Happy New Year! As we close of 2021, in addition to the legislative changes and reminders from our Coast to Coast round up, there are other items that are important to address at this time of year. As COVID once again, impacts our operations, there have also been recent updates in some jurisdictions that may apply to your dealership heading into 2022.
Saskatchewan had become one of five jurisdictions that explicitly references sexual harassment in their legislation for January of 2022. In addition to this change, they have now also clearly outlined that volunteers, contractors and students are included n the definition of a worker for the purposes of being protected from harassment. Ensure that your policy language, does not exclude them from protection under the policy and that you have clear inclusion of sexual harassment.
This time of year also brings with it some very cold weather for many of us. Although most of our teams work indoors, it is a good reminder to ensure that those staff that work outdoors are working safely in cold weather. If you have staff that will be working outside in the cold, here are a few quick tips and reminders to keep your staff safe:
Extreme cold is considered a workplace hazard so be sure that you are taking weather into account in your practices and protocols.
Ensure that when the cold weather hits, that you have implemented a work/warm up schedule and that you allow for extra breaks if they are needed.
Educate your staff on the hazards of working in cold weather and what measures are in place to protect them, including knowing the signs of cold weather stress.
While we are talking about workplace hazards, did you know that not informing your staff of workplace hazards (including operation of equipment) can lead to heavy fines and penalties? If your workplace incurs an injury and it is determined that the employee was not properly informed, you may be found liable. In a recent Ontario case, this included a fine of $80,000 so heading into the New Year is the perfect time to make sure your safety protocols and polices are clear and known to all staff.
On the COVID front, many jurisdictions have made changes to their retail capacity limits, testing protocols, contract tracing processes and have also extended timelines for leave provisions. Be sure that you are aware of the current standards, practices and requirements for your health region for after the holidays operations. Including any contact tracing responsibilities that you may now need to be part of.
Wishing you a Safe and Happy New Year from all of us at DealerPILOT. To reach us for more information on how our services assist in managing all of these topics, please reach out to us at info@dealerpilothr.com.