What's New
December & January Training
HR Facts
Safety Corner
Upcoming Safety Training
Quote of the Month
The Art of Communication: Do You Hear What I Am Not Saying?
Surveys have shown that up to 80% of communication by humans is misunderstood to some extent. This session will demonstrate more effective skills to improve the quality of communication and to better connect with others.
Communication break-down can be the root of many problems in our businesses today. Start the new year on the right step by improving your communication skills.
This new workshop will cover:
• Miscommunication and its impact.
• The value and importance of good communication.
• The results of communication breakdown.
• What is the body telling us.
• Seven communication barriers and seven enhancements.
• Six ways to increase the level of listening.
• How to agree to disagree, without causing offence or resentment tool.
• Personal action plan.
Date: January 11, 2012
Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
For more information or to register please call 204-957-7437 or email register@mtec.mb.ca.
Thank-you and Congratulations!
On behalf of the MTEC Board of Directors, I would like to thank Andrea Fennessy for her dedication and commitment to MTEC, as Chair of our Board of Directors over the past several years. We wish Andrea continued success in her new role as Human Resource Director at the Fairmont Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Peggy May, Director of Marketing for the Winnipeg Airports Authority, has assumed the role of Chair.
-Shannon Fontaine, CEO, Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC)
MTEC Announces a Winner for the $100.00 Visa Gift Card!
Congratulations go to Mrs. Julie Eccles, General Manager of Rainbow Stage, for winning the $100.00 Visa Gift Card. Her name was randomly drawn by the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics, from among those who participated in the labour market research conducted by the province.
We thank all of those who responded to the survey.
Keep Your Business Profitable - Invest Your Time In Training!
We are offering 15 complimentary seats for all of the following sessions. Sign up now!
Blogging for Business
December 9 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
Motivating & Giving Positive Feedback
December 13 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
Professional Telephone Skills
December 14 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
The Art of Communication: Do You Hear What I Am Not Saying?
January 11 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
Build a TEAM: Teambuilding & Conflict Resolution
January 12 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
Developing a Policies & Procedures Manual
January 13 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
Handling Difficult Situations
January 17 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
Facebook for Business
January 18 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
Turn Lookers Into Buyers
January 20 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
Personal Selling for Front Line Employees
January 23 | 8:30am-11:30am |
Presenting Me: Public Speaking
January 25 | 9:00am-12:00pm |
Negotiating: Achieving Better Solutions for Your Business
January 26 | 8:30am-11:30am |
Contact MTEC at 204-957-7437 or email register@mtec.mb.ca.
All courses will be held at the MTEC Learning Centre, Suite 100 - 1534 Gamble Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Can "workplace stress" be defined?
We hear a lot about stress, but what is it? Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary defines stress as "the result produced when a structure, system or organism is acted upon by forces that disrupt equilibrium or produce strain". In simpler terms, stress is the result of any emotional, physical, social, economic, or other factors that require a response or change. It is generally believed that some stress is okay (sometimes referred to as "challenge" or "positive stress") but when stress occurs in amounts that you cannot handle, both mental and physical changes may occur.
"Workplace stress" then is the harmful physical and emotional responses that can happen when there is a conflict between job demands on the employee and the amount of control an employee has over meeting these demands. In general, the combination of high demands in a job and a low amount of control over the situation can lead to stress.
Stress in the workplace can have many origins or come from one single event. It can impact on both employees and employers alike. As stated by the Canadian Mental Health Association:
Fear of job redundancy, layoffs due to an uncertain economy, increased demands for overtime due to staff cutbacks act as negative stressors. Employees who start to feel the "pressure to perform" can get caught in a downward spiral of increasing effort to meet rising expectations with no increase in job satisfaction. The relentless requirement to work at optimum performance takes its toll in job dissatisfaction, employee turnover, reduced efficiency, illness and even death. Absenteeism, illness, alcoholism, "petty internal politics", bad or snap decisions, indifference and apathy, lack of motivation or creativity are all by-products of an over stressed workplace.
(From: Canadian Mental Health Association, "Sources of Workplace Stress" Richmond, British Columbia)
What can the employer do to help?
Employers should assess the workplace for the risk of stress. Look for pressures at work which could cause high and long lasting levels of stress, and who may be harmed by these pressures. Determine what can be done to prevent the pressures from becoming negative stressors.
Employers can address stress in many ways.
DO
* Treat all employees in a fair and respectful manner.
* Take stress seriously and be understanding to staff under too much pressure.
* Be aware of the signs and symptoms that a person may be having trouble coping with stress.
* Involve employees in decision-making and allow for their input directly or through committees, etc.
* Encourage managers to have an understanding attitude and to be proactive by looking for signs of stress among their staff.
* Provide workplace health and wellness programs that target the true source of the stress. The source of stress at work can be from any number of causes - safety, ergonomics, job demands, etc. Survey the employees and ask them for help identifying the actual cause.
* Make sure staff have the training, skills and resources they need.
* Design jobs to allow for a balanced workload. Allow employees to have control over the tasks they do as much as possible.
* Keep job demands reasonable by providing manageable deadlines, hours of work, and clear duties as well as work that is interesting and varied.
* Provide access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) for those who wish to attend.
DO NOT
* Do not tolerate bullying or harassment in any form.
* Do not ignore signs that employees are under pressure or feeling stressed.
* Do not forget that elements of the workplace itself can be a cause of stress. Stress management training and counselling services can be helpful to individuals, but do not forget to look for the root cause of the stress and to address them as quickly as possible.
Copyright ©1997-2011 Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety
MTEC Job Board - Free to Employers and Job Seekers
Post your open positions and view available positions at the MTEC Job Board.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Kim Mrena, Owner of Cora's Breakfast and Lunch for winning our first annual SAFE Hospitality Award for Investing in a Safe Workplace.
Reporting Serious Incidents
What is defined as a Serious Incident?
Under Manitoba's workplace Safety and Health Regulation 217/2006 part 2.6 defines a serious incident as an incident:
(a) in which a worker is killed
(b) in which a worker suffers
(i) an injury resulting from electrical contact,
(ii) unconsciousness as the result of a concussion,
(iii) a fracture of his or her skull, spine, pelvis, arm, leg, hand or foot,
(iv) amputation of an arm, leg, hand, foot, finger or toe,
(v) third degree burns,
(vi) permanent or temporary loss of sight,
(vii) a cut or laceration that requires medical treatment at a hospital as defined in The Health Services Insurance Act, or
(viii) asphyxiation or poisoning; or
(c) that involves
(i) the collapse or structural failure of a building, structure, crane, hoist, lift, temporary support system or excavation,
(ii) an explosion, fire or flood,
(iii) an uncontrolled spill or escape of a hazardous substance, or
(iv) the failure of an atmosphere-supplying respirator.
What information must be reported?
An employer must provide the following information to Workplace Safety and Health when reporting a serious incident:
• names and addresses for:
o every person involved in the incident;
o the employer or any other employers involved (including prime and subcontractors, etc.),
o every person who witnessed the incident,
• date, time and location of the incident, and
• apparent cause of the incident and the surrounding circumstance.
The scene of a serious incident must be preserved for at least 24 hours after notifying Workplace Safety and Health. Equipment or materials involved in an incident may not be altered or moved, except if necessary to free an injured or trapped person, or if there is risk of an additional hazard.
An employer who becomes aware that information provided to Workplace Safety and Health is inaccurate or incomplete must immediately contact Workplace Safety and Health with the correct or complete information.
Do not be afraid to call after hours, a Safety and Health Officer is on duty at all times to respond to emergency calls!
To Report a serious incident contact Workplace Safety and Health at 204-945-3436, 204-945-0581 (after hours) in Winnipeg; or toll-free 1-866-888-8186.
WHMIS
January 10 | 8:30am-12:00pm |
Supervisor/Manager Safety Roles & Responsibilities
January 10 | 1:00pm-4:30pm |
Food Handler Certification
January 19 | 8:30am-4:30pm |
COST: $115.00 + GST
First Aid/CPR
January 31 | 8:30am-4:30pm | COST: $65.00 + GST (hospitality sector); $89.00 + GST Regular
Safety Committee/Representative Basics
February 7 | 8:30am-12:00pm |
Incident Investigation, Inspections & Reporting
February 7 | 1:00pm-4:30pm |
For additional information, or to register for upcoming workshops, please contact Alexa at alexa@safehospitality.com or by calling 204-957-7437.
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.
~Bill Vaughan