Why are male students getting scarce in post-secondary education?

Over this past weekend the Toronto Star ran an article entitled "Male students getting rare as hen's teeth at Ontario Veterinary College" which traces the declining enrollment of males at the University of Guelph and the wider trend in the post-secondary education sector. The article highlights the growing divide between males and females in spheres of education, workplaces, and in professions such as doctors, lawyers, and teachers. This issue is increasingly in the public eye as publications like the Globe and Mail and other media outlets cover the extent of the problem, see here for previous coverage on this issue. Below I've engage in a cursory discussion about what I feel are some of the trends behind the current state of males within Canada's education system.

What's behind this trend?

Tracing the cultural, social, and political foundations of this phenomenon is difficult given the myriad of issues involved. The trend can be attributed in part to the changes seen in society from the impact of the progression of globalization and rise of emerging technologies. The educational achievement gap that exists in Canada has all the makings of a perfect storm for a economic, social, and public policy nightmare. As a society we simply cannot allow for half the population to be unable to contribute to their full potential, the costs of this problem will continue to be staggeringly high unless the problem is fully addressed.

What are some of the specific factors?

Within the sphere of education there is an intense debate underway about best practices related to educating young men - whether it be: the lack of male role models, gendered differences in learning styles, modeling career aspirations in the classroom. With the drop out rate taking a distinctly male problem in provinces like Quebec, the severity of the problem is now getting attention from business, academic, and political leaders. Educators are taking the problem seriously, albeit the response has been slow, initiatives like boys only classrooms and getting more male teachers into the education system are being implemented across the country

Literacy, oral expression, and writing skills are severely lacking in young men. Universities in Ontario are literally graduating male students who can barely piece together an essay, don't possess proper research skills, and haven't developed the ability to conduct oral presentations. All of these are skills that are critical for success in professional live, it's a real question about whether these young men will succeed in their careers when they haven't developed the requisite skills after four years of university education.

The roll of technology plays a large part in the achievement gap as technology often has a dark side. Young men have become obsessed with video games, internet porn, and online diversions like Youtube. We're raising a generation of boys who are perpetually 'engaged' by the overload of information and electronic distractions - it's hard to flourish academically when the only things on your mind are nudie pictures and finishing the next level in the latest first person shooter.

Where do we go from here?

There simply needs to be a much higher level of attention focused on what the needs of boys and young men with regards to education, training, and career preparation. Leadership to address this issue needs to come from the business, political, and academic realms. Tough questions need to be asked and holistic solutions developed to address the growing achievement gap, to do anything less would be a disservice to our sons, brothers, nephews, and grandsons. If anyone reading this has ideas that they want to share with me, please send me an email.

Leave the city behind: will young lawyers flock to small-town practice?

Here's an interesting article written by Jordan Furlong of Law 21 fame. He's discussing the rapidly increasing problem of a lack of lawyers in rural and smaller locales in Ontario - young lawyers simply aren't prepared for a variety of reasons to enter legal practice in areas outside of urban centres. It's an issue that's part access to justice, part millennial trends, and indicative of the shift in Canada from a rural to urban nation. Check out the article here.

Canada's economic recovery slowing

A new report out from Statistics Canada shows that economic growth is slowing. There was a 1% expansion in the economy during the third quarter of 2010, which is a rapid drop from the 5.6% and 2.3% growth rates seen in the first and second quarters. Analysts suggest that an export decline linked to the high dollar and weak housing investment are behind these poor numbers. For more coverage, see: here.

Is workplace activism dead for millennials in British Columbia?

Straight.com, an online news website in Vancouver, recently published a fascinating look at union organizing and young people in British Columbia. The findings aren't particularly encouraging for unions in B.C., which traditionally haven't done a very good job in organizing workplaces dominated by the millennial generation. Take a look at it here, see: Take this job and fix it.

Is technology distracting our children?

Just a short post about a couple of interesting things from the New York Times about the impact of emerging technologies in the classroom, take a look at Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction and a fascinating short video called Fast Times at Woodside High that traces how technology is distracting students. As a society we're still in the awkward process of grappling with how technology should be integrated into learning environments and I don't think students, educators, politicians, or parents have the developed the perfect answer yet. 

With technology evolving at a stunning pace it's difficult for anyone to keep up with the changes that human civilization is experiencing. The problems discussed in the article and video clearly have wider implications for workplaces, political culture, and post-secondary education. Digesting information in a fragmented manner through fast-paced mediums doesn't allow for the development of critical analysis skills. Higher education and employers don't want employees that can simply find information, they need people that can process, synthesize, and draw conclusions from disparate sources of information. I fear that the rapid ascendancy of communication technologies is having a deeper impact than we realize. 

I've previously written about the use of technology in the classroom, see: here, here, and here. If anyone has any ideas or thoughts about integrating technology into learning environment, connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, or by email.

This Week's Top Five Stories

Here are the Youth & Work Blog's top stories for the past week:

1. People are fascinated by the situation at the University of Manitoba involving Dr. Gabor Lukacs, get up to speed with the situation: here, here, here, and here.

2. Take a look at this short article about criticisms about the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

3. The Carasco Fiasco at the University of Windsor was the third most read story this week, take a trip into the dark side of academia: here, here, here, and here.

4. Maclean's "Too Asian?" article and the resulting controversy is still drawing readers, check out the criticism: here, here, and here. Also, you can check out Maclean's mea culpa (or is it?) over the situation: here.

5. Finally, a lot of people were interested in the changes that Nova Scotia is implementing in regards to labour relations, see: here.

If you have any comments or questions about the story, follow me on Twitter or send me an email.

Do Canadian MPs care about pension reform?

No, in short, if one believes the assessment of McMaster University political science professor and pension expert Martin Hering. He recently assigned one of his classes an assignment in which they had to watch a crucial debate in the House of Commons in advance of Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty's meeting with provincial finance ministers next month on pension reform. In a note to his class he stated of the debate that "there was nothing of note in the take-note debate on pension reform except that most MPs had decided to not attend the debate", he goes on to stated that this was a "wasted" opportunity to provide critical input. You can read a transcript of the debate here, but there isn't a lot of substance - much like Ottawa's current political culture.

The "Too Asian?" redux: two great rebuttals to the Maclean's article

Here are two great rebuttals to the "Too Asian?" article that Maclean's ran in its 2010 University Rankings issue. The first is written by journalist Jeet Heer and it appears in The Walrus, see: Too Brazen. The second was written by a group of young academics at the University of Toronto and appears on rabble.ca, see: Maclean's and The Toronto Star: The Asian invasion of higher education. Both contain excellent analysis of the dynamics at play in the original Maclean's article, the history of discrimination against Asians in Canada, and the implications of the article for the post-secondary education sector and media in Canada. For my thoughts on the entirety of the situation, see my previous blog posts: here and here.

Migrant farm workers stage wildcat strike over unpaid wages and other developments

After the long-anticipated decision in the appeal of Fraser v. Ontario (Attorney General) is released I'm going to write about the overall situation relating to workers in Ontario's agricultural sector in much greater detail (also, I'm currently writing a paper on the state of marginalized and vulnerable workers in Ontario). Until then there are a couple interesting developments I wanted to share, consider these two developments:

First is the wildcat strike by migrant farm workers that occurred yesterday at Ghesquiere Farm Plants Ltd.'s operations in Simcoe, Ontario, after the owner left the country and Century Services Inc. took control of the operations. Many of the workers face removal from Canada despite complaints about unpaid wages, poor living conditions, and evictions - additionally, the employer has allegedly already brought about the repatriations of employees from Jamaica with the ones from Trinidad and Mexico facing the same fate on Thursday. These workers were employed under the provisions of the highly problematic Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program which is operated by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. For more coverage of this situation, see: here, here, and here.

Consider the second development which also involves agricultural workers, see the recent decision of the International Labour Organization's Committee on Freedom of Association which addresses a complaint from the UFCW Canada about the Agricultural Employees Protection Act, 2002, incidentally this is the same subject matter in the appeal in Fraser. The whole matter of this Charter litigation involves the Ontario government essentially denying agricultural workers the freedom of association and the right to form unions. Doorey's Workplace Law Blog has some excellent coverage of the case, see: here.

New report paints stark picture for Alberta's new immigrants and students

A new report from a coalition of civil society organizations is painting a disturbing picture of the economic prospects for recent graduates and new immigrants in Alberta. The recently released report entitled Wasted Potential covers the realities that exist in the wake of the recession, recent graduates report that they have not been able to find employment despite months of searching and recent immigrants state that they feel shut out of the labour market. These findings seem to fly in the face of recent rosy pronouncements from the government and financial spheres, it seems that there are harsh realities in the heartland of the new economy. 

Can you be fired for making faces?

A possible second mistrial in the murder case against Erika Mendieta is raising some interesting legal questions. Justice Nola Garton is set to rule on whether a mistrial occurred after Assistant Crown Attorney Paul Alexander allegedly made faces in court which intimidated jurors and the accused - Mr. Alexander was the prosecutor from Ms. Mendieta's first murder trial, which also ended in a mistrial. Beyond the obvious implications for criminal law, there's a labour law angle to this strange situation. 

Jonathan Rosenthal, a noted Toronto criminal defence lawyer and law professor, suggests that Mr. Alexander's actions are grounds for discipline, possible termination of employment, and even criminal charges. In a related aside, Assistant Crown Attorneys, Crown Attorneys, and Crown Counsels are unionized and represented by the Ontario Crown Attorneys' Association, here's a short history about labour relations issues involving provincial government lawyers. 

Mr. Alexander is covered under a collective agreement which would contain procedural safeguards surrounding discipline and dismissal, that being said it's difficult to see how just cause wouldn't exist in this case - in this regard look at: Robertson v. Complex Services Inc. and McKinley v. BC Tel. Just cause is a difficult to prove, but in this situation Mr. Alexander allegedly attended the trial a number of times and made facial expressions in the front row of the audience. This may indicate that there's a pattern to his behavior, which according of labour law jurisprudence may  be grounds for a harsher form of punishment. Given the high-profile nature of the case and the vast costs involved in criminal trials it'd be unusual if some form of discipline wasn't imposed, seeing as jeopardizing a criminal prosecution for murder is an extremely serious matter. Further developments in this matter will be covered as information becomes available.

Emily Carasco files reply alleging poisoned environment and demonization

The case of Carasco v. University of Windsor has taken another step forward with Dr. Emily Carasco filing a reply to the university's response to her application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. She alleges that the university has created a "poisoned" environment for her and engaged in a process of "demonization: where a racialized person is viewed and constructed in a disproportionately negative light and as being beyond hope of redeption". Unfortunately, it appears that the case is now being fought out in the media (see: here and here), which immensely narrows the room available for resolution. For previous coverage of this matter, see: here, here, and here. 

Millennials dislike cars, prefer texting

I have a love/hate relationship with my car. It's a lovely piece of technology that conveys me from place to place in comfort, but like many millennials I don't appreciate what it symbolizes: sprawl, car culture, conspicuous consumption, and a waste of resources; furthermore, I plan on getting rid of it as soon as possible. Take a look a some new research from ZipCar about automobile usage and millennials, see: here and here. 

Tips for bridging the generational divide with millennials in workplaces

Strategies to bridge the generational divide continue to confound many mangers and human resources professionals in workplaces. Below I've provided some pointers about how to manage millennial workers and implement strategies to bridge the divide between generations in today's workplaces. They are:

1. You need a develop a work plan before any other steps are taken. It's integral to properly position any changes by beginning with brainstorming, strategizing, and consulting with key stakeholders within the workplace. Take a look at my previous post discussing how to adapt workplace policies to the millennial generation. If you're a small organization without any dedicated human resource personnel consider hiring an human resources consultant on a short-term basis to assist with the project.

2. Develop policies that give structure, provide for clear lines of reporting, and allow for the millennial generation's need for frequent feedback on performance. Take a look at my discussion about performance management for millennials for some specific pointers about integrating technology into the feedback process, employee engagement, and the performance review process. It's necessary to develop reflective policies that take into account changing workplace dynamics related to generational trends.

3. Integration of technology into workplace processes is key. Organizations today need to be cognizant of emerging technology that allows for increased feedback, telecommuting, online recruitment, social media, and employee engagement. The proper use of technology responds to a number of needs that millennials have highlighted as priorities within the workplace, such as: work-life balance, mentoring opportunities, knowing employer understand the use of technology, and professional development.

4. Develop your organization's understanding of how millennials communicate, research, and learn in the workplace. Developing the capacity to understand emerging trends related to youth culture, human resources management, and labour relations is key for organization to gain a competitive edge in competing for talent in today's labour market. Developing internal training programs or enrolling your managers and human resources professionals in outside professional development programs will pay untold dividends in areas such as productivity, recruitment, and creating a workplace where millennials feel welcome. Employers need to be aware that millennials have no problem with job jumping or switching jobs if they feel their needs aren't being addressed in a meaningful way.

These are some ideas to get your organization started down the road to addressing the generational divide in the workplace, for additional ideas take a look at some of the previous articles I've written on millennials in the workplace: here, here, and here. If you want to ask questions or discuss millennials in the workplace, contact me through Twitter or send me an email.

University of Manitoba release statement in the Gabor Lukacs matter

The University of Manitoba has released two statements, one from President David Barnard and the other from two deans, regarding the situation involving Dr. Gabor Lukacs. The statements make for an interesting read and cast quite a bit of light on this bizarre situation. For previous coverage on this matter, see: here, here, and here.

What's the impact of Ontario's wage-freeze at Carleton University?

The overall effect of Ontario's two-tiered wage-freeze seems to be a slowing of wage increases in the public sector when compared to the private sector. CUPE Local 2424 ratified a new collective agreement last week that gave workers at Carleton University 7.0% wage increases over the course of the four year duration of the agreement, which is far behind recent wage increases given in the private sector. For full details on the agreement, take a look at the Memorandum of Settlement. 

Commission examining strike at Vale mine at Voisey's Bay

The vicious strike continues at Vale's mine in Voisey's Bay, Newfoundland. The Government of Newfoundland recently set up an Industrial Inquiry Commission to examine the factors that have exacerbated the sixteen month old dispute. The commission is comprised of three highly experienced lawyers: Brian Gatien, John Roil, and Randy Earle and is tasked with a review of the dispute. This strike has lasted far longer than the strike at Vale's Sudbury operations and involves a myriad of issues, including: foreign takeovers of Canadian corporations, moving from a defined contribution to a defined benefit pension plan, and a bonus tied to the price of nickel. Essentially, the union wants a contract similar to other collective agreements that Vale has previously negotiated in Canada, while the company maintains that the economic realties running a remote mining operation must be taken into account. It looks like the government may be positioning itself to impose a settlement in this matter in appointing the commission. We will cover any future developments in relation to the Voisey's Bay strike.

As Irish economy falters, a new diaspora begins

With the arrival in Dublin on Friday of officials from the International Monetary Fund, European Union, and European Central Bank the historical trend of emigration from Ireland has picked up again. Young people aren't waiting around to see what level of carnage will be inflicted via austerity measures and structural adjustment programs. Amid dim job prospects, an inability to establish a life, and wage cutbacks - Irish youth are looking around the globe for new opportunities. Canada has already seen the beginning of an influx of a new generation of young Irish professionals, for proof take a look at www.IrishJobs.ca or events catering to new arrivals. If any young people reading this are contemplating the move and want to ask some questions about life in Canada, feel free to contact me via Twitter or by email - I'll endeavor to answer your questions or point you to someone who can.

Nova Scotia mulls creation of Labour Board amid labour law reforms

The Government of Nova Scotia introduced a bill yesterday that would reform the labour relations process in the province. The Labour Board Act will roll six administrative bodies into a new Labour Board that would cover areas like occupational health, employment standards, and labour relations; additionally, the province will create a Labour-Management Review Committee to review provincial labour law, propose possible reforms, and promote greater cooperation in the area of industrial relations. Minister Marilyn More of the Department of Labour and Workforce Development states the overall goal of the reforms is to "bring our legislation and processes in line with other parts of Canada". These proposed changes come after a period of consultation with stakeholders and a recent change in Deputy Ministers within the department.

Does Ontario's wage freeze favour corporations over workers?

I've written extensively about the two-tiered wage freeze in Ontario that favours unionized over non-unionized workers and the various dimensions involved. In today's Toronto Star there is an interesting editorial article written by Warren "Smokey" Thomas who is President of OPSEU. He argues that the wage-freeze has been implemented on the backs of workers to fund a cut to the corporate tax rate which is bad public policy and makes poor economic sense - he further states that government priorities have continually neglected areas like post-secondary education, child care, and poverty reduction initiatives. For more coverage on the editorial head over to Doorey's Workplace Law Blog and take a look at my previous writing on the wage freeze: here, here, here, and here.

Friday Top Five: Lukacs, performance management, internships, and young teachers

We're starting a new feature on the Youth & Work Blog where we recap the top five stories of the week that have garnered the greatest amount of interest from our readers. This week the stories covering the situation at the University of Manitoba involving Dr. Gabor Lukacs dominated and you can catch up on all the action here, here, and here; next up was performance management for millennials; unpaid internships and the larger societal implications generated a great deal of interest; and, everyone wanted to know why young teachers in Ontario can't find any work. If you have any thoughts about these stories: leave a comment, follow Youth & Work on Twitter, or send me an email.

How do millennials learn in the workplace and the classroom?

Understand the process by which millennials gather, assess, analyst, and learn new information has applications both in the classroom and workplace. Here's an interesting article by Illinois based teacher Andrew Bendelow who's taking web-based learning strategies and applying them within the classroom setting. His practice is informed by the academic work of leading researchers studying adolescent learning techniques, people such as: Howe and Strauss; McGlynn; and, Considine.

Society is doing a mediocre job of adapting classrooms and workplaces to the needs, usage of technology, and perspective of the millennial generation. Using academic research in the design of professional development and training programs for young employees is a useful approach as you can build on developments from the worlds of psychology, human resources, and adult education. Employee engagement is becoming increasingly important as demographic trends begin to impact on the labour supply of skilled employees. Structuring workplace development programs is essential in engaging and retaining millennial employees, various studies have found that professional development opportunities rank high on must-have lists for millennial employees.

Does the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario have procedural problems?

I like to throw out ideas and opinions different from my own to encourage thinking about important issues from the social, legal, political, and economic spheres. In that vein here's an article from Howard Levitt where he gives his opinion on the perceived procedural shortcomings of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. He references the case of Carasco v. University of Windsor in his critique of the tribunal and provides the  perspective of a management side employment lawyer. Dissenting ideas like Mr. Levitt's are important in understanding the environment where  procedure related to human rights enforcement is constructed by the government of the day. Given the changes that the Government of Saskatchewan is contemplating it's critical to realize that the level of protection and access afforded to citizens and employees under human rights codes varies considerably according to the political ideology of the ruling party of the day.

Why aren't Ontario's schools embracing social media?

Earlier this fall Premier Dalton McGuinty came out in support for using cellphones in schools as a tool for engaging students, he was promptly attacked in the media for the suggestion. Now reports have surfaced that school boards across Ontario are reducing media literacy training and are hesitant about using social media to educate students. Both of these developments are problematic in that the reasoning deployed clings to an old-fashioned and flawed understanding of technology - students today desperately need expanding training in: media literacy, privacy, web-based research skills, and technology. Students need to be engaged on their own terms, not on ancient notions of what education is or isn't. The education system in Ontario needs to get innovative in deploying emerging technologies to engage students, to do anything less is a disservice to Ontario's greatest resource. This wouldn't even be difficult as the post-secondary education sector in some quarters is doing a reasonable job using social media. For my previous writing on social media, technology, millennials, and emerging trends in education, see: here, here, and here.

University of Manitoba Faculty Association files grievance in Lukacs matter

The University of Manitoba Faculty Association has filed a grievance in the ongoing saga with Dr. Gabor Lukacs - the professor who is challenging the university's decision to waive the usual requirements and award a PHD to a student with extreme exam anxiety. The faculty association alleges that the University of Manitoba treated Lukacs "unreasonably, unfairly and in a manner contrary to the Collective Agreement" and is asking for the following remedies: that the suspension be rescinded and retroactive back pay for the period of suspension. From the perspective of the faculty association it would be unusual to not file a grievance when a suspension is imposed as discipline, a three month suspension without pay is among the harshest measures available to the university short of dismissal for a unionized employee under the collective agreement. 

The faculty association may have filed a grievance due to Section 20 of Manitoba's Labour Relations Act which speaks to the duty of fair representation, given that there are a lot of divergent issues wrapped up in this case a possibility exists that an Arbitrator could vary the discipline.  The discipline imposed by the university will most likely be found to be reasonable by an Arbitrator given the numerous allegations against Lukacs relating to privacy, harassment, and disclosure of confidential information to an outside corporation; however, there are some novel legal issues relating to privilege, the limits of executive power, and privacy that might make for a fertile base for various lines of argumentation in support of Lukacs. 

This case is an outlier, the facts are highly unusual, and it's uncommon to have simultaneous cases (a grievance and judicial review) occurring in the same matter, this matter spans labour, privacy, human rights, and administrative law. The next date in this saga is November 30, 2010 when arguments about the injunction Lukacs filed will be heard in the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba. Until then you can read my previous coverage: here and here.

Is drug addiction a problem on your campus?

Given that post-secondary students face increasing pressures and stress to obtain high marks, employment, and entrance to prestigious graduate programs it's no wonder that addiction continues to be a problem on Canadian university campuses. Previous research from the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health shows that substance abuse remains a constant on campuses across Canada. With capacities to address addiction in the student population varying widely from campus to campus - the movement towards having a comprehensive provincial strategy to address mental health, addiction, and dependence issues in the student population remains an elusive goal. More needs to be done to link the actions of universities, community health providers, and government together to address the range of issues relating to youth mental health. For more information about addiction on-campus, see: here, here, and here.

Does the rise of unpaid internships point to a larger problem?

Youth today face a challenging job market in the wake of the recession, stagnant employer hiring, and competition from older workers. Precarious employment is nothing new for young people and unpaid internships are the latest trend as part of the new normal in this era of globalization, but are they good public policy? Some have raised the point that organizations offering unpaid internships may be violating of the Employment Standards Act if the nature of the internship mimics work that an employee ought to be doing. Given that many interns are doing exactly what employees do, this raises some interesting questions about public policy. In providing very little oversight of how interns are engaged, utilized, and treated in the workplace - employers across the province may be getting away with wholesale violations of the Employment Standards Act.

Many students and employers now consider internships a new form of entry-level positions, this is troubling as the six subsections that define internships (called: Person receiving training) in the Employment Standards Act seem to capture a lot of the work that normal internships entail. This may indicate that many employers in Ontario are misclassifying employees as interns, which is problematic and brings into question whether enough is being done to support the transition of students into the workplace. In the absence of any action on the behalf of government to address the situation involving interns, a tacit signal is being sent out that supports the movement away from waged to unwaged labour for young workers. Organizations in Ontario appear to have a carte blanche to use unpaid internships and in a lax regulatory environment absent of oversight why wouldn't they. Young people who are gunning for a paid position, experience, or a letter of reference aren't about to run to the Ministry of Labour to complain.

But what about public policy in regards to youth, unpaid internships are the realm of middle and upper-middle class students who can afford to engage in unwaged labour - what about the vast majority of youth for which these opportunities are simply not possible. Government at the municipal, provincial, and federal level support a smattering of youth employment initiatives (see: here, here, and here), but there is no overarching national employment strategy which is problematic given the impact of the recent economic turmoil on youth. At present, certain professions have an overabundance of graduates, there is a productivity gap as many post-secondary graduates are underemployed or even unemployed, and there is a shocking high unemployment rate for youth between the ages of 15 to 24. The rise of unpaid internships may be a symptom of a larger problem of a lack of government resources being directed towards youth employment strategies and the post-secondary education system.

With a looming demographics crisis, perhaps it's time to develop and enact a comprehensive, holistic youth strategy that would encompass both a national education program and youth employment strategy. It's simply not enough to rely on the past without confront the myriad of questions that are facing Canada in the realm of social, economic, and public policy. Addressing pressing youth issues is not an area that should be an afterthought for government, the future success of Canada is riding on the millennial generation who will have to address concerns in different areas like the environment, natural resource management, climate change, building a sustainable transportation infrastructure, and implementing development practices that address sprawl. As it seems they have their work cut out for them, the least the government can do is give them a fighting chance to thrive.

Is the Harper Government putting employment equity at risk?

Here's a troubling article from the Ottawa Citizen discussing the latest salvo over the Federal Government's employment equity program. It's part of a long running dispute over the Conservative Party's dislike of the Employment Equity Act, for additional information about recent history involved with this issue, see: here, here, and here.

Employers may be liable for mental health injuries in the workplace

With the passage of Bill 168 amending the Occupational Health and Safety Act,  employers in Ontario need to be aware of mental health issues in the workplace and liability arising out of injuries suffered by employees in the workplace. The most recent jurisprudence available in this area is the decision written by Justice Russell Juriansz of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Piresferreira v. Ayotte, where an employee won $60,000.00 in damages from Bell Mobility and her former manager for battery and mental suffering. The employer was largely success on the appeal, but it's a hollow victory as an Application for Leave has been filed with Supreme Court of Canada - this case highlights the liability that employers face when workplace violence and harassment occur. For more information about this case, go: here, here, and here.  Previously I have written in general terms about mental health and its broader social, economic, and policy implications for Canadian workplaces, here, here, here, here, and here.

Public sector wage increases lag behind private sector

Public sector wage increases across Canada are lagging behind the private sector. The first nine months of the year saw increases of only 1.7%, in the third quarter increases fell to 1.3% which is far below the 2.2% seen in the private sector. See this Statistics Canada report for more information. For more information about public sector wage issues, see: here, here, and here.

Performance management for millennials: what your organization needs to know

The times are a changing and soon the annual performance review may be a thing of the past as the millennial generation enters the workforce in increasing numbers. Now for any manager or human resources professional the annual performance review process can be a nightmare with high stakes if a fair process isn't adhered to - with litigation by employees on the rise many employment lawyers can twist a performance review into the basis for a successful wrongful dismissal action. I have come up with some tips to help you improve your organization's performance management for young employees, here they are:

1. Training for line managers, human resources staff, and supervisors is key - your staff need to understand the nuances that come with a multi-generational workplace. Not only in how to carry out a fair and accurate annual performance review for employees, but also how to address ongoing performance issues that occur the other eleven months of the year. Teaching your staff about how to engage in dialogue with employees is of the utmost importance, we're not in an age where no news is good news - millennials take a lack of feedback as a sign that they aren't performing and will begin to contemplate other opportunities. Training needs to include how to properly manage millennial employees, for more information on this topic see: here and here.

2. Constant feedback is important as millennials crave communication, so you need to give it to them. Consider new technologies that make giving feedback on projects, work, and performance a routine matter rather than a dreaded process - everyone will be happier for it and employees will know where they stand. Companies like Rypple deliver an excellent solution for providing feedback, increasing collaboration, and recognizing the contribution of your employees - they can be contacted here.

3. Employee engagement is the new normal. Despite the stereotypes that have been floating around about millennials, they want the same things as previous generations did out of work: stability, good jobs, benefits, and pensions. Millennials are in it for the long-haul and can provide a wealth of ideas relating to: innovation, using technology, branding activities, online outreach, and anything else that you can think of. This is a generation with opinions about everything, so channel the youthful spirit into greater dialogue and conversation about workplace practices. Previously I wrote an article about adapting workplace policies for the millennial generation, it's a good place to start if your organization is serious about engaging your young workers.

4. Technology, technology, technology. With email going the way of the dinosaur and communication via text-messaging, Skype, BBM, and instant messaging on the rise it's best to get ahead of the trend instead of behind it. If your business environment lends itself to integrating emerging technologies into your operations than it'd be wise to put a team of senior managers and human resources professionals together to see if anything lends itself to enterprise wide performance management, but consider rolling out new processes in single departments to test effectiveness and reception before implementing them across the organization.

5. Get rid of the annual performance review and move towards more informal frequent meetings that incorporate monthly goals and peer reviews. Consider this points about annual performance reviews:  it causes headaches, creates undue stress for your managers/employees, generally aren't implemented very well, are risky when litigation is involved, and give the human resources staff a bad image. Creating a performance review process that is more informal, uses dialogue, and engages employees will be welcome by everybody. More invasive mechanisms like performance management can still be utilized when needed, but removing the annual performance review will go a long ways to building an environment that fosters dialogue and meaningful communication. Samuel A. Culbert, a professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, has written a book arguing a business case for getting rid of the performance review, see: here.

These are just a few tips and ideas to get you thinking about performance management functions related to millennials, at the end of the day giving employees more opportunities for communication, dialogue, and feedback is simply good for business. If you have any additional ideas that you want to share on this topic, get in contact with me by: leaving a comment, following me on Twitter, or sending me an email.

Levi Strauss launches mentoring program aimed at young, millennial women

Here's an interesting initiative that was recently launched by clothing manufacturer Levi Strauss, the  website Shape of What's To Come is aimed at young, millennial women and seeks to link users with experienced mentors to help them reach their live goals. The website heavily utilizes social media like Twitter, Facebook,  and Youtube to reach out and engage users in one-on-one conversations with other members. It's an interesting initiative at the cutting edge of branding that seek to engage millennial consumers through innovative means and tap into the generation's thirst for social, political, and economic change; furthermore, the initiative arises out of research Levi Straus undertook earlier this year on the millennial generation. For additional information about the initiative see: here, here, and here. I have previously written about the use of social media and millennials here, here, and here.

Harper to clarify position on foreign takeovers

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced yesterday that he would give "broader guidance to the investment community on the kind of foreign investment it is and is not seeking in Canada" in the wake of his decision to block the hostile takeover bid by BHP Billiton for the Potash Corporation. For previous coverage of issues related to the Investment Canada Act, see: here and here.

Ministry of Labour reaches out to workers online

Ontario's Ministry of Labour has had a Youtube Page for little over a year now, it contains some interesting videos covering a range of topics like: workplace violence and harassment; Slips, Trips, and Falls; and, Forklift Safety; furthermore, they also has a Facebook page and Twitter account. While it's great to see Minister of Labour Peter Fonseca and the Ministry of Labour embracing social media, the communication appears to be more along the lines of announcing initiatives rather than engaging in a conversation with stakeholders that will be at the heart of coming trends relating to the internet. It would be great to see ministry staff doing the following: answering questions from workers and employers; addressing issues related to the Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Code, and Labour Relations Act; and, doing outreach to vulnerable groups of workers like youth and recent immigrants.

Two exciting new initiatives regarding labour law education in Canada

After a long period of stagnation things are starting to heats up in regards to labour relations and employment law at Ontario universities. As previously reported the new Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace at Queen's University headed by academic Kevin Banks is in the planning stages after receiving a grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario; furthermore, we can report that Elizabeth Shilton, a founding partner of the firm Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish, will be joining as a Research Fellow at the centre. 

Ryerson University is getting in on the action as well, having launched the Centre for Labour Management Relations earlier this fall at the Ted Rogers School of Management. The Ryerson initiative is being headed by Buzz Hargrove and Maurice Mazerolle with support from a number of large corporations and organized labour groups. Both of these developments are exciting given that the fields of labour relations and employment law have not had a great deal of focus in recent decades, for more coverage: see a post at David Doorey's Workplace Law Blog about an upcoming talk he's giving at the centre and here for a press release.