC's WILWorks Post Secondary Program, contact [Wendy Gray](mailto:wgray@emccanada.org), Senior Project Coordinator, or [Carol Choquette](mailto:cchoquette@emccanada.org), EMC’s bilingual Employer Engagement Specialist. [Attend EMC events](https://emccanada.org/events/) frequently for knowledge and expertise tailored to Canada’s manufacturing leaders.**

Today’s workers have high expectations for their jobs, employers, and industries. How can manufacturers meet these demands, and how can they make themselves appealing in a fiercely-competitive employment landscape? 

Responding to Employee Expectations

In today’s climate of employment, it can be difficult to understand why job-seekers aren’t attracted to your organization’s available positions. Throughout the 2020s, workers across North America have significantly heightened their expectations for what a job should provide — and, without meeting these expectations, manufacturers may face challenges sustaining their workforce. Modern employees demand a wide variety of benefits in addition to high compensation for manufacturing work, and employers that are unable to respond to this demand may suffer in all areas of their business’s performance. Let’s examine what today’s potential manufacturing labourer expects of their workplace, and determine how to address their demands proactively and effectively.  

Before making any changes to your business’s recruitment processes or workplace culture, it’s important to gain a firm contextual awareness of this decade’s employment landscape. As has been well-documented, employees in every industry and sector have had the ability to re-evaluate their personal and professional goals over the past two years, and most are no longer interested in work that cannot provide immediate, tangible rewards. Manufacturers may not be able to appeal to these employees by offering empty platitudes — instead, they should promote aspects of their positions that are openly, clearly valuable, like high wages, increased supplemental support, or a work environment conducive to building cross-functional skills. This mindset should be kept in particular focus when trying to engage young workers. Consider that, in the modern world, there are many ways for young people to build their careers without performing physical labour. To compete with these alternative forms of employment, you’ll need to promote aspects of your position and organization that resonate with an audience that’s more knowledgable, sociable, and connected to global affairs than ever before.  

When determining which aspects of your position would appeal to modern job-seekers, consider the role from these potential workers’ perspectives. If you were a member of this role’s target demographic, what would you value in a job and an employer? What personal and professional obligations could this role help you fulfill? What would make this position at this manufacturing company more attractive than a role at a different company? Crucially, what would make this position more appealing than a role outside of the manufacturing sector? Can this job compete with the vast, diverse array of opportunities available to today’s job-seekers? If so, what tangible benefits does it offer over those other positions? If this question cannot be answered, tweaks to the position may be needed (in duties, responsibilities, and benefits) to make it appealing. Remember that, in today’s employment landscape, your business is competing for job-seekers’ attention — not the other way around! By understanding the wants, needs, and motivations of your potential worker base, you can identify the aspects of your roles and organization that will most strongly resonate with them.  

Responding to the demands and expectations of today’s job-seekers is doubtlessly a difficult task, but it’s one that’s must be undergone to maintain the size and capacity of your labour force. Competition for passionate, motivated talent has never been fiercer, and manufacturers must be proactive in appealing to the values of a well-informed, well-educated employee base. Take the time to identify what modern workers are drawn to and why, and you’ll have a steady understanding of how to attract a massive selection of potential labour.  

For future discussions about meeting modern job-seekers’ expectations and building effective recruitment processes by contacting your region’s [Manufacturing Consortium Manager](https://emccanada.org/about/consortiums/). Attend EMC events frequently for knowledge and expertise tailored to Canada’s manufacturing industry. 

Another successful Program session was experienced by all who participated in the EMC Supervisory Certificate Program, Spring 2022 session. This certification continues to make such a positive difference in career paths, day-to-day responsibilities and will contribute to the success of many participating companies!

EMC Supervisory Certificate Graduates - Spring 2022

**Congratulations Spring EMC Supervisory Certificate Program Graduates!**

Another successful Program session was experienced by all who participated in the EMC Supervisory Certificate Program, Spring 2022 session. This certification continues to make such a positive difference in career paths, day-to-day responsibilities and will contribute to the success of many participating companies!

The 2022 Spring Session successfully wrapped up with a group of 20 Supervisors, Managers and Team Associates and their Managers from 7 companies who came together virtually through Zoom technology on June 10th to complete their EMC Supervisory Certificate program. 

![](https://www.emccanada.org/uploads/userfiles/images/HarvardJune2022.png)

As part of the EMC Supervisory Certificate program, participants completed online supervisory skill tutorials which included Problem Solving, Process Improvement, Difficult Interactions, Feedback, Team Building, Leadership, Coaching and Presentation Skills, in partnership with Harvard Business Publishing. Additionally, they attended weekly Webinars, collaborated through a Knowledge Network and prepared a Workplace Performance Project geared towards solving a problem or creating a new opportunity for their companies.  The Workplace Performance Projects completed and presented by all participants, are expected to collectively increase profitability and/or save the companies thousands of dollars. 

Participating companies from Ontario and New Brunswick included: 
• Rulmeca Canada
• Crosby Molasses Company Limited
• Innovative Automation Inc.
• Mecsmart Systems Inc.
• Blue Giant Equipment Corporation
• Hudson Entry & Automation
• TC Industries of Canada Company

These recent graduates tackled Workplace Performance Projects which included the following challenges and topics:

• Employee Cross Training
• Visual Aid Training
• Damaged/Defective Materials Tracking
• Improvement of Electrical Loading Calculations
• Tool Configurator
• Employee Retention
• Asset Management Standard Operating Procedure Renewal
• Line Enhancement

These graduates are directly contributing to the overall Workplace Performance Projects (from 2009 to 2022), representing a total impact of millions of dollars in cost, time and efficiency savings in Canadian manufacturing workplaces.  Since 2009, this program has certified hundreds of participants representing over 100 manufacturers.

To learn more about our Supervisory Certificate Programs, or for upcoming program dates, please contact [Amy Edwards, Training Manager](mailto:aedwards@emccanada.org).



Data generation, collection, and analysis is critical to maintaining an effective manufacturing business in the 2020s. As food and beverage manufacturers, how can we utilize automated production technology to gather digital data more effectively?

Modernizing Food and Beverage Manufacturing with Digital Data

Having access to timely, detailed information is critical to the operation of any manufacturing organization. Now, as Canadian manufacturers continue to integrate automated technology into their production lines, collecting and utilizing this information has never been easier. This is particularly relevant for food and beverage manufacturers — as an industry centred around the management of consumables, thorough data analysis is necessary for creating fresh, healthful products. By effectively using data generated by modern manufacturing processes, food and beverage manufacturers can strengthen efficiency, productivity, and quality throughout their production activities, and maximize the usefulness of their employees and machines.

The benefits of adopting modern, digital manufacturing processes are virtually limitless. Consider your own business processes from start to finish.  Where do you see inefficiencies? Where are mistakes being made?  Are there opportunities for increased speed or capacity? Automated technology can support every action throughout the production line and, thanks to modern artificial intelligence and data tracking processes, critical information is gathered while doing so. Employers and employees alike can use this data to identify and correct production errors, eliminate redundancies, determine the quality of raw materials and much more, at a level of accuracy far greater than ever possible through manual efforts. Once this data has been utilized, it can be stored for future reference, providing manufacturers with the ability to compare quantitative and qualitative information across fixed time periods and build the foundations for continuous improvement.

Some manufacturers may be wary of adopting automated technology due to perceived costs or risks in employee satisfaction. Fortunately for these parties, the Canadian government offers grants and associated funding opportunities to make purchasing and using digital manufacturing tools feasible for manufacturers of any size. The most notable of these opportunities is likely the [Canadian Digital Adoption Program](https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/152.nsf/eng/home) (CDAP), which provides small-to-medium-sized businesses with various grants, loans, and support entities to help overcome common obstacles and ensure automated technology is being employed effectively. Worker concerns surrounding automated technology can be effectively alleviated through continuous engagement with these machines prior to, during, and following their implementation. Manufacturing leaders that communicate frequently with their employees about automation will gain a thorough understanding of their labour forces’ values, and can use this information to maintain a steady workplace culture that’s comfortable with technology. Once employees are secure in the knowledge that automated technology is intended to support — not replace — them, they will have ample motivation to learn about and take advantage of its many features.

Food and beverage manufacturers can empower their workforce by using modern, automated production processes. By being proactive in understanding, purchasing, and utilizing digital technology, manufacturing employees in any role can reap the benefits and create high-quality products expediently and effectively. Remember that good data is one of the most important tools in a manufacturer’s (and business leader’s) inventory, and you’ll find that bringing your production line into the digital world of today is a highly worthwhile endeavour.

To learn more about utilizing digital data in manufacturing processes, contact [Leah Nacua](mailto:lnacua@emccanada.org), EMC’s Manufacturing Consortium Manager for Toronto and the GTA. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for knowledge specialized to Canada’s manufacturing leaders.

Quality auditing is critical to improvement for any manufacturing enterprise. As business leaders, how can we ensure that quality audits are being performed effectively, and how can we be proactive in conducting them?

Effective Quality Auditing

Every manufacturing organization wants to maintain a high level of quality in its operations.  Still, only businesses that are proactive in constantly evaluating and improving their activities will see continuous improvement. Internal quality audits are one of the most important tools in a manufacturing leader’s repertoire — they allow organizations to gage the effectiveness of their current processes and procedures, identify and correct errors or redundancies, and determine methods of making meaningful progress. Unfortunately, quality auditing can also be quite an intimidating and time-consuming process, making leaders hesitant to perform them regularly. However, by understanding the reasons for and value of quality auditing, you’ll find that your business can develop and advance beyond common manufacturing obstacles and gain significant operational advantages over static, unchanging competitors.

There are three main types of quality audits: **First-Party Audits**, which an organization conducts on itself, **Second-Party Audits**, conducted by external parties with an interest in the organization’s quality management system, and **Third-Party Audits**, conducted by certification or governmental bodies to ensure the organization’s compliance with industry standards. Regardless of which kind of audit is being performed, the goal is always the same: to improve the organization’s quality management system, and to optimize production activities as much as possible. Manufacturing entities must regularly improve and continuously develop their practices to prevent stagnation and obsolescence, and quality audits are one of the most effective ways of doing so in a timely, organized manner. Quality audits allow problems to be addressed and opportunities to be seized throughout the entirety of an organization, allowing for impactful, long-term solutions and focused, incentivized innovation.

To evaluate the quality of your organization’s activities effectively, keep the foundational principles of clarity, consistency, and continuous improvement in mind. Remember — quality audits exist for the sole purpose of developing your organization. Some key points to remember about conducting quality audits are as follows: 

• Quality audits should deliver useful, tangible information regardless of their outcome, and should be conducted thoroughly and regularly to prevent mistakes from being made.
• When performing a quality audit of your organization, stay away from being adversarial, abrupt, irrelevant, or overly-meticulous — this will dissuade your employees from making changes, and may harm your business’s internal and external relationships.
• Take a constructive, optimistic approach to auditing, and be sure that your workers understand why quality auditing is being performed.
• Be sure to promote the value of quality auditing to your employees during the process, and collect as much information as you can from them to contextualize the audit’s results.
• Quality auditing is, essentially, investigative reporting and should be conducted with a fitting amount of professionalism and respect.

Regular quality audits are key to any manufacturing organization’s sustained development, innovation, and growth and keep leaders and employees alike engaged in their work. If you’re reluctant to perform a quality audit on your organization, keep in mind that many private and public institutions offer a variety of tools and resources, readily available to help you evaluate your audit activities in a straightforward, expedient way. Don’t forget: innovation is only possible through continuous improvement!

*To discuss future opportunities for sessions on the value of quality auditing, please contact [Leah Nacua](mailto:lnacua@emccanada.org), EMC’s Manufacturing Consortium Manager for Toronto and the GTA. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for knowledge specialized to Canada’s manufacturing leaders.*



Developing the leadership skills of team managers is critical to success in any manufacturing organization. In this article, we examine how New Brunswick-based cannabis manufacturer Hexo Corp. strengthened their supervisors' leadership abilities through EMC's Manufacturing Essentials Certification training.

Building Workplace Supervisor Skills at Hexo Corp

In today’s manufacturing landscape, effective supervision, collaboration, and cooperation skills are essential for success in any industry or department. After COVID-19 regulations prevented workers from congregating in person, though, the leaders and employees of Hexo Corp., an Ottawa-based cannabis manufacturer, found developing these capabilities to be a significant challenge. To improve their labour base’s collaborative aptitudes and develop a strong, mutually-beneficial workplace culture, Hexo Corp. took part in Manufacturing Essentials Certification training — EMC’s range of instructional courses aimed at building the skills of manufacturing leaders. During their time in the MEC program, a diverse variety of Hexo Corp.’s employees were able to gain vital knowledge on modern leadership practices, reinforce bonds with co-workers, and solve a range of common workplace problems. 

![](https://files.benecms.com/emc/media/MEC_NB.jpg)

Workplace cooperation is one of the central elements of MEC training, and was a major aspect of Hexo Corp.’s experience in the program. Over a period of eight weeks, course participants formed several distinct groups to determine solutions for various manufacturing challenges and implemented their solutions in their workplaces. Throughout these problem-solving processes, participants completed a number of collaborative tasks, providing ample opportunity to strengthen their collective coordination, organization, and project management abilities. Frequent visual presentations and regular online exercises kept each member of these groups involved, engaged, and accountable, and by the program’s end, many workers reported an increased sense of comfort and confidence in their day-to-day activities. Participants also were given the time, knowledge, and resources needed to ideate, develop, and implement their solutions, which wouldn’t have been possible without MEC’s specialized training curriculum.

*“MEC training offered a fantastic opportunity for our workers to develop their leadership and collaboration skills. The fundamental workplace knowledge that our employees gained during the program will be invaluable throughout their manufacturing careers. I was delighted to see how many of the program’s participants gained a sense of confidence and eagerness throughout their training.”* — James McDonnell, Operations Manager at Hexo Corp.

At the end of their training, each participant team delivered a presentation on their efforts throughout the course to an audience of their peers and leaders. In addition to showcasing the teams’ collective abilities to benefit their organizations, these presentations served as a final challenge for participants to overcome using their individual communication and public speaking strengths. Once these presentations concluded, many participants were surprised and elated at how far their correspondence skills had come throughout their MEC training, and understood the impact that their words and actions could have on co-workers and their organization’s culture. Each of the presentations received rave reviews from Hexo Corp.’s upper management and course facilitators, and, once the final team had displayed their solution, it was clear to all participants that the course had been a resounding success.

The skills, knowledge, and experience gained by Hexo Corp.’s employees during their MEC training will serve as critical assets to their organization and themselves as manufacturing professionals. Through these workers’ efforts, the company is now well-equipped to overcome several workplace challenges of varying complexity and impact, and can develop their own training and mentorship initiatives. Moving forward, Hexo Corp. has the operational awareness needed to expand effectively and compete in a national manufacturing marketplace. The company’s success in the program represents only some of the value offered by Manufacturing Essentials Certification — how will your organization benefit from it?

![](https://files.benecms.com/emc/media/MEC_NB2.jpg)

*“I walked away today feeling a little more confident with public speaking. I was glad to be part of my team!”* — MEC Participant

*“At first, I was nervous to present, but I feel amazing now. We should have presentations every month!”* — MEC Participant

*“I’m so happy that people are talking about my project. It’s been so important to me and my department. This was an amazing experience!”* — MEC Participant

**To learn more about EMC’s Manufacturing Essential Certification training in New Brunswick, contact [Joan Richard](mailto:jrichard@emccanada.org) or [Sherri Deveau](mailto:sdeveau@emccanada.org).**



Today’s job-seekers demand innovative workplaces that adhere to modern trends and processes. By building and promoting an intentional culture of change, you can attract new talent to your organization and develop a reputation for flexibility and adaptivity.

Building an Intentional Culture of Change

On Tuesday, May 10th, EMC hosted a best practice event for its members in Atlantic Canada on the importance of intentional workplace cultures. Presented by Rick Benoit, VP of [McWane Canada](https://www.mcwane.com/), and Tim Kelly, Founder of [Workplace Health Outcomes HR](http://whoishr.ca/index.php), this event centred around the value of intentionally-developed, -built, and -implemented cultural practices on workplace effectiveness, engagement, and productivity. During the event, Benoit and Kelly examined their own professional experiences with utilizing intentional workplace cultures, and demonstrated the impact that these practices could have on manufacturers in Atlantic Canada and beyond. The material discussed in the following article is based on this event.

In today’s manufacturing landscape, being able to attract new workers is critical to survival, let alone growth and operational success. But attracting job-seekers is a difficult proposal for manufacturers who haven’t kept up with modern recruitment trends — workers in the 2020s have a vastly different set of priorities compared to their predecessors, and aren’t interested in stagnant, immobile employers. Manufacturing processes are changing more rapidly now than ever before and, without a flexible, progressive ideology to address these changes, businesses will find themselves unable to compete with leaders in their field, driving away new labour. If manufacturers want to stay at the forefront of their sector’s advancement and reap the benefits of a innovative reputation, they’ll need to develop and maintain a strong culture of adaptivity throughout their workplaces, and be proactive in constantly updating their processes.

Developing a new workplace culture, or building upon an existing one, requires a significant deal of contextual awareness. Oftentimes, manufacturing leaders can fall out-of-touch with their workers, leading to reduced engagement, interest, and, ultimately, productivity. To most effectively determine how a business’s culture should change, employers should build strong channels of communication with their labour bases to ensure that they are consistently recognized and acknowledged. In addition to the [myriad of benefits that worker communication has on an organization’s activities](https://www.emccanada.org/newsroom/keeping-your-employees-engaged), frequent correspondence and discussion is critical to identifying problems and opportunities with current workplace processes. Keep in mind that a culture is driven by its participants, and workers that don’t feel sufficiently understood will likely have no interest in supporting their culture beyond their day-to-day activities. Implement methods of collecting and responding to employees’ thoughts and feelings, and you’ll find that your workers become eager to make informed cultural changes.

Another important element of cultural development in the workplace is *promoting* change, and espousing the value it can have to employees throughout the organization. Some workers comfortable in their current positions may want to reject change outright, which can harm an organization’s ability to innovative and grow. It’s crucial that, when implementing new policies or updating existing ones, manufacturing leaders clearly state the way that their actions will benefit employees directly. Showcasing the positive impact that change can have on typical employee experiences (through hours worked, wages, safety, etc.) provides those workers with the incentive to accept it, and can make them into ambassadors for change themselves. Clearly broadcasting a willingness to change benefits parties outside of the organization, as well — new employees will see that the company is eager to continuously improve, and will understand the direct benefit this employer can have on their own professional development. If cultural changes are promoted enough, they may even reach other key players in the manufacturing sector, defining the organization as a leader in its space.

Adaptivity is key to success for businesses in the 2020s, and, if properly utilized, it can help organizations become leaner, smarter, and more productive. Today’s workers respond well to companies with progressive, innovative cultures, and organizations that can meet job-seekers’ expectations will have access to a sustainable source of engaged, motivated labour. Discarding tried-and-true processes, activities, and ideologies can certainly be a challenge, but the benefit that change can have on every aspect of a manufacturer’s workplace makes it well worth the implementation.

To learn more about the benefit of an intentional workplace culture, contact [Joan Richard](mailto:jrichard@emccanada.org), EMC’s Operations Manager for Eastern Canada. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for knowledge specialized to leaders in Canadian Manufacturing.



The key to any performance improvement is employee engagement. This is also the biggest challenge. I recall many conversations with peers and colleagues where the word empowerment seemed to get tossed around as though it was some kind of “permission” employees were given to do better. “Our employees are empowered to improve our processes.” What does that really mean?

How Employees See Themselves and the Improvement Process

So, it’s been a while since I’ve written any kind of article having retired four years ago and feeling like I’d exhausted any possible insight I might have on the world of manufacturing. While this may still be true, it’s occurred to me that I occasionally still find myself back in that head space. This typically happens when doing the most mundane of things (daily walks, cutting the lawn, at the gym, etc.). I guess even though you may have left that “world” it never really leaves you.

Recently, I found myself thinking about some of the many experiences I had in trying to evolve workplace cultures to ones of higher performance and the processes that entailed. I had a bit of a “light bulb” moment that led me to reflect on previous articles. It wasn’t there. A simple but significant element. Let me explain.

The key to any performance improvement is employee engagement. This is also the biggest challenge. I recall many conversations with peers and colleagues where the word empowerment seemed to get tossed around as though it was some kind of “permission” employees were given **to do better**. “Our employees are empowered to improve our processes.” What does that really mean? I never saw empowerment as something that was given. I believed it to be something that was taken. Sure, you can and should and must create an environment where employees naturally and instinctively act in an empowered manner but that’s not enough to make it a reality.  

In my experience, employees (especially those working in an hourly-paid manufacturing environment) typically equate self-worth with hard work. I heard more times than I can remember; “but I work harder than any of the supervisors/ managers here so why am I not paid the same?”. Despite the many successes we had in improving performance over the years I’m not sure I really ever dealt with that question effectively. We all know the responsibilities are different but the question remains to be resolved in the mind of the employee.

I believe the key to improved operational performance is in transitioning employee self-worth from being seen as hard work to that of value-added work.

It’s all in how people see and feel about themselves. Workplace culture has to shift to one where employees see themselves as valued. This requires more than the occasional “thank you”. While a great and necessary sentiment to express, it is transactional by nature. Feeling valued requires greater recognition and consideration. It requires investment and development in them as people not just as employees. The more this happens the more people truly feel empowered to add value.

### So, how to make this happen?

Workplace culture needs to support this change. You can start by creating learning experiences for employees. They don’t need to be work-related. They can be as simple as paying for a night school course in wood-working, for example. Many hourly employees haven’t had a structured learning experience since they left school. In order for people to become engaged in the improvement process they need to be actively learning, thinking and problem-solving. What better way for them to become better-equipped to participate in a value-added culture than to improve their personal skill-sets by re-engaging with the learning process? They will begin to recognize that they are being seen as more than just employees. They will begin to gain confidence which will, in turn, promote self-worth. 

I’ll never forget an instance where this was never truer. It involved providing company paid time and tutoring for employees to receive their GED. We had an employee in his fifties who hadn’t graduated from high school. At the end of a couple of years of hard work, on his part, he achieved his goal. I can still see the look on his face and those of his family when he received his diploma (we had a little ceremony). Talk about self-worth. The courses weren’t specific to the needs of the Company but was he better equipped to add value? Of course, he was. Did he feel more confident and better able to engage in the improvement process? Of course, he did. Did he feel empowered to make a difference? It goes without saying.

There is much more to an ongoing performance improvement process but in the early stages it’s important to:

• recognize the need to re-engage employees in the learning process
• invest in the development of employees as people
• begin to add the necessary skill-sets that will enable and foster problem-solving, teamwork and effective communication
• create settings for employee-involved decision-making
• utilize frequent feedback loops where the conversations begin to shift the narrative from working hard to adding value
• find ways (conversations/ team meetings) to introduce the concept of personal accountability – no one is accountable unless some **one** is accountable
• Out of this process leaders will emerge. They will be the first to recognize the value-add proposition. Invest in these people. Develop their leadership skills.     

It’s simple really – what kind of people do you need to create an engaged and self-identifying as empowered workforce? You need people that feel valued and are equipped to do the work but most of all you need people that recognize there is more to “value” than hard work. You need people that understand there is a shared and mutually beneficial responsibility in improving processes and workplace culture.

Show me a workplace where employees are seen and invested in as people and I will show you an environment where the improvement possibilities are endless.

Time to cut the grass.

Doug Harper has been a frequent Update contributor, a long-standing past EMC member and a retired management professional with over thirty-five years of diversified and progressive experience, in a variety of fast-paced and demanding operational and manufacturing roles.

Doug has demonstrated expertise in sustainable performance improvement. A Specialist in changing operational “cultures” through the use of common-sense people management and employee empowerment and particularly effective in implementing strategic approaches to accomplishing organizational goals with high levels of employee engagement. Skilled in the development of leadership at all levels of an organization through the use of mentoring and participatory management.

[https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-harper-0220454/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-harper-0220454/)

![](https://www.emccanada.org/uploads/userfiles/images/DougHarper2.JPG)

 



Today’s job-seekers want more than a pay cheque — they demand a workplace culture that provides long-term benefit to their careers. By understanding and meeting these requirements, manufacturers can make their organizations desirable, and stoke continuous engagement.

 Empowering Employment through a Strong Workplace Culture

Recently, EMC hosted Maxine Labbe, Business Consultant at Montana HR, for a discussion on the importance of strong workplace cultures with several manufacturers in Atlantic Canada. During this discussion, Maxine described the value of performing regular cultural assessments of one’s business to maintain a firm contextual awareness and identify employee retention opportunities. To further examine the employment benefits of a timely workplace culture, Daniel Goulet, General Manager at EMC member Systemair, presented his organization’s experience with using a cultural assessment alongside Maxine. The material presented in this article is based on this event. With ACOA’s support, EMC continues to provide invaluable leadership resources to manufacturers in Atlantic Canada through the Manufacturing Recovery Support Program.

In today’s employment landscape, job-seekers are only interested in positions that provide them with a tangible benefit to their career. Disposable, low-pay roles have become obsolete — modern workers want secure, sustainable employment that can increase their sense of worth in addition to fair compensation. Meeting job-seekers’ expectations can be difficult for manufacturers who haven’t kept up with timely employment trends, but moving past long-held employment practices and embracing change is critical to attracting modern workers. By stoking a culture of progress, ambition, and mutual success in their workplaces, manufacturers can appeal to today’s workers, keep them onboard, and secure their engagement and motivation.

Understanding your workplace’s existing culture is necessary to advancing it. Consider the wants and needs of your current workers. Consider the new kind of worker that you’re looking to attract. How are the expectations of each of these groups being met? Do you have a strong grasp of your existing and potential employees’ values and demands? Remember that modern manufacturing workers are opinionated, informed, and well-connected with their peers; if they feel in any way underserved, they won’t be interested in your business, regardless of how successful it is. To overcome ambiguities in your workplace’s culture, perform a cultural assessment — a detailed analysis of your labour bases’ satisfaction with their jobs. Having this information will allow you to make accurate improvements to your company’s culture, and will demonstrate to job-seekers both your timeliness and your willingness to improve. Hold cultural assessments at your organization regularly to prevent your culture from falling behind, and you’ll easily build an innovative reputation with modern job-seekers.

Keep in mind that effective employment isn’t just limited to recruitment. Once employed, workers must stay passionate and engaged to meet their potential and maintain productivity. When performing your regular cultural assessments, aim to gain an understanding of your employees as individuals instead of a collective. [As we’ve discussed before](https://www.emccanada.org/newsroom/managements-role-in-employee-retention), offering personalized benefits to employees makes them feel valued beyond their technical abilities, and provides them with an incentive to remain loyal to your organization. Trust is tantamount to a worker’s motivation — they must feel as though decisions are being made in their best interests by employers. Stay aligned with these values by promoting changes that affect your workers directly: fair compensation, stable job security, effective safety measures, and equitable treatment. Employees (especially new employees) that are able to experience these benefits firsthand will see the value in working at your business, and will become invested in your organization’s success.

Meeting the demands and expectations of modern workers is one of the strongest competitive advantages an organization can have. Employees from any background and in any department or industry will always see the value of an employer that takes a genuine interest in their individual progress, and will understand how the success of their business is interwoven with their own personal achievement. Make the effort to communicate, analyze, and recognize your employees regularly, and you’ll find that your workplace’s culture is conducive to long-term engagement and productivity.

For more on strengthening recruitment and retention through a beneficial workplace culture, contact [Joan Richard](mailto:jrichard@emccanada.org), EMC’s Operations Manager for Eastern Canada. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for specialized manufacturing expertise.



Are newcomers to Canada the solution for manufacturers facing labour challenges? This article describes a wide variety of strategies for effectively recruiting newly-Canadian workers, and discusses what to keep in mind when considering unfamiliar job applications.

What to Consider When Recruiting Newcomers

As Canadian labour demographics continue to shift throughout the early 2020s, it’s prescient of the country’s manufacturing employers to understand the impact that newcomers can have on their business’s activities. Newcomers are poised to make up a significant portion of the manufacturing industry’s workforce in the very near future, and companies that are unable to build lasting connections with these groups will find themselves at a significant competitive disadvantage against those that do. Understanding how to appeal to this demographic may seem like a challenge for manufacturers inexperienced in hiring outside of familiar labour pools, but by putting forth a strong effort to identify the wants and needs of newcomers, business leaders can attract these workers to any type of position within their enterprises.

It’s important to realize the vast array of benefits that employing newcomers can have on one’s business — in addition to being an timely asset against the effects of the manufacturing sector’s labour shortage, newcomers provide a wide range of perspectives and skills to a production facility, stoking innovation and preventing stagnation. Remember that many newcomers to Canada are well-educated, experienced in their respective industries, and possess strong English communication skills. Take these factors into account when creating material that aims to attract newcomers to your business. Can your organization offer these workers the opportunity to utilize their professional assets? Can the position that you’re advertising for help advance their career? If you were in these worker’s roles, what would you be looking for in a manufacturing job? Maintain steady contextual awareness always during the recruitment process, and ensure that the work you can provide is mutually-beneficial.

When hiring any kind of employee, we tend to exercise internalized biases, which can prevent otherwise suitable, passionate workers from supporting our companies. These biases typically present themselves during the earliest stages of the recruitment process, and they become particularly prominent when hiring workers from international backgrounds. To overcome these biases during your own business’s recruitment process, use the information provided on a resume or from an initial conversation to broaden your perspective on a worker’s talents. Keep in mind that gaps in an applicant’s labour history, wildly-varying previous positions, and sub-optimal written English is normal for newcomers to Canada. Many of these workers have been involuntarily displaced from past living conditions, and may be unable to maintain a steady career path. Don’t confuse broadening your perspective for being lenient with these workers — become aware of the varying benefits that they can offer your business, and determine if they’re a right fit for the role you’re advertising based on that knowledge. Taking a labourer’s background into account when evaluating their applicability for your organization is critical to building an effective workforce.

As manufacturing organizations across the country bemoan the lack of skilled and unskilled labour available to them, newcomers to Canada provide these businesses with a sustainable source of motivated, passionate, and dedicated talent. Through the willingness to form powerful relationships with this demographic, manufacturing leaders in any industry can consistently ensure the productivity of their organizations. Take the influx of newcomers into the Canadian labour pool as an opportunity to revitalize your enterprise’s workforce, and you’ll be able to reap the many benefits of a diverse, co-operative company culture.

To discuss opportunities more discussion about effectively recruiting newcomers to your business, please contact [Steve Holmgren](mailto:sholmgren@emccanada.org), EMC’s Manufacturing Consortium Manager for Eastern Ontario. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for knowledge and expertise specialized for the Canadian manufacturing sector.



Before manufacturers can begin implementing new operational practices or reaching out to prospective supply enterprises, they must have a firm understanding of their own organization’s supply challenges.

 Identifying Opportunities in Your Supply Chain

*Recently, EMC hosted Manufacturing Consultant Kim Wolf (of Kim Wolf Consulting) for an event on Supply Chain Challenges. During this event, Kim gave a thorough explanation of how to address and overcome supply chain obstacles to an audience of Canadian manufacturing leaders and business owners. The information presented in this article is based on the discussions held during Wolf’s presentation at the event.*

Modern supply chain challenges have affected every Canadian manufacturer in some way (image left), and business leaders across the country are feeling the sting of reduced production resources. While some manufacturers may see these challenges as an unsurpassable obstacle, proactive leaders understand that change is vital to progress, and correctly recognize that supply chain issues provide an unprecedented opportunity to re-evaluate their business’s activities and relationships. In today’s manufacturing landscape, an almost limitless amount of tools, resources, and networks are available to help businesses address supply chain issues. By taking advantage of these opportunities, manufacturers can move past obsolete production methods, optimize their existing supply channels, and establish invaluable relationships with alternative suppliers.

Before manufacturers can begin implementing new operational practices or reaching out to prospective supply enterprises, they must have a firm understanding of their own organization’s supply challenges. Ask yourself: Does my organization have a steady, stable influx of production resources? What would happen if my primary supplier couldn’t keep up with demand? Can my business’s supply chain survive the impact of uncertain global events? Each of these questions can be answered through use of a risk assessment — an evaluation tool commonly used to identify potential hazards in an organization’s activities. Consider also performing a SWOT analysis of your business, which will allow you to accurately determine your company’s internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. Having access to the data collected by these analyses is critical to developing a strong action plan for your supply chain, ensuring that you and your team have a quantifiable list of priorities, deadlines, and activities to reinforce your supply chain’s stability. Proper information collection is key when determining how to utilize opportunities — without it, you may waste valuable resources pursuing untenable goals.

No organization has access to an unlimited supply of production resources on its own. In manufacturing, powerful relationships are one of the most important assets a business can have to maintain its ability to meet consumer demand. While long-held connections with established suppliers are certainly valuable, manufacturers shouldn’t limit themselves to relying on these enterprises exclusively — in the event that these suppliers can’t provide their resources, manufacturers will find themselves at a loss. Instead, a thorough portfolio of both primary and secondary suppliers should be constantly upheld and expanded upon. There are a vast number of supplier entities across Canada and beyond that manufacturers now have access to, and, by spreading one’s supply chain across this network, business leaders never need to worry about delays in a single stream. Frequent communication and correspondence are necessary for success in today’s manufacturing sector, and, by reaching out to clients, customers, and consultants, organizations protect their supply chain’s structural integrity, and propagate their business’s influence and reputation throughout the globe.

By making a concerted effort to understand their organization’s supply chain and reaching out to a wide range of potential partners, manufacturers can utilize modern supply challenges to revitalize their business’s production practices and professional connections. For easy access to a diverse network of supplier entities, consider [**an EMC membership**](https://www.emccanada.org/membership). EMC’s range of [**Manufacturing Consortium Managers**](https://www.emccanada.org/contact) keep extensive portfolios of Canada’s leading suppliers, and are eager to introduce them to your business.

*For future discussions on overcoming supply chain adversity, contact [Craig Mannell](mailto:cmannell@emccanada.org), Manufacturing Consortium Manager at EMC. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for specialized manufacturing expertise.*



Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker has announced the Ontario government is working for workers by investing a total of $3,639,511 in two local projects through the Skills Development Fund.

Working for Workers - $2.8 million in funding to EMC

OWEN SOUND – Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker has announced the Ontario government is working for workers by investing a total of $3,639,511 in two local projects through the Skills Development Fund.

Receiving funding are:

• Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium of Canada (EMC) – $2,851,171
• Owen Sound Family YMCA – $788,340.

Project details are below:

EMC – Informed by a successful and validated proof-of-concept, EMC is proposing Expanding Skills and Paths to Employment for Youth in Advanced Manufacturing, specifically to address these industry needs and demands for increasing the future supply to the manufacturing workforce and enabling Ontario-wide access to new skills, micro-credentials, trades and on-the-job experience for youth within the manufacturing sector.

Owen Sound Family YMCA – To coordinate and support the training of 22 Incumbents and 22 Job seekers through Personal Support Worker training.

“Thank you to both EMC and the Owen Sound Family YMCA for implementing these programs, which will help local residents improve their skills,” said Walker. “This is a great program that makes a real difference in our communities and I want to thank Minister McNaughton for his continued support.”

This initiative is supported through the government’s Skills Development Fund, which has [provided over $200 million in funding for innovative projects that address challenges to hiring, training, or retraining workers](https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.ontario.ca%2Fen%2Frelease%2F1000887%2Fontario-providing-additional-investment-into-skills-development-fund&data=05%7C01%7Cbill.walkerco%40pc.ola.org%7Cbd0c3427d35142db05db08da2246cc92%7C6b9fd2ec77a64ae0822a6bb9108fb274%7C0%7C0%7C637859984717726963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=tdBsmST%2FD1wgcSX9eZdW6MQB5cCvKT3Z3DW%2BDBx%2FQzA%3D&reserved=0) during the pandemic.

“Our government is working for workers every day. Through our Skills Development Fund, we’re giving workers the training they need to fill in-demand jobs, earn bigger paycheques and advance in rewarding careers that make their families and communities stronger,” said Minister McNaughton. “Our government has a workers-first plan to deliver a stronger Ontario. As build today for a better tomorrow, we need all hands on deck. We’re leaving nobody behind and we’re getting it done.”

This investment builds on the government’s ongoing efforts to attract, support and protect workers, making Ontario the top place in the world to work, live and raise a family. It follows legislation Minister McNaughton recently passed that provides [foundational rights for digital platform workers](https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.ontario.ca%2Fen%2Frelease%2F1001669%2Fontario-establishing-general-minimum-wage-for-digital-platform-workers&data=05%7C01%7Cbill.walkerco%40pc.ola.org%7Cbd0c3427d35142db05db08da2246cc92%7C6b9fd2ec77a64ae0822a6bb9108fb274%7C0%7C0%7C637859984717726963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=J5TlJt0r3hGhNgY55kpSNlVao4iF%2FORFg%2FisjgCVdcE%3D&reserved=0),[ requirements for employers to disclose their electronic monitoring of employees](https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.ontario.ca%2Fen%2Frelease%2F1001654%2Fontario-requiring-employers-to-disclose-electronic-monitoring&data=05%7C01%7Cbill.walkerco%40pc.ola.org%7Cbd0c3427d35142db05db08da2246cc92%7C6b9fd2ec77a64ae0822a6bb9108fb274%7C0%7C0%7C637859984717726963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qzQnyVhYJfy3cupvw7%2FR3yX2wI5Xzh2QDQC9dUdJsG8%3D&reserved=0) and for [businesses in high-risk settings to have Naloxone kits on hand](https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.ontario.ca%2Fen%2Frelease%2F1001673%2Fontario-mandating-naloxone-kits-in-high-risk-workplaces&data=05%7C01%7Cbill.walkerco%40pc.ola.org%7Cbd0c3427d35142db05db08da2246cc92%7C6b9fd2ec77a64ae0822a6bb9108fb274%7C0%7C0%7C637859984717726963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RPUSCDNwXDqp96%2BcPbv71%2Bwl4xmoVlGS0gucYXZt4PU%3D&reserved=0), and several [red tape reductions to encourage out-of-province workers](https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.ontario.ca%2Fen%2Frelease%2F1001662%2Fontario-removing-barriers-for-out-of-province-skilled-workers&data=05%7C01%7Cbill.walkerco%40pc.ola.org%7Cbd0c3427d35142db05db08da2246cc92%7C6b9fd2ec77a64ae0822a6bb9108fb274%7C0%7C0%7C637859984717726963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=M7JgrSmkrcOO9RK2U3rgkj2Hh6TjBpAp289ZFGImc%2BM%3D&reserved=0) to help fill the generational labour shortage.

**Quick Facts**
• Data suggests that the need to replace retiring workers is greater for skilled trades workers than for other occupations. In 2016, nearly 1 in 3 journeypersons in Ontario were aged 55 years or older.
• In the fall of 2021, there were more than 360,000 jobs vacant in Ontario.
• Ontario’s Skills Development Fund is supported through labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.  

**Additional Resources**
• [Skills Development Fund](https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ontario.ca%2Fpage%2Fskills-development-fund&data=05%7C01%7Cbill.walkerco%40pc.ola.org%7Cbd0c3427d35142db05db08da2246cc92%7C6b9fd2ec77a64ae0822a6bb9108fb274%7C0%7C0%7C637859984717726963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=x%2BG%2F3sQkJRsKdV1Aqzjn3%2FS3VJs6WFDyvDxt3DB7y7k%3D&reserved=0)
• [Employment Ontario: Free Programs and Services for Job Seekers, Workers and Employers](https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ontario.ca%2Femployment&data=05%7C01%7Cbill.walkerco%40pc.ola.org%7Cbd0c3427d35142db05db08da2246cc92%7C6b9fd2ec77a64ae0822a6bb9108fb274%7C0%7C0%7C637859984717726963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=O0YjNpVNknAOp3HcjULiGdiRWl4%2FPWKBR4mbmDmMMcI%3D&reserved=0)
• [The 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: Build Ontario](https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbudget.ontario.ca%2F2021%2Ffallstatement%2Findex.html&data=05%7C01%7Cbill.walkerco%40pc.ola.org%7Cbd0c3427d35142db05db08da2246cc92%7C6b9fd2ec77a64ae0822a6bb9108fb274%7C0%7C0%7C637859984717726963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=G1vP8AEsmcYjQHCcErsfDdMyLxNXpgbGr4JjL%2B024pU%3D&reserved=0)

CONTACT: Chris Fell | [chris.fell@pc.ola.org](mailto:chris.fell@pc.ola.org) | 519-371-2421

While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to Canada’s manufacturing sector, several business leaders have seen success in spite of it. Let’s discuss how to modernize our companies for a post-pandemic marketplace.

Adapting to a Post-Pandemic Manufacturing Landscape

There’s no doubting that the Canadian manufacturing sector has seen significant upheaval since the COVID-19 pandemic’s beginning. Through long periods of uncertainty, manufacturers across the nation have had come to terms with issues in labour, supply, transportation, and health and safety, among others. Not all of the pandemic’s impact has been negative, though — by rapidly changing their methods of production, distribution, and recruitment, many manufacturers have found themselves leaving this crisis in far better shape than they entered it. While it can be difficult to change focus from long-standing traditional methods of operations to new, unfamiliar ones, doing so allows manufacturers of any size or industry to better connect with modern consumer bases. By examining the benefits of adapting to timely production processes, you’ll discover that revitalizing your business’s activities is key to success in today’s manufacturing landscape.

The suddenness of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a great deal of uncertainty in both manufacturers and consumers. This fear was further compounded by a sharp drop in national and global stock markets, which many saw as a sign of reduced customer demand in the foreseeable future. Only a few months after the pandemic began, though, it was clear that this anxiety was baseless — product and service sales reached record highs in a wide variety of industries, and consumers’ willingness to purchase goods suited to their new lifestyles was apparent. Now, as we enter the second quarter of 2022, sales across the globe are booming, and stock prices in Canadian businesses have reached a record high. From these events, manufacturing leaders should take away the fact that demand for their wares has never been greater, and that, by being able to effectively meet this demand, they can achieve profitability unmatched by pre-pandemic levels. Keep in mind that the demand for your business’s goods isn’t just limited to Canadian audiences — as discussed in [previous Newsroom material](https://www.emccanada.org/newsroom/post-pandemic-opportunities-for-manufacturers), Canadian products enjoy a strong international reputation in the pandemic’s wake, making these markets ripe for capitalizing upon.

Once your business understands the size of the audience it has gained throughout the pandemic, your next challenge is in meeting this demand through consistent supply. As Canadian manufacturers are doubtlessly aware, supply chain issues have been a constant challenge throughout the entirety of the pandemic, and problems with recruitment and absenteeism have only expounded this obstacle to success. Fortunately, the solution to these issues is one that most manufacturers are already familiar with: Lean enterprise management. Lean thinking has been used throughout many manufacturing departments in countless organizations to strengthen productivity and reduce waste. By applying these same principles to the act of shipping their goods, companies can optimize every part of their production processes. Also keep in mind the Kaizen methodology of stoking continuous improvement — continuously revising your business’s long-held practices with the support of knowledgeable subject matter experts is a vital aspect of innovation. [EMC’s range of manufacturing experts](https://emccanada.org/contact-us) have a strong understanding of Lean and Kaizen activities, and are eager to discuss how they can be applied to your organization.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unprecedented disorder into the manufacturing sector, being able to overcome and learn from adversity is a critical element of leadership. By taking a rational look at the opportunities presented to your business by the last two years’ events, you’ll find that sustainable prosperity has never been easier to achieve.

**To discuss opportunities to learn more about modernizing your manufacturing business’s processes, please contact [Kevin McCormick](mailto:kmccormick@emccanada.org), Manufacturing Consortium Manager at EMC. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for expertise specialized to the Canadian manufacturing sector.**


The idea behind education and reward is to first ensure that your workers are educated properly in the procedures that need to be followed and then to reward them for following those procedures. Let’s discuss the education element first.

Education and Reward – A System of Power

In the 20+ years of my career, I have been a part of many workplaces that see health and safety as something that has to be done, not as something that should be done. Think about this for a second; we know that there are legal mandates in Canada that require workplaces to do and have certain things in place, but why is it that many workplaces don’t want to do them? In most cases, it comes down to the almighty dollar and the human factor.

The idea behind education and reward is to first ensure that your workers are educated properly in the procedures that need to be followed and then to reward them for following those procedures.
Let’s discuss the education element first. This element involves setting the expectation first. There are many policies and procedures that workplaces must-have, but not all will need to be communicated to workers. A common term for a procedure that does need to be discussed with workers is ‘safe operating procedures (SOPs). SOPs are procedures that correlate to a job that a worker performs; for example, a welder should have SOPs for welding. These SOPs will outline the proper steps to follow and precautions to be taken for that worker’s protection, such as wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) or using a ventilation system. The SOPs must be written in a way that makes sense to the worker. To summarize, when creating these SOPs, review them with the workers that are currently doing the job; worker input will increase the likelihood that the SOP will be followed.

Once we have educated them, you need to verify the staff understands what was taught. This can be a quiz, a Q&A session, or a practical demonstration. Don’t forget that you need to document everything. At the very least, there should be an attendance sheet signed by each worker for each session, which helps demonstrate the training was provided and understood.

**Now that we have covered the educational piece let’s look at the reward.**

I want you to think about dogs. Any dog owner will tell you that food is used as a reward to complete a learned behaviour. Now, how does the dog learn that behaviour? The answer is simple; it is taught to them and repeated over time until it becomes a habit. Does the dog want to learn this behaviour? Likely not, so what forces them to? What do they get out of it, and in turn, is their encouragement? You guessed it, a treat (usually food).

Humans are not much different in this regard; not that I’m implying that we’re dogs. When humans are offered a reward, it introduces a neurological response in our brains that feels good; when something feels good, say eating your favourite meal, you want to do it again, hence the reason it is your favourite. So taking into account how humans respond to rewards, could this same logic be applied in the workplace to increase participation in workplace safety and improve the overall safety culture? As I have done this in the past, I would say an overwhelming YES!

Like many other things, a reward cannot be given unless the work is put in first; if you give a dog a treat but don’t have them complete a task first, the treat (reward) is not a treat. Essentially a performance/participation-based reward system is best. Now, before the work can be put in, we must educate. If workers don’t know what to follow, they can’t earn the reward that may be available.

Now, rewards aren’t just about feeling good about participating in something; if this was the only reward,
there are still many that wouldn’t follow the SOP. Let’s think outside the box. To do this, you first need to
know your workers, and what matters to them. As an example, let us say you are talking to a worker
named Pam about how things are going, and Pam tells you that things are going great at work, but she is
tired because of how busy it’s been and has been working consistent overtime. Now let’s evaluate a
suitable reward. If Pam is tired, how do you think she would respond to a paid day off beyond her vacation
entitlement? I would say that a reward of this kind would be well suited. If this were the reward that Pam
could earn for following a procedure, would she be more likely to follow it?

Let’s look at another scenario. Another worker, named Joe, tells you in casual conversation that things are
tight at home, especially with how the cost of goods has gone up due to the pandemic and global inflation.

Now, what would be a suitable reward here? How about a gift certificate to a retail store, perhaps for
groceries, or a cash reward? If Joe received this reward, do you think he would be encouraged, maybe
even happy?

Both of the above scenarios are only examples of rewards, but it is important to remember that a reward
that no one wants is not a reward; a reward someone could use is one that’s sought after by many.
Now, why should you implement a reward system in your workplace? The answer is simple: if you want
workers to be compliant and safe, give them an extra reason to be, and encourage them with an incentive.
Of course, it is part of their job already, but why not go beyond that. Does this mean that a reward should
be given for each procedure or set of rules a worker must follow? The answer is no, but an occasional
incentive can go a long way.

We’ve all heard of the employee of the month awards, and many workplaces still do this, so why not have
a reward system that rewards a worker for following a safety procedure without issue, reporting a hazard,
providing a safety idea, reading a safety magazine, etc.? Perhaps workers that go all month without any
incidents get their name put into a hat, and at the end of the month, a name is drawn from the hat for
dinner and a movie on the company. It’s a matter of creating reward criteria that would be considered
palatable in your workplace.

The reality is that these types of rewards don’t cost a company very much when you add them up, but the
return they bring, in terms of improved safety culture, productivity, and worker retention, is ten-fold.
In business, people are our number one asset. Without people, we have no business, so it’s important to
do whatever you can to encourage, educate and reward.

As said by Dr. Stephen R. Covey, “Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your
best customer.”

David Ardito
Industrial Safety Trainers Inc.

New technology has its advantages, but it is not as exciting to the ‘more seasoned’ crowd as it is the younger generation that embraces it naturally and enthusiastically.

Co-op Students the Key to Plant Managers’ Success

When it comes to digitizing processes on the plant floor in the pursuit of achieving “Industry 4.0” objectives, it occurred to me that many of my most successful customers had benefitted from the youthful, tech savvy enthusiasm of college students working under the direction of the plant manager, getting ideas put into action that the manager, or his seasoned staff, was not able to do as effortlessly themselves. New technology has its advantages, but it is not as exciting to the ‘more seasoned’ crowd as it is the younger generation that embraces it naturally and enthusiastically.

About a year ago, I was doing a presentation to a company that has 3 plants and about 500 employees. The owner of the company was still involved and was at the meeting along with his plant managers, CI manager, IT manager, CFO and a few others. Almost as a tag-along, one of them invited their co-op student to the meeting, likely because it was his responsibility to keep the co-op student gainfully occupied that four month term.

The demo went well and there were questions from all the different managerial perspectives; can the system do this? Can it show that? Can I have all this one report? Can one person have this dashboard and another that dashboard? How do you build dash boards? How easy is it to create different report templates? To answer the first few questions, I demonstrated step-by-step how those requests could be done. After a few questions, I deferred to the co-op student, asking “is this something you think you could do?”, to which he replied affirmatively. Within minutes, all sorts of new ideas and suggestions came up from around the table, directed as much at the co-op student as to me.

A short time later, we closed the initial deal for the first plant, and as part of the onboarding process, we trained the co-op student along with the others. The results were outstanding, and near immediate. The dashboards they set up were unique to their operation and their respective roles. All 3 plants were autonomously run and had their own ways of doing things, but “corporate” (in this case, the owner) got the desired real time and period reporting information from all 3 plants in a consistent format. The ‘magic’, in this case, was more than the technology, it was the co-op student, working in conjunction with the owner and plant managers.

The seasoned veterans knew their respective plants and roles inside and out; they are very smart and accomplished people, but new technology often seemed foreign to them. It wasn’t critical to their day-to-day priorities and having to learn it often made them feel ‘stupid’ – which for me is the biggest mistake any software or software company can make. (Never make the smart people in the plant feel stupid, and never make people look smart just because they know which way to swipe or what special jargon to use). At best, senior people only have enough time (and interest) to want to be taught how to use the system, not how to configure and tailor it; they leave that to other people in the organization (like the IT department), and those people are likely already overly busy or occupied. The co-op student, however, has no predisposition to existing information technology solutions, or any manufacturing processes for that matter. It makes them the ideal person to explore new ways of collecting, analysing and displaying information for all levels of the management team, and the folks on the floor.   

In this particular case (and others I’m aware of), the co-op student gained tremendous insight into all the aspects of the manufacturing process, hearing what the needs were and developing the templates and reports, and the management team saw their best practices and insights properly leveraged and baked into a system that is useful and beneficial to them everyday. The managers weren’t forced to adjust their thinking to the format and standards of existing systems but instead were able to get the information and metrics in the way they wanted and in line with how they saw their manufacturing operation run.

It was truly a win-win-win. The co-op student gained tremendous knowledge and a tactile education in manufacturing. The managers gained real time information delivered to them in ways that mattered to them. The plant benefitted by seeing insights extracted from data quickly, and then put into action and driving results. Plus, they now have first dibs on an excellent long-term and highly effect employee upon graduation.

Paul Hogendoorn
Founder
FreePoint Technologies Inc.

**Have you hired, or are you planning to hire post-secondary co-op students?  Please reach out!  EMC still has wage subsidies available for Canadian manufacturers!  Please visit our [website](https://offers.emccanada.org/en-ca/emcwil) or contact [Wendy Gray](mailto:wgray@emccanada.org) for more information. [Applying is easy!](https://offers.emccanada.org/en-ca/emcwil)**

The annual Canada's Safest Employers Awards is proudly returning in 2022 to celebrate the outstanding companies, individuals and service providers who went above and beyond in their commitment to workplace health and safety.

 Canada's Safest Employer Awards - Nominations Open

The annual **Canada's Safest Employers Awards** is proudly returning in 2022 to celebrate the outstanding companies, individuals and service providers who went above and beyond in their commitment to workplace health and safety.

Whether you’d like to nominate your company, a colleague and/or yourself for these awards, here’s why you should take part:

**Showcase your achievements over the past year**

This is the high-profile platform on which companies and OHS professionals across Canada can be recognized for their noble work and best practices over an extraordinary year. This is your chance to showcase your outstanding achievements and results. Check out all 21 award categories and criteria [here](https://cskh704.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/T7+113/cskH704/MW3Q2y1Ny-dW70d9HY2njR4rW7TctdS4HwscpN5l4bjJ3q905V1-WJV7CgNmsW8TTDDr3wQPkXW3rRhdh6r1NmBW1Gm4Ny9ln4rVW2cvVp74rF6S6V9v6ZN7vXpxrW76pqj531PFj-W3-fypr27KRbwW8bcNms6z3M1XW7jqtJY4Stn2ZW8RlhHd8N8hszW3LZr_v8CHHQXW5L8W176MBS0vW45tG7K7ccSy_W6_B9wx8t5D8YW3Vd2bj4zY-zHW7WGZFX2v8yLhW1g8jTb2Mj-JCW7v3wtt3v_YjxW8WfJSg3MlMMfW5lhWSl7MD0FcV94R362pFZ8zW2zt7nb407-rSW6Vw-yl5pgytbW4wp9w17hMDGM3jJD1).
 
**Stand out in your industry and raise your profile with extensive national coverage**

Excellence awardees and winners will be announced in *Canadian Occupational Safety* and will be featured on the event website and in extensive profile-raising media coverage, including an exclusive COS digital feature on the Canadian Safest Employers Awards. This is an unparalleled opportunity to raise your profile and be showcased within your industry and the OHS profession.

**Salute your colleagues and partners in style**

Standing out as the best and sharing the news of this prestigious recognition is a great way to boost team morale and acknowledge your collective effort and hard work. You can celebrate with your peers at the highly anticipated virtual Canada's Safest Employers Awards event on **October 20, 2022**.

**Nomination deadline: April 22, 2022**

To learn more, or to nominate, please visit [Canada's Safest Employers](https://safestemployers.com/).



Are you underestimating the TRUE value of ergonomics?

Our experience tells us that most employers and businesses do not understand the true value that effective ergonomic initiatives can have on their bottom line.

The True Value of Ergonomics - What Cost : Benefit To Expect?

Are you underestimating the TRUE value of ergonomics? Our experience tells us that most employers and businesses do not understand the true value that effective ergonomic initiatives can have on their bottom line.

For too long ergonomics has resided in peoples’ opinion as just one component of a Health & Safety Program. Not only that, ergonomics is sometimes seen as a less “risky” or imminent health and safety concern, since ergonomics focuses on the cumulative effects of work on long-term health and well-being. As a result, ergonomics is not always prioritized, and the potential value of the program may not be fully apparent to all stakeholders. However, much like a good Health & Safety Program does more than ensuring employees’ safety, ergonomics provides many more benefits than injury prevention.

Research has shown that a good Ergonomics Program has the potential to improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, decrease quality issues and rework, and improve overall employee engagement. If we truly want Ergonomics Programs to be embraced by those outside the Health and Safety profession i.e. production & upper management, then we should start talking about ergonomics in their terms, in a language that appeals and speaks value to these groups.

**Injury Cost Gains**
In 2000, Ergonomists from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries looked at 63 studies on Ergonomics Programs, and determined that workplace ergonomics interventions resulted in an average reduction in the number of musculoskeletal disorders by 50%, a reduction in lost time days by 65%, and a reduction in claim costs by 44%. While these numbers are impressive, they still only looked at the potential for gains resulting from injury cost reduction.

**Gains from Reducing Absenteeism**
One of the most thorough, and commonly referenced, studies on the effectiveness of ergonomics interventions was by Goggins et. al. (2008). This study reviewed over 250 case studies, including studies of large-scale Ergonomics Programs, as well as individual ergonomic improvements. In addition to the injury reduction benefits (59% decrease in number of MSD injuries, 75% reduction in lost workdays, and 68% reduction in claims costs), the study quantifies the average benefits of other business indicators.

The study found an average decrease in turnover of 48% and of absenteeism by 58%. The dollar value of reducing turnover and absenteeism cannot be underestimated. The average cost to replace an employee is commonly estimated to be ~16-20% of their annual salary, for entry level to mid level positions. The cost of a 3-day absence for an Engineer is estimated to be 154% of their wages, indicating that the employer is paying 54% on top of the employee’s wages while they are absent. Estimates of the absence cost for more manual labour positions are ~132% (Nicholson et. al., 2006). These potential gains would be most understood by a Human Resources department.

**Gains from Reducing Scrap and Improvements in Productivity**
The Goggins study also found a 67% decrease in scrap and errors, a benefit most noticeable by a Quality Assurance department. Finally, the study found a 25% increase in productivity and a 43% decrease in labour costs. One of the challenges is that ergonomics improvements may impact so many different departments and aspects of the organization, but individual improvements are often small enough to go unnoticed if not being tracked intentionally. Furthermore, each department often functions independently, so that the cumulative, and more substantial gains of an Ergonomic Program may not be fully realized.

**Cost:Benefit**
We continue to notice that there is a perception in some organizations that an Ergonomics Program costs money, and that the potential risk of an injury at some undetermined time in the future is not a strong enough driver. However, the Goggins study found an average cost:benefit ratio of 1:19 and a median cost benefit ratio of 1:6. In practice, that means that for every $1 put into interventions, the company should see a benefit of $6 - $19. When $50,000 is invested in an “Ergonomics Program” the company should see a return on investment of $300,000 - $935,000. When these ratios are calculated specifically for office ergonomics interventions, the average cost-benefit ratio was 1:1.8. In practice, a $500 investment on a good quality office chair should provide a return of $890!

One case study followed a Participatory Ergonomics Program in a textile factory (Tompa et. al, 2013). Over 4 years, the cost of the Ergonomics Program was calculated to be $65,787, which included training, ergonomics consulting, implemented changes, and production downtime. The findings showed a 65% decrease in first-aid, a 50% decrease in modified duties, decreased absenteeism by 23%, decreased LTD by 75%, and a small increase in production. The calculated savings of the Program, after the cost of the Program was accounted for was $294,825, with a cost benefit ratio of 1:5.5.

**Take-Away Messages**
1. We should stop tying Ergonomics only to the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders.
2. We should speak the language of our audience.
3. We should do a better job tracking data on the impact of initiatives across various departments.

**If you would like assistance with your Ergonomics Program, Ergonomic Assessments, Office Ergonomics or Ergonomics Training contact [ERGO Inc.](https://ergoconsulting.ca/) today.**

Cybercrime is a clear and present danger in the modern manufacturing landscape. This article discusses how organizations can effectively prepare for digital attacks, examine response strategies, and identify resources that businesses can use to recover.

Addressing Cybercrime in Your Business

In the 2020s, web-enabled digital technology has become an essential component of production processes in every Canadian manufacturing facility. Unfortunately, this level of technology integration has created a new obstacle to manufacturers’ security: cybercrime. Current world events — including the Russia-Ukraine conflict — have caused a significant uptick in acts of data theft and digital fraud throughout Canada’s manufacturing industry. Without effectively defending their vital information, resources, and finances, manufacturing businesses may see heavy losses in efficiency, productivity, and profit regardless of size or industry. Let’s examine how cybercrime can be prepared for, addressed, and recovered.

It’s essential to realize the frequency at which cybercrime occurs. According to recent data presented by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Canadian businesses are the third most-likely group to be targeted for acts of cybercrime globally, and the manufacturing sector is one of the three most-targeted entities in that group. The most common cybercrime incidents are ransomware attacks, which hold crucial data hostage in exchange for large sums of money (or, more recently, cryptocurrency). These attacks can be catastrophic when they compromise large chunks of data at once. When private information is distributed throughout a system instead of concentrated in one location, cybercriminals face much more difficulty acquiring what they need to justify ransom. Disseminating this data can be performed through network segmentation, regularly updated hardware and software, multi-factor privacy measures, and the disabling of unused technology. Remember that a device turned off can’t be accessed by cybercriminals — be sure to shut down technology when it isn’t in use.

The recent prominence of cybercrime has left many business leaders confused about how it can be responded to. Since the late 2010s, Canada’s federal and provincial law enforcement bodies have built divisions exclusively for helping private entities recover from cybercrime. Businesses now have several methods of reporting incidents or suspicion of digital attacks. By contacting their local police forces once a cybercrime has taken place, manufacturers can be confident that cybercriminals can be found and punished accordingly with the digital resources available to modern officers. A business’s proactivity is also crucial to recovering from cybercrime. By developing and implementing a cyber security-based Incident Response Plan, manufacturers can immediately begin taking the necessary steps to reclaim their lost data or finances. OPP officers recommend that manufacturers create Incident Response Plans as soon as possible and ensure that their employees are well-aware of what actions to take in the case of a cybercrime incident to prevent further loss.

Cybercrime may seem like an intimidating concept to Canada’s manufacturers, but, as with all forms of crime, its impact can be heavily mitigated through a business’s collective knowledge, preparedness, and strategy. By making informed decisions when storing data of any kind on digital systems, business leaders can remain secure in their information’s privacy. Ensure that your organization has the resources necessary to address cybercrime, and you’ll be able to stay safe, productive, and profitable when using web-enabled technology.

**To discuss opportunities to hear more on this topic, don’t hesitate to contact [Steve Holmgren](mailto:sholmgren@emccanada.org), EMC’s Manufacturing Consortium Manager for Eastern Ontario. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for knowledge and expertise specialized in the Canadian manufacturing sector.**

EMC hosted an event on cybersecurity presented by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) force’s cybercrime division. The material discussed in this article is based on the information described during that event. It is recommended that all manufacturers verify cybercrime response protocol with their local authorities.

A discussion on Ontario’s recently passed right-to-disconnect legislation

The introduction of Ontario’s new right-to-disconnect legislation allows manufacturers to strengthen engagement, motivation, and productivity throughout their workplace. Let’s discuss how to create and implement effective disconnection policies.

Leveraging Right-to-Disconnect Policies

Recently, EMC held a leadership event to strengthen manufacturers’ awareness of Ontario’s newly introduced right-to-disconnect laws. The recommendations presented in the following article are based on a discussion held during that event. EMC always encourages manufacturers to consult with the appropriate legislative bodies to confirm employment requirements before making administrative decisions.

Ontario’s recently passed right-to-disconnect legislation is causing manufacturers across all industries to significantly re-evaluate their employees’ availability outside of work hours. Employers are on a tight deadline to comply with these new laws. By provincial regulation, all businesses that employ over 25 full-time workers must confirm their right-to-disconnect policies by June 2, 2022, or face serious legal repercussions. While this legislation may seem counter-intuitive to sustained productivity, businesses eager to strengthen employee collaboration and engagement can utilize right-to-disconnect laws to promote trust, autonomy, and motivation throughout their workforces. By creating effective right-to-disconnect policies tailored to the unique needs of their facilities, manufacturing leaders can foster a workplace culture focused on mutual respect and responsibility, ensuring that all employees feel fairly treated, recognized, and eager to complete their duties.

The first right-to-disconnect obstacle to overcome for many businesses is the required usage of technology for work. Modern manufacturing tasks often require employees to access and respond to work-related digital information at a moment’s notice through computers or mobile devices. As workers can receive this information at any time — including outside of work hours — it can be challenging to establish barriers between their personal and professional activities, especially when accessing work-related material on their own technology. Installing work applications or information on an employee’s personal device often encourages extensive task completion, leading to exhaustion and, in worst cases, lessened worker retention. A simple solution to this problem is to provide employees with company-owned technology that can be used exclusively for work activities— having a device dedicated to a single objective allows workers to define rigid “start” and “stop” times for their efforts, preventing extraneous activity and disillusionment.

One of the most important concepts to keep in mind when considering new right-to-disconnect legislation is that the guidelines defined by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development are a foundation for building worker rights. As businesses continue developing and implementing their unique right-to-disconnect practices, they must adhere to the following principles to prevent violating provincial standards. The first of these principles is clarity. Regardless of what right-to-disconnect policies they choose to establish, employers are required by law to present these rules to their workers before their implementation and to keep them constantly accessible for future reference. The second principle, acknowledgment, is similarly vital — workers must confirm their recognition of these practices to eliminate the possibility of ambiguity or misconception. These regulations are necessary for maintaining a workforce’s trust and loyalty, and keep the rights of both employees and employers secure.

Though the rapid introduction, definition, and implementation of Ontario’s right-to-disconnect laws may seem overwhelming for employers who have yet to consider such practices, this legislation is essential for maintaining employee motivation and provides an excellent opportunity for business leaders to heighten worker retention. Manufacturers that take advantage of the ability to create new policies specialized for their own workforce’s needs will discover a range of benefits to employee morale and will be able to cultivate a working environment conducive to engagement, timeliness, and productivity.

**To discuss participating in a future session in Eastern Ontario, on right-to-disconnect policies, in your workplace, don't hesitate to contact [Steve Holmgren](mailto:sholmgren@emccanada.org), EMC’s Manufacturing Consortium Manager for Eastern Ontario. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for knowledge and expertise specialized for the Canadian manufacturing sector.**

Employers are looking for workers of any kind, across the country and beyond.

Newcomers to Canada offer manufacturers a sustainable source of passionate, motivated labour for any position or department. By taking the necessary efforts to recruit and retain newly-immigrated employees, business leaders keep their workforce secure and productive.

Effectively Employing New Canadians

As the Canadian manufacturing sector’s labour crisis continues throughout the early 2020s, employers are looking for workers of any kind across the country and beyond. One labour source that has seen significant interest from business leaders in recent years is Canada’s “newcomer” population — newly-immigrated or ready-to-immigrate workers who are eager to support themselves and their families through skilled and unskilled employment. Manufacturers that put forth the effort to effectively appeal to and recruit members of this demographic will find themselves with a passionate, motivated workforce that can achieve success in a wide variety of positions, and gain access to a sustainable channel of high-quality labour. Let’s delve into the process of recruiting and retaining new Canadians, and examine how we can optimize their working — and living — experience.

There are two major forms of new Canadian that manufacturers are able to hire: economic migrants and working refugees. Economic migrants are workers that come to Canada specifically to seek employment, and can have diverse backgrounds of knowledge, skills, and wealth. Employing economic migrants is not dissimilar to employing Canadian citizens — while certain workplace accommodations for language and qualifications may be needed, these labourers have typically begun their professional or academic careers outside of Canada, and likely do not require additional assistance. In contrast, working refugees are people that have been displaced involuntarily by conflict or disaster, and usually come to Canada without any form of support network, employment experience, or applicable education. These labourers often require a certain amount of financial and social aid to begin working in a manufacturing facility, and must receive a heightened level of training and guidance from their employers to ensure that they can fulfill their roles productively. Understanding the differences between both kinds of Canadian newcomer allows business leaders to prepare workers from each demographic for success with an eye to context.

Facilitating a culture of tolerance, acceptance, and co-operation is key to optimizing the effectiveness of any newly-Canadian worker. There are an extensive variety of actions that employers and co-workers can take to make recently-immigrated employees feel comfortable and eager to meet their potential. Consider your workplace’s accessibility for labourers that don’t speak English — do your business’s activities rely heavily on written instructions, spoken directions, or lengthy manuals? Utilizing visual iconography is an excellent way of stoking a universally-understandable information channel. Also keep in mind your enterprise’s health and safety protocol. Every country has different practices of keeping their workers safe, but Canadian manufacturers must adhere to federal and provincial health and safety standards to prevent liability. Be sure that all of your employees have a strong grasp of your company’s health and safety requirements, and maintain constant worker adherence through regular inspections. Workers that feel safe, welcomed, and secure in their roles are able to better focus their efforts on performing their duties, strengthening efficiency and productivity throughout an entire organization.

Recognizing the needs, wants, and expectations of new Canadians is doubtlessly a challenge, but manufacturers that are able to address and respond to these requests will have no issue in maintaining an effective labour force and staying competitively-viable in the near and distant future. By fostering a diverse, supportive workforce, business leaders reap the benefits of employees from all backgrounds, skill levels, and ideologies, and become well-equipped to overcome labour challenges and remain consistently successful.

**For further discussion on effectively recruiting and retaining newcomers to Canada, please contact [Jason Bates](mailto:jbates@emccanada.org), EMC’s Manufacturing Consortium Manager for Southwestern Ontario. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for knowledge and expertise specialized to the Canadian manufacturing sector.**

The Canadian government offers more funding opportunities for Scientific Research and Experimental Development efforts than it does for any other component of manufacturing. Accessing these opportunities can help manufacturers of any size innovate and expand!

SR&ED Government Programs for Manufacturers - Post Event Follow Up

Manufacturing is a sector where ideas are given form and innovation is commonplace. As leaders in this space, you are constant drivers of progression and growth, continuously making advancements in all industries through your tireless efforts.

In recognition of the role Canada’s manufacturing businesses play in the country’s economic landscape, both federal and provincial governments offer a number of Funding Opportunities, both in the way of Tax Credits and Grants. Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) and the many Grants fund opportunities to further stoke creativity and ideation in this space. By taking advantage of these opportunities, manufacturers can support and subsidize many aspects of their business including Product and Process Development, Market Growth, Employee Development, Business Growth/Expansions, etc. sharply reducing financial risk and fully realizing their organization’s potential.

One of the best ways to access financial support for these activities is through the SR&ED federal tax credit. These credits are administrated directly by the Canada Revenue Agency, and are specifically designed to foster economic growth and offset research and development risk in the manufacturing sector. Two different forms of federal SR&ED tax credits are available to Canadian manufacturers — “Enhanced” and “Basic”. The former provides refundable tax relief for up to 35% of SR&ED activities for Canadian-controlled private corporations that have not met their taxable capital or small business deduction limits. The latter offers non-refundable SR&ED tax relief of up to 15% for companies that are foreign-owned, public, proprietorships or partnerships, or have exceeded their small business or taxable capital deduction limits. Provincial governments also offer a unique tax credit that can be used in conjunction with federal support for SR&ED operations conducted in their respective provinces. By utilizing the tax benefits, manufacturers can financially support their product and process development efforts.

In addition to the SR&ED Tax Credit Program there are many Federal and Provincial Grants to support not only major players in the manufacturing space but for SME as well. An example, is the Canadian National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP).  IRAP is a non-repayable grant available to businesses with less than 500 employees. IRAP grants are offered by a team of Industry Technology Advisors located across Canada, and provide resources specifically-tailored for cutting-edge manufacturing innovation through investment in specialized technology, direct labour, and professional expertise. Also available to businesses of varying sizes are Canada’s regional development agencies, which promote effective expansion and upscaling operations through repayable interest-free loans. Each of these resources provides growth opportunities to organizations of all types across the country, further securing the manufacturing sector’s diversity and consistent evolution.

Innovation is vital to success in manufacturing — customers reward businesses at the forefront of technological progress, and breakthroughs in product development often lead to drastically increased efficiency. Now, through the vast array of funding opportunities provided by governmental organizations, it has never been a better time for manufacturers to take risks, innovate, and discover new ways of achieving their goals. In doing so, they gain significant competitive advantages and the ability to expand their businesses.

**For future discussions on the topic of Government Funding, both Tax Credits and Grants, contact [Craig Mannell](mailto:cmannell@emccanada.org), EMC’s Manufacturing Consortium Manager for Niagara, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Owen Sound & Area or [Ross Cooper](mailto:rcooper@emccanada.org), Senior Advisor – Value Added Programs. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for knowledge and expertise supporting the Canadian manufacturing sector.**

As we move past the pandemic and return to more normal issues around employment, recently we welcomed Kelly VanBuskirk, of Lawson Cream, for a valuable interactive discussion with EMC member companies.

Atlantic Canada Employment Law - Spring Tune-up

As we move past the pandemic and return to more normal issues around employment, recently we welcomed Kelly VanBuskirk, of Lawson Cream, for a valuable interactive discussion with EMC member companies.

The purpose of the event was to create awareness of current trends and understand the value of a proactive approach through observation of 2021 cases, as well as ‘considerations for smart business people’.

**Key takeaways from recent labour, employment and human rights cases heard in 2021:**
- In many cases, unions will be required to advance members human rights and OHSA complaints as collective agreement grievances.
- Employers have a duty to investigate workplace harassment and violence allegations, when and how you do your investigations matters!
- Discourage litigation and focus on conflict resolution, where possible, by asking the following questions:
      • What are we really trying to protect?
      • How much will this fight really cost?
      • If we win, will we really win?
- "Discrimination doesn't happen in your business" - 60% of Canadian Workers have reported being harassed. Don't turn a blind eye to this.
- Age of Regulated Self Regulation - Employers have a duty to investigate workplace harassment and violence. You must have policies in place to investigate.
- Focus on conflict resolution - it's almost never about the money for the employee.
- Teasing vs Harassment - educate your workforce.

**Trends in Settlement:**
- NDA are on their way out (victim will not sign agreement)
- "Quick and Dirty" settlements are less frequent
- Social Media Disparagement is in
- View themselves representing a larger group, ie. Racial
- Multiple Forum Claims - Common Law, OHSA, ESA, courts approving to go to multiple
- "From away" Lawyers

**Cases reviewed – Source for reference: [https://www.canlii.org/en/](https://www.canlii.org/en/)**
- Slater v Halifax Herald
- Francis v BC Min of Justice (Race Discrimination / Significant Mental Injury $1M)
- Northern Regional Authority v. Horrocks (Union/Human Rights Complaint/OHS)
- Banda v Canada (Failed to do proper investigation and went back into litigation)
- Headly v City of Toronto (accused of stealing money - awarded $65K)
- AB v Cooksville Hyundai (Employer is on the hook for shoddy investigation)
- Boucher v Walmart

**Workplace Investigation Skills within your organization are essential.**
If training is required, ensure it is recognized, credible and Canadian based.

**Resources:**

- Canadian HR Professionals Association
- UNB - 2 Day Course [https://www.unb.ca/cel/career/management-leadership/workplace-investigation.html](https://www.unb.ca/cel/career/management-leadership/workplace-investigation.html)
- InfoPowered Solutions (Kelly VanBuskirk) [https://www.infopoweredsolutions.com/](https://www.infopoweredsolutions.com/)
- CorriganHR, ‘Introduction to Workplace Investigations’ The instructor is Devan Corrigan, contact: [devan.corrigan@corriganhr.com](mailto:devan.corrigan@corriganhr.com)

Thank you again to our presenter, Kelly VanBuskirk, and to those who participated in this interactive event. For more information on this event, or upcoming events please reach out.





Automated machinery is vital to modern manufacturing businesses, but the process of acquiring it can often seem difficult and expensive. In this article, we discuss what needs to be considered when purchasing or leasing specialized manufacturing equipment.

Financing Specialized Machinery Acquisition

There’s no doubting that the increased presence of automation has been a significant positive for the manufacturing sector. Today’s machines are more effective, more efficient, and more productive than ever before, and offer a wide variety of features that allow nearly any task to be streamlined. Advanced manufacturing technology comes at a price, though, and leasing or purchasing expensive, specialized machinery without a rigid understanding of how to pay for it can have disastrous results, especially for newly-established businesses. Let’s look into the ways that a company can acquire machinery with an eye for financial responsibility, and examine how certain acquisition strategies are better-suited to different kinds of organizations.

When determining how to finance a machine, contextual awareness is key. What is the current size of your business? Do you have a growth strategy? If leasing, can you afford to make continuous payments with tax on a regular basis? Consider also the age of your organization. Are you looking to build up a collection of assets early on in your business’s life for rapid expansion? If so, purchasing a machine may be preferable to leasing. The value of specialized machinery is extremely high, even when purchased with debt, and the benefit it can have on your company’s first few years of operation may provide a significant advantage over your competitors. Be sure to keep the “soft costs” of machine acquisition — freight bills, installation prices, operating expenses — in mind, as well. As with all major financial decisions, your business’s accounting team should be heavily involved when determining how to pay for specialized machinery.

Unless your business has the resources necessary to acquire specialized machinery on its own, you’ll need to partner with an external financial institution to fund acquisition activities. There are three types of lenders in machine acquisition: “Schedule A” lenders, which constitute Canada’s major national banks, non-major financial institutions, and specialized lenders. Schedule A lenders typically present the lowest risk, lowest price, and greatest certainty of capital when providing loans, but offer the least amount of repayment flexibility and maintain an extensive set of guidelines. Smaller financial institutions allow for slightly more repayment flexibility than major banks, but have higher prices, higher risk, and lower certainty of capital than Schedule A lenders. Specialized lenders have a strong understanding of manufacturers’ needs. These lenders are the most likely to offer tailored support, high repayment flexibility, and reselling services to manufacturers, but charge the highest prices of any lending body with the longest repayment periods. When determining the right lender for your business’s machinery acquisition needs, keep in mind your company’s risk profile, projected revenue, and future expansion plans.

Specialized machinery acquisition, while crucial for continued relevance in the modern manufacturing landscape, is an expensive, time-consuming process, and should be treated as such to prevent unnecessary loss. Before making any commitments towards the acquisition of specialized machinery, ensure that you have a strong understanding of your business’s goals, a high level of contextual awareness for its current state, and the approval of your organization’s financial advisors.nvm

**For future discussions on the topic of equipment and machinery acquisition options, contact [David Munro](mailto:dmunro@emccanada.org), EMC’s Manufacturing Consortium Manager for Western Canada. Attend [EMC events](https://www.emccanada.org/events) frequently for knowledge and expertise specialized to the Canadian manufacturing sector.**
 



Effective management is crucial to the operations of any manufacturing organization.

Not only do managers bear the responsibility of their departments’ performance — they act as critical links between employees and company leadership, facilitating communication and the spread of important data throughout the corporate ladder. In an era when skilled labour is more difficult to acquire than ever, managers take on an additional role: ensuring that employees remain loyal to their organizations.

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