The Executive Health and Safety Council had a phenomenal first year, capped off by the annual 2020 Round Table.  This year over 95 registrants from across the province attended “virtually”, to share and learn from each others’ experiences.  By all accounts this event was very well received, both by members and their guests.

The 2020 Panel Discussion was an excellent example of how leaders from different regions and industries faced similar health and safety issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The panel members shared their experiences and thoughts on being leaders during these trying times.  As a group, the panel members showed what it means to be an active participant of the Executive Health and Safety Council.  A special shout-out and thank you to panel members Brian Wall, Dann Konkin and Don Bayda.

This years’ Table Discussions were opportunities for members and guests to dig deeper into issues that have always been of concern to leaders.  Recover at Work programs, Onboarding of New and Young Workers and The Dangers of Rushing are all issues that have been explored by smaller groups but have in impact to every business.  There were many rich and thoughtful discussions that took place in all of the groups and many attendees felt they could have talked longer.  Thank you to table hosts Jaime, Nick and Perry.

The keynote address by Mark Collins was inspiring.  The story of how BC Ferries used a tragedy to create change in safety culture really struck home for many, as was reinforced by the comments people left as they exited the room.  A similarity of last years speech by Greg Stewart was when Mark said “and my cell phone was ringing… then my home phone, which never rings, began to ring…”  This was the call that no one wants to receive, but as leaders it is a call that we all must take.

The “Virtual Networking” was an excellent way for people to relax a bit, and hear from our hosts Ria Kitsch and Sandra Oldfield not only about the wine that was being tasted, but also about some of the programs that Kitsch Wineries have implemented.  It was important to hear from another industry leader that COVID was also having an effect on their operations, and how they were managing.  It was also wonderful to learn how Kitsch ties in personal goals to their performance reviews, and how this has affected staff morale.

A final thank-you to our sponsors, without their help this event would not have been as successful.

We are looking forward to what 2021 will bring us and to working closely with all of you in the new year.

Thank you to everyone that participated in today’s Virtual Breakfast Forum. We were pleased to welcome a few newer members, as well as many regular participants and some members that haven’t had the opportunity to join us yet.

We have been working hard at getting our Virtual Round Table up and running, and are thrilled to announce that we will be launching registration today. Due to COVID-19, this year’s Round Table will be held virtually, over Zoom, and will take place over two days: November 10th & 12th. Members will receive an email with a link to our registration page, including the agenda, discussion topics and registration details. Tickets for the event are included in membership fees, and the number of tickets allocated to each organization is based on the fee paid. Please contact ehscbcreg@gmail.com with any registration questions. Non – members can register for the Virtual Round Table HERE.

Due to the recent forest fires, we are seeing many respiratory issues. Some members reported that their organizations were severely affected due to proximity to either the fires in Oregon or the recent fire in New Westminster. Smoke inhalation issues are also respiratory concerns, similar to those experienced with COVID-19.

Discussions revolved around the continuing threat of employees having had contact with family or friends testing positive for COVID-19. With the return to school, it is much more concerning now that our bubbles are rapidly expanding. It’s not only our kids that are at risk, it is also teachers who come into contact with so many students. With flu season approaching, it is important to review your COVID-19 policies and plans in case of a 2nd outbreak.

One way to provide support to your employees is to offer a flu shot clinic at your organization or to reimburse out of pocket expenses for these shots. Members reported that this initiative has been very popular, as staff see this as leaders doing their part to keep their teams healthy and safe. Another suggestion was to offer a wellness fair, checking blood pressure, blood sugar testing, and mental health support.

Thank you to all that attended our Virtual Breakfast Forum on Thursday, August 20^th.  Conversations mainly revolved around COVID-19, each organization’s protocols and concerns for the future. All agreed that a big concern is a complacency, coupled with having younger employees could result in increased cases of COVID-19 around the workplace.

Some members have employees who have been contacted through contact tracing and these employees are now at home quarantining.

One member shared that their organization has implemented “zones” in the office. When crossing into each new zone, employees will see signage and a hand sanitizing station.

Members report that many of their organizations are operating at 80% capacity or greater.

It is interesting to note that Australia is having a very light flu season this year, due to protocols of COVID-19.

Recently, a variance was introduced through the employment standards branch for the Temporary Layoff period to last beyond Aug 30^th.  Application process/ cut off date is Aug 25^th. You will need 50% of the total number of staff who were laid off to approve the extension.

Today’s Virtual Breakfast Forum was the most attended to date (apart from guest speaker events), with representation from the Lower Mainland, Kelowna, Victoria and Nanaimo. Our discussions revolved around the reopening of the BC Economy, with call attendees sharing their organizations’ new policies, concerns and best practices.

The majority of attendees reported that they are positive about what the future holds for their organizations. Three concepts continue to remain at the top of all of our lists: regular communication, healthy leadership by example and reopening with mindfulness and caution.

Increasing the frequency of communication has resulted in a better understanding of individual concerns and personal issues among teams.  One attendee reported that their organization rolled out communication on how the reopening would take place, with important reminders to avoid complacency and maintaining good health and safety practices both personally and professionally.  Employees feel a sense of comfort with this knowledge and will feel more confident about what they’re coming back to.

In times of crisis, employees look at how their leaders handle situations. As leaders, you need to take care of yourselves, don’t lose the momentum of continuing with physical exercise or whatever you need to stay well and be an example for your employees.

Many employers are finding that staff working from home has significantly increased productivity. With virtual meetings now the norm, employees are no longer having to take time away from their days to travel, and an increase of attendance at meetings has been experienced. Be bold as virtual CEOs, and make a habit of connecting at least weekly with your teams. Be a part of communities such as this one (the Executive Health and Safety Council of BC), whereas a leader you can safely share your concerns and challenges with your peers.

When you begin to reopen, give people the time to reorganize and prepare for their return to work. Allow them the opportunity to organize themselves, and return as they choose. Make sure you are giving your team a window of time to help them come back. Create a new work-from-home policy and a new office policy so your employees know what is expected of them.

Each one of us as leaders or employees has unique situations, perspectives and feelings about how COVID-19 has affected us. One attendee shared that they have surveyed their front line staff to get a sense of what their concerns are and how to address them. Include your employees on decisions on how to open up. Acknowledging and respecting everyone’s uniqueness is paramount.

Some interesting topics for further discussion arose:

• the importance of working with employment lawyers to amend some areas of employment contract agreements
• large buildings with elevators and lobbies – how will this work maintain social distancing without bottlenecking?
• there will be a lot of opportunities for organizations to grow their business for those that have remained strong. Keep on the lookout for opportunities of merger and acquisitions of other organizations that come available

Join us on June 25^th for our next Virtual Breakfast Forum.

On May 21^st, 2020, we had the privilege of watching the 2019 BC Safety Charter Round Table keynote speech by Greg Stewart from Sinclar Group Forest Products. It was a riveting and emotional account of the devastating incident that took place at the Lakeland Mills site in April 2012. This story is an excellent example of leadership, and why it is important for companies to have strong safety cultures.  It also showed attendees that often disasters occur regardless of “having a plan in place” – all team members need to be vigilant in identifying risk and being a part of the solution.

There are commonalities between the Lakeland Mills incident and the sudden emergence of COVID-19 that were discussed. Most importantly, having strong communications between the leadership team and employees helps to maintain engagement in the workplace. Having a good flow of communication fosters good relationships, resulting in engagement and a higher level of adoption of good safety practices. Communication flows both ways – making sure that the staff or workers on the ground know that they are enabled to let leadership know about any concerns they might have.

Additionally, it’s important for leaders to understand and support the mental, physical and emotional challenges employees face.  A good way to encourage this is to create a culture where the employees can say “stop”. In the case of COVID-19 and the workplace, a culture where the employees feel safe to call out improper health practices, or to not come to work when they are sick: that they not be afraid to lose their jobs or be financially affected.  We as leaders need to model the behaviour for our teams to feel comfortable in doing so. Take steps to lead by example.

We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to revisit this topic with Greg, and to have had a chance to share comments and questions. At the end of the address, Greg shared his 6 takeaways. DOWNLOAD NOTES HERE.

Please join us for our next session on May 28^th. We are pleased to be joined by Dr. Joti Samra, who will share a presentation on a very relevant topic in today’s new world: The importance of mental health in the workplace.  In June, we will move every other week for these forums.