A Work-Life Balance Standard: Helping Employers Distinguish Themselves

Human resources specialists (and corporate social human resources specialists, as Elaine Cohen prefers), take note!  Earlier this month, the government of Québec introduced a new program – apparently the first of its kind in the world – to certify employers that implement work-life balance initiatives.

The foundation of the program is a new reference guide, developed by the provincial standard-setting Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ), in consultation with employers, employee representatives, academics, and government representatives, that specifies mandatory requirements and best practice elements of an employer’s work-life balance initiative. The work-life balance standard, or “la norme Conciliation travail-famille” (BNQ 9700-820), can be applied to any organization in the public or private sector, regardless of size or type of business.

Click here to learn about the scope of the work-life balance standard

2011
04/13
CATEGORY
Corporate Responsibility
Human Resources
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Social Media and Corporate Responsibility

Getinvolved.ca is a fantastic initiative focused on connecting individuals and organizations to make change possible. They’re the folks behind Power of the Hour, a national campaign to encourage Canadians to stand up and count the power of volunteer time. They’ve also done a whole series of interesting videos, called Digital U, about various aspects of social media.

Late last year, we filmed a piece about social media and corporate responsibility. Here it is.

By the way, at 10:25, when I said “non-material issues”, I meant “non-financial material issues”!

(And my name is pronounced “Sa-lisa”, not “Sa-lessa”! Ah, but I quibble…)

2011
04/02
CATEGORY
Corporate Responsibility
Social Media
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Cultivating a Community of Practice

Two years ago today, I launched the Canadian CSR and SD Practitioners Network on LinkedIn.

At the time, I saw a need for a network to connect individual corporate responsibility and sustainability practitioners in Canada.  There were already several Canadian (and, of course, international) organizations bringing together businesses and corporations around these issues, but, for the most part, these were or are not accessible to the individual practitioner, unless their employer is a member.  I especially welcomed the opportunity to create and participate in a community that meets my own needs and interests, living as I do in a small town quite outside the traditional corporate meet-and-greet circle.

I wanted to create a space where individual practitioners could share information, engage in dialogue with peers, and network with others in their sector, their region, and their area of expertise.  My goal was and remains to help increase the uptake of corporate responsibility and sustainable practices in business across Canada (and, where Canadian practitioners are active internationally, beyond).

If the growth in the Network is any indication, we are collectively realizing this goal.   Click here to read about the growth and impact of the Network

2011
03/27
CATEGORY
Corporate Responsibility
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Dealing with Despots

Each day, the Globe and Mail – one of Canada’s national newspapers – runs a reader poll on a “hot topic.”  Today, in light of current events in Libya and elsewhere, the poll, under the heading “Dealing with Despots,” asks readers, “What is the most important duty for a Canadian business operating in an authoritarian country?” and provides the following response options:

  • To keep corrupt elites from looting revenues owed to locals
  • To protest when human rights abuses are detected
  • To provide local development to workers and communities
  • To insist on democracy development

    •  

    The very structure of the response options reveals one of the most egregious and persistent misperceptions of corporate responsibility: that it’s fundamentally an “OR” decision, that we can either make money and protect our investment or we can fight corruption, protect human rights, promote democracy, and provide community benefits, implying that these actions do not contribute to return on investment.

    In fact, taking a proactive stance on issues of corruption, human rights, community development, and governance can help to establish a more stable government and regulatory regime, build social capital among affected stakeholders, and secure a licence to operate, all enhancing the likelihood of protecting the original corporate investment and achieving a positive ROI. Click here to read more about the poll and its results

    2011
    03/21
    CATEGORY
    Corporate Responsibility
    Strategy
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    Air Canada Is On Their Game

    In Tuesday’s National Hockey League match-up between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens, Habs forward Max Pacioretty suffered a serious concussion and a broken vertebra in his neck after a devastating hit by Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara.  Chara received a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct for the hit, but, to the surprise of many, he was not suspended.

    Now, despite being Canadian, I’m not a diehard hockey fan.  I watch Hockey Night in Canada sometimes, I’ll watch the playoffs, at least while there’s still a Canadian team in the running, and I even go to see a game once in a while.  But this hit has my attention, not because it’s so different from those that have happened before, but because of its link to – you guessed it – corporate responsibility.

    What, you might wonder, does a check in hockey have to do with corporate responsibility?  Well, a lot, it turns out, if you’re Air Canada.
    Click here to read more about Air Canada’s flying body check to the NHL…

    2011
    03/09
    CATEGORY
    Corporate Responsibility
    Ethics
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    Good Things

    Follow some of the links recommended below... Some are specifically relevant to Canadians, but many are of general interest. I'll update from time to time.