ABORIGINAL WELL-BEING
Well-Being, Leadership, Human Resource Management, Economic Development and Representative Workforce Strategy
WHY INVEST IN WORKPLACE WELL-BEING?
Health issues in the workplace cost not only the employer money (and increase stress for remaining employees, creating a vicious cycle), but sick or injured employees impact on families, communities, and the healthcare system. The boundaries of the workplace are permeable, and costs are easily transferred to other elements of society.
Statistics show that the cost / benefit equation is calculated as follows: Every $1.00 invested in developing healthy workplaces will return between $1.15 to $8.00 in bottom-line savings
My Work & Well-Being Consulting works with aboriginal leaders to foster, promote and maintain a health and well-being workplace. Advancing effective recruitment and retention strategies for First Nations organizations as well as workplace health and well-being are essential factors that can be used to unlock workplace health, wellness and performance for First Nations Bands throughout Canada. Federal government agencies provide support to First Nations to assist with governance and capacity development.
Statistics Canada population report 2017, states that since 2006, the Aboriginal population in Canada has grown by 42.5% more than four times the growth rate of the non-Aboriginal population over the same period. According to population projections, the number of Aboriginal people will continue to grow quickly. In the next two decades, the Aboriginal population is likely to exceed 2.5 million peoples. Another sure thing is that Canada has an aging workforce with Baby Boomers are beginning to retire in droves and the challenge exists on how to fill these jobs and the growth of the Canadian economy. The shortage workforce GAP in the Canadian Labor Market is a series issue as Canadian businesses struggle to find a workforce to service Canada's new markets, products and services. The answer is simple - Canada's emerging workforce to fill the jobs will come from the fast growing Aboriginal population in the next decade.
It is now crucial for Chief and Council to be responsive to these Labor Market facts and ensure that their Membership is ready to seize the opportunity to be an effective and strong partner to work with Government and Industry. Councils are now tasked with building capacity of their Membership in preparation of the jobs creation that will grant First Nations people access to long term job opportunities that will positively change their future and that of their children.
Chief and Council, are your Members ready to look for work? Do they have the skills employers want? Do they have the Essential Skills, Career Exploration Skills, Job Readiness Skills and Employability Skills? Shift Gears. Take Action Today to ensure that this important GAP is closed so that your Membership is supported with Employment Exploration and have the Employability Skills required to get and retain their dream job. Employability skills are essential for preparing young people for the world of work to ensure long-term productivity and competitiveness in society. Recruiting young Aboriginal people improves workforce diversity, brings in new ideas and skills, and helps build a talent pipeline in the organization, community and for the Nation as a whole. My Work & Well-Being Consulting will work with Chief and Council and Membership to ensure that Membership are effectively prepared for the Labor Market.
Services provided include the following:
- Career Exploration
- Workforce Preparation
- Job Finding
- Preparation of a Professional Resume and Cover Letter
- Assistance with submitting a Job Application
- Preparation and Coaching for Interviews
- Preparation to start work
- Employability Skills
- Business Skills and Communication
- Placing Emphasis on Accountability and Results
- Work Retention
- Maintaining Confidence, Esteem and Well-Being
- Training to work in certain Industry sectors (e.g. Tourism, Office, Administration, Education, etc.)
My Work & Well-Being Consulting is committed to working in partnership with Chief and Council and Membership to customize a Job Readiness and Work Employability Skills Plan that are in keeping with the needs of each Nation. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
The recruitment and retention of First Nations people in the workplace in both private and public sector organizations is an important human resource issue. Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Organizations are usually faced with high recruiting costs as recruiting Aboriginal people tend to be higher given the challenges of finding the right individual for the job. Therefore, it is important to guarantee that everything that can be done is done to ensure that Aboriginal people are recruited and retained in the workplace, which will contribute to the bottom line and productivity of the workforce and community.
Shift Gears and Take Action Today to increase Aboriginal recruitment and retention in the Canadian Workplace. The recruitment and retention process has many stages along with workplace environmental factors that all work together to ensure that Aboriginal people that have been recruited experience workplace inclusion and are retained at the organization. Band Employers that achieve a high level of workplace inclusion are likely to achieve better than average results in Aboriginal Retention and Performance.
My Work & Well-Being Consulting will work with Chief and Council on what Band Organizations need to know about Aboriginal Recruitment and Retention.
My Work & Well-Being Consulting is committed to working in partnership with Chief and Council to customize the Aboriginal Recruitment and Retention Strategy that is in keeping with the needs of the Nation. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Developing a pool of competent candidates leads to a stronger and viable Band organization. Succession planning focuses on identifying and growing talent and skills for the Band to fill the Band-critical positions in the future. In the face of skills shortages and a lack of confidence in leadership potential, succession planning has gained popularity, and is now carried out in both in large and small Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal organizations. Transitioning and career pathing will connect financial and human resource allocation by connecting succession plans directly to management's operational plans as well as training and professional development plans.
Shift Gears. Take Action Today. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
"Partnering and Including First Nations Communities, you create Economic Certainty…this can be done through building respectful relationships;…having a representative workforce strategy in your Industry that helps with the employment of First Nations people at all levels of your organization. Private Sector is looking at how to recruit First Nations people for certain jobs…. It's important to respect diversity so that First Nations Young People can compete provincially, nationally and globally. A gap that should be closed is investment in Human Capital through good Recruitment and Retention Strategy because First Nations Youths are the highest growing population in Canada….We should all work together in partnership for a better future." - Perry Bellegarde, National Chief, Assembly of First Nations - Keynote Address at the 15th Annual BC Natural Resources Forum, January 17th, 2018
Band Employees health and well-being is embedded in the way people interact with one another on a daily basis and is part of the way working conditions and management practices are structured and the way decisions are made and communicated by Chief and Council, Band Manager and Program Managers.
- Chief and Council, Band Management, and Program Management Leadership can impact on employee’s health and well-being
- Employee Health and Well-Being Drives Productivity
- Well-Being is Everything! Every aspect of your employees’ lives can influence their productivity at work
- Chief and Council can power their workforce through Leadership and Well-Being
Aboriginal organizations may benefit more from a robust engagement and well-being strategy, especially in terms of lower absenteeism, presenteeism and turnover, that from a workplace health promotion program. Employee Engagement, Well-being and engagement are closely linked, despite the fact they are usually managed as distinct goals and strategies in most aboriginal organizations. The Gallup research states that people that have high individual well-being are more likely to see their workplace as positive, productive, and engaging. Conversely, if they are struggling or suffering, it rubs off on the workplace and the team.
By creating a culture based on trust, respect and mutual support, employers will be enabling employee well-being and performance at the same time. Research correlation show that engagement and well-being go together. It is possible that higher levels of employee engagement directly contribute to positive health status. But equally plausible, the same conditions in the work environment that promote engagement also promote health and well-being.
Low employee engagement and negative well-being contributes to absenteeism. Employers therefore must look for synergies between their employee’s resilience, well-being and engagement strategies. Engaged employees have high levels of job autonomy, resilience, and a good support network of coworkers and supervisors – all critical for reducing workplace stress and enhancing well-being.
- A Canadian research on engagement found that the majority (69%) indicated that engagement is a problem in their organizations. 82% said that it is very important that their organizations address employee engagement
- Less than half of one per cent felt that engagement was not an important issue for their organization
- Engaged employees have a willingness to do more than expected (39%), higher productivity (27%), better working relationships (13%) and more satisfied customers (10%)
- The advantage of engagement goes beyond better communication; it directly affects the production and efficiency of an organization
My Work & Well-Being Consulting is committed to working in partnership with employers to develop a robust evidence-based employee engagement and well-being strategic plan, and to educate and train leaders, line managers and staff on employee engagement. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Fostering employee well-being is good for Band Employees and their employers. Promoting well-being can prevent problems from escalating and help create positive working environments where individuals and First Nation Band organizations’ can thrive. It can be a core enabler of employee engagement and productivity, and there's growing evidence that employee wellness programmes can have a positive impact on key Band organizational performance indicators. Chief and Council investing in employee well-being can lead to greater resilience, innovation and productivity. Good leadership and management practices are required to successfully implement well-being strategy. Promoting and supporting employee well-being is at the heart and purpose of championing better work and working lives because an effective workplace well-being program can deliver mutual benefits to Band employees, Chief and Council, economic development and the beneficial to the Band’s wider community.
The fast-changing world of work and the fluctuating demands it places on First Nation employers and Band employees means that our grasp of health and well-being needs can never stand still. It needs to evolve constantly to mitigate and optimize the impact on people’s health and well-being. When people are happy and well, the Band’s businesses thrive and their communities and societies flourish.
For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
The purpose of health and safety law is to ensure a safe working environment for employees. This requires employers to meet health and safety obligations, predominantly covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act.
My Work & Well-Being Consulting will work with aboriginal leaders with associated legislation, examining employers’ health and safety obligations which can include carrying out risk assessments, developing health and safety policy, and develop strategies for safety information and training. My Work & Well-Being Consulting will support aboriginal leaders with Health and Safety at work. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Mental health issues have a significant impact on employee well-being and are a major cause of long-term absence from work. Chief and Council and Band Administrators are encouraged to promote good mental health and provide support for those Band employees who are experiencing mental ill health such as anxiety or depression. Mental ill-health issues affect one in four people at some point in their lives. Therefore, supporting employees’ mental health at work, including spotting early signs of mental health issues are very important.
My Work & Well-Being Consultants are experienced and committed to work with Chief and Council and Band Administrators on this issue. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
The recent debate around sexual harassment has highlighted how much there is still to do to create safe and inclusive workplaces. So much about what has emerged has touched upon many topics that are at the heart of what the HR profession is about: employee voice, inclusive workplaces, a speak up culture, gender equality and good management and leadership.
Aboriginal leaders have an ethical and social responsibility to guard employees against sexual harassment in the workplace by creating a culture where there is a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment, where everyone knows what is acceptable and what isn’t as well as putting procedures into place that support victims of harassment.
My Work & Well-Being Consulting will support aboriginal leaders to change their workplace culture for the better and how to tackle sexual harassment and bullying at work. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Investing in the Health and Well-being of Band employees drives their participation and engagement in healthy activities, attitudes and behaviours throughout the day, making them healthier, more energetic and productive. It also helps them avoid lost time due to injury, require less time off work, and reduces turnover. By promoting a culture of health and well-being, Band employees will feel good and will enjoy coming to work and will be more engaged and attentive in their jobs.
Leadership is essential for the fostering of Band employee’s health, well-being and performance:
- Effective leadership is important for communication and the development of the employment relationship.
- Leadership and resilience is essential to manage change and organizational sustainability.
- My Work & Well-Being Consulting will help leaders learn how to effectively recognize and manage mental health and well-being issues in the workplace through management training.
Performance management is the activity and set of processes that aim to maintain and improve employee performance in line with an aboriginal organization’s objectives. It’s strategic as well as operational, as its aim is to ensure that employees contribute positively to business objectives. Ideally, performance should be managed holistically, throughout the range of HR activities and processes.
My Work & Well-Being Consulting will work with aboriginal leaders to explore critical aspects to get right in performance management, as well as recent changes in thinking. Our team will work in partnership with you to establish objective settings, performance ratings, performance appraisals and feedback, learning and development and performance-related pay. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Leadership is a term used in a variety of different ways, although it can be defined as the ability to lead others toward a common goal. Leaders also come in many different forms and can operate at any level, so the ability to identify and develop leaders can be challenging. Yet, when done correctly, leadership can bring about positive outcomes for people, your Band, businesses, and wider First Nation community. This is why it’s important to adapt the approach to developing leaders to fit the current needs of your Band, as well as invest in a positive work environment that enable Chief and Council, leaders, administrators and staff to be effective. My Work & Well-Being Consulting will work collaboratively with Chief and Council to influence and implement leadership development through a principles-based approach to support leadership skills development at your Band.
For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
For Band organizations looking to develop their Band employees, coaching and mentoring can be effective techniques. Indeed, coaching is growing in popularity, with many employers using this development technique to enhance the skills, knowledge and performance of their employees around specific skills and goals. My Work & Well-Being will work with Chief and Council on how to develop a Coaching culture and intervention that are key for harnessing development and growth in Chief and Council, leadership and staff.
For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them (John Maxwell)
Most Aboriginal organizations often face challenges in sourcing Human Resources (HR) expertise as well as Health and Well-being services to assist with organizational effectiveness, sustainability and organizational resiliency.
- There is a gap in the existence of effective recruitment and retention HR strategies as well as psychological health and well-being strategies in First Nations organizations throughout Canada.
- Aboriginal Workplaces with a positive approach to workplace health and well-being are better able to recruit and retain talent, have improved employee engagement, enhanced productivity, are more creative and innovative, and have higher performance levels.
- Other positive impacts include a reduction of Aboriginal workplace issues including the risk of conflict, grievances, turnover, disability, injury rates, absenteeism and performance, or morale problems.
Workplaces with a positive approach to workplace health and well-being are better able to recruit and retain talent, have improved employee engagement, enhanced productivity, are more creative and innovative, and have higher profit levels. Other positive impacts include a reduction of several key workplace issues including the risk of conflict, grievances, turnover, disability, injury rates, absenteeism and performance, or morale problems.
My Work & Well-Being Consulting is committed to working in partnership with employers to develop a recruitment and retention strategic approach that will promote the health, well-being and enhanced productivity, and to provide training and education on recruitment, retention and talent management strategies. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Talent management seeks to attract, identify, develop, engage, retain and deploy individuals who are considered particularly valuable to your aboriginal organization. By managing talent strategically, aboriginal organizations’ can build a high performance workplace, encourage a learning organization, add value to their branding agenda, and contribute to diversity management. For these reasons, aboriginal leaders widely consider talent management to be among their key priorities.
There is a strong business case for addressing Talent Management. My Work & Well-Being Consulting will support aboriginal leaders with different strategic approaches for effective talent strategies needed to meet future challenges and opportunities. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Employee communication is an essential part of business and Chief and Council’s role. Effective internal communication is important for developing trust within the Band organization and is shown to have significant impact on employee engagement, organizational culture and, ultimately, productivity. Research suggests that many employees feel they receive limited or very little information. To be successful, communication needs management and Chief and Council support, a clear strategy and evaluation. My Work & Well-Being Consulting will work collaboratively with Chief and Council to facilitate the coordination and planning an effective communication strategy for your Band.
For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
It is essentially important that organizations have policy and procedures that guide their operations and management of projects and people. Policies and procedures are established and implemented to absence procedures, discipline and grievance procedures, dismissal procedures, legal compliance, HR policies, productivity etc.
HR policies provide written guidance for employees and managers on how to handle a range of employment issues. They play an important role in practically and effectively implementing an aboriginal organization’s HR strategy. They also provide consistency and transparency for employees and managers, helping to enhance the psychological contract and create a positive organizational culture.
My Work & Well-Being will work with employers and aboriginal leaders to ensure that they benefit from introducing HR policies. Our team will also provide guidance on implementing HR policies, the type of polices required from reviewing and auditing to benchmarking, consultation and drafting new policies.
My Work & Well-Being Consulting will support aboriginal leaders with different strategic approaches for policy and procedures needed to meet future challenges and opportunities. For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Band Employees who have good quality jobs and are managed well, will not only be happier, healthier and more fulfilled, but are also more likely to drive productivity, better products or services, and innovation. This mutual gains view of motivation and people management lies at the heart of employee engagement. The nature of employee engagement, its relationship to motivation, well-being and other aspects of working life, and how Chief and Council can increase it are discussed with our team. My Work & Well-Being Consultants will provide advice on how to build a motivated, engaged workforce by understanding the principles learnt from research, ways of measuring engagement, harnessing the support of Chief and Council, line managers, and making employee engagement efforts Band organization-specific.
For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Chief and Council should ensure that all Band employees have an employment contract and job description that is used as a means to communicate expectations. Job descriptions can also be used as a basis for performance management. For the employee, having a clear job description allows them to understand the responsibilities and duties that are required and expected of them. In addition to job descriptions, Chief and Council and Band Administrators can also use work plans that outlines the plan by which employees intend to complete specific tasks or projects within a given amount of time and in compliance with a set budget. My Work & Well-Being Consulting will work with Chief and Council and Band Administrators to ensure to develop and implement systems, policy and procedures for job descriptions and work plans.
For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
My Work & Well-Being Consultants will work in partnership with Chief and Council, Band Manager and Administration to address these critical gaps by providing practical training, services and tools to Aboriginal organizations to assist with the improvement of good governance, leadership, business practices and performance.
Having a meaningful voice is critical to better work and community experience and better outcomes of work and Band efforts. However, this will become more challenging as the nature of the employment relationship, and the face of the workforce, become increasingly diverse. The way we think about community engagement and employee voice is growing more complex with the emergence of new communication strategy channels through technology and social media, and the rise of the gig economy.
For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Chief and Council are responsible for the effective fiscal management and budgeting of the Nation’s finances and funding’s received. Managing incoming and outgoing monetary transaction and budgets are essential to meet government and funders requirements. Yearly budgets outlines the planned spending for the First Nation over the next twelve (12) months. These budgets should flow from the First Nation’s strategic and multi-year financial plans supported by policy created by Chief and Council for effective fiscal management. My Work & Well-Being Consulting will work with Chief and Council and Administrators to ensure a system is in place for effective fiscal management and budgeting.
For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Federal government and associated foundations provide funding support to Aboriginal Bands and Organizations. My Work & Well-Being Consulting will assist Bands and Organizations with sourcing, writing and applying for funding opportunities that is geared towards the health, well-being, productivity, potential and sustainability for Aboriginal Bands and Organizations.
Economic Development Services Offered:
- Writing Funding Proposals for workplace health and well-being development
- Writing Funding Proposals for Institutional and Professional Development
- Writing Funding Proposals for Post Secondary Education Funding
- Writing Funding Proposals for NIB Trust Funding
- Writing Funding Proposals for FNESC Funding
- Writing Funding Proposals for FNSA Funding
- Writing Funding Proposals for other Funding agencies
For more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Cvenkel at nicole@myworkandwellbeing.com or at 1-250-981-0105.
Testimonials
Lost employee productivity can cost the Band 2-3 times more than they pay in annual health care expenses. By providing a culture of health and well-being, effective leadership and encouraging employees through engagement, collaboration, and stress reduction; the results is a more active, healthier and satisfied workforce.