An Employee First Model Puts Health, Safety and Wellbeing at the Forefront
“Safety brings first aid to the uninjured.” — F.S. Hughes
Many of us have to work. Whether you’re in a career you’re passionate about or a job that puts food on the table and pays the bills, one thing’s for certain – you deserve to feel safe. In a recent Angus Reid survey of 545 companies, 20% of those surveyed admitted to having no safety training/onboarding for new hires. That’s astounding, but not that surprising.
In the Temporary Staffing industry, many agencies get around having to provide safety training as per workers’ rights because the temps are hired contractors as opposed to employees. Unfortunately, this business model is illegitimate for those who don’t meet the criteria to be a contractor, and leads to workers entering into potentially unsafe environments. This is what makes Staff Shop different. Everyone is a payrolled employee, which means they receive proper onboarding that includes health and safety training and support.
Though Staff Shop offers staffing solutions for a multitude of industries, our heart is the hospitality industry. For this purpose, we are going to concentrate mainly on health and safety in this particular industry.
Health and Safety is More than Physical Harm
At Staff Shop, all aspects of health and safety are important to us. But for Client & Employee Care Concierge, Belinda LeMay, the mental health aspect is of particular importance. Having worked in hospitality herself, LeMay knows how it feels to be harassed on the job. It’s these personal experiences that drive her to create a better environment for those working with Staff Shop.
One of Belinda’s passion projects is to create training modules to increase awareness of all types of health and safety concerns specifically in hospitality – welcomed additions to our already robust health, safety and wellness programs.
“My entire position really is dedicated to the health, safety and wellness of our external partners. As the first point of contact, I answer their questions, hear their feedback after events, identify any challenges or barriers, and support employee recognition. Staff Shop has made the investment to create this position which definitely sets us apart.”
What Staff Shop Offers Employees
- Open door policy and opportunities to provide honest feedback
- Follows provincial guidelines to ensure all employees are safe
- All new employees take AODA (Ontario only) and WHMIS training
- Robust workplace harassment and workplace violence policies
- Consultation on ideal PPE choices for employees
- Health and Wellness committee, collecting and sharing monthly health and wellness resources for family and mental health
- An EFAP (Employee and Family Assistance Program)
- Liability insurance
- Incident reports filled out and followed up on
Employee First Model
Staff Shop was built using an employee first model. This means the health and wellbeing of our team members comes first and foremost. Because everyone who works for Staff Shop is an employee, they are given an extra layer of protection that contractors just don’t have.
For Founder & CEO Jennifer Ménard-Shand, using an employee first model actually helps Staff Shop’s clients. If you have happy employees, you’ll have happy clients.
Our supervisors hold our clients accountable to ensure a safe working environment for our staff. If someone gets injured or harassed, it’s crucial that there be a proper recording process to document the incident.
If it comes to our attention that a working environment is unsafe, Staff Shop will pull its employees out. We always address things as soon as they happen. Yes, we follow all government regulations, but our own health and safety policies are quite strict, as well.
“We don’t put up with any situation where our employees are unsafe,” said Ménard-Shand.
Why This Matters
Work can get stressful for the best of us. Hospitality workers are no exception to that. Working in a fast-paced, high volume environment can cause tension. Mistakes can happen and emotions run high. So, while there can be safety hazards, such as a slippery floor behind a bar, workplace violence and harassment is a greater threat to hospitality workers. This is why it is so important that supervisors and employees receive specific training to help defuse and deal with these issues as they arise.
At the end of the day, we want our employees to feel valued. And in turn, we want our clients to be happy with the work we’ve provided them. It all goes hand-in-hand.
Join Us or Hire Us
By putting health and safety at the forefront, Staff Shop has proven that we are a caring and conscientious employer with a perfect record when it comes to workplace safety. Because we are the Employer of Record, we ensure that everyone is well taken care of and are equipped with the tools and knowledge they need to do their jobs safely.
As a Staff Shop employee, you have the power to accept and reject work based on how safe you feel.
For clients, you end up with hardworking staff who are trained and ready to work.
If you have any questions about health and safety in the workplace, please reach out to us today!