Virtual Breakfast Forum – May 6, 2021
Great Discussion At Virtual Breakfast Forum
On today’s call, we welcomed our newest member Michael Hall, Executive VP Operations of Viking Air, an aircraft and parts manufacturer based in Victoria. Viking Air employs 400 people and manufactures the iconic Twin Otter aircraft.
All members agreed that everyone seems to be feeling the “languishing” – people are fed up, burn out, trying to do everything to keep morale up, and this is all taking its toll. Workforces are no longer looking forward to Zoom meetings, and mental health is still at the forefront of everyone’s minds. If it’s not dodging the actual disease, it’s keeping your mental health in check.
The question on everyone’s minds: what does work look like when this is “all over”? It was agreed that it’s a good idea to communicate and clearly lay out the plans for any reopening, to allow for certainty for employees.
While some employees are chomping at the bit to come back to the office, members agreed that we will probably never go back to 100% presence in the office. Depending on the industry, some require in-person working environments such as manufacturing, and others can function remotely, such as mostly administrative organizations. Most organizations are planning a hybrid approach, using “hot desks” and a part-time presence both at home and in the office.
Recently, WSBC has communicated that employers should take a cautious approach to the words used when discussing vaccinations with employees. It is a slippery slope if employers are perceived as aggressively promoting getting a vaccine in order to come to work or supporting even minor consequences if they don’t.
We are all wrestling with similar issues. It’s clear that members are benefitting from belonging to an organization such as the EHSCBC, sharing issues, strategies and solutions, and celebrating successes, together.
A brief reminder of some upcoming events:
June 3rd – Join us for a mental health check, and presentation on resiliency by Dr. Joti Samra. Members will participate in a Q&A session and round table following the presentation.
Nov. 2nd is our 2021 Round Table, which we are hoping to have in person, in Vancouver, hosted at the Vancouver Club. We are happy to announce the Keynote speaker: Tamara Vrooman, CEO at YVR, Chancellor of Simon Fraser University, and Chair of the Board for the Rick Hansen Foundation.
