Planning, preparation and technology helps keep Calgary employers’ heads above water.
It’s made headlines around the world, and pictures of the flooded zoo are trending online, but the Calgary flooding has also closed businesses and offices around the city.
How are Calgary employers managing, and what can you learn from their experience?
Supermarket chain Calgary Co-op had to close its High River location when the whole area was evacuated, and has had staff all around the city affected.
“Our strategy has been to be as accommodating, adaptable and flexible as we can,” communications manager Karen Allan said. “Each individual has a different set of circumstances so we’re trying to accommodate based on individual needs.”
The company’s business continuity team jumped into action, ensuring management and employees knew what was happening. One challenge was communicating with evacuated workers, many of whom had their home number listed on their contact sheet. Using information from their reward and recognition program, the company was able to find personal emails for most employees and a phone hotline updated twice daily has helped keep staff informed.
“It’s a lot of preparation to have that business continuity team, but when a crisis strikes it really pays off,” Allan said. “It only takes one crisis and then you learn to do it.”
Staff from High River who wanted to work have been redirected to stores in their area, while employees who felt “emotionally unequipped” to work can stay home with their families. Some head office employees had stepped in to support stores, which were experiencing high demand as people stocked up on necessities, and the co-operative was utilizing its recognition program to reward its employees’ hard work.
Allan added that the culture of the cooperative meant employees and customers were supportive of each other and the community.
“Our members have the same mindset. We are concerned about our community and employees and we’ve all been doing what we can to support them and each other,” she said. “It changes how they respond to everything when you have a positive culture where their concern is for each other.”
While culture and planning were keeping the Co-op on track, many downtown-based offices were finding technology was their biggest asset.
Suncor Energy was encouraging employees to work from home to avoid the downtown evacuation zone, as were Cenovus Energy Inc.’s employees, where computer backup systems meant they could access work emails and electronic files from home.
"Our ability to work under difficult circumstances will be put to the test this coming week," Cenovus chief executive officer Brian Ferguson said in an email to employees on Sunday. "I understand we may not be able to access our offices in downtown Calgary until at least mid-week. Work will be focused on business-critical things only."
Legal obligations
Employers who spoke to HRM stressed their focus on accommodation and compassion, but what were their legal obligations? The answer on page 2.
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“In times of emergency where there’s lots of devastation and personal loss it’s not really about the legal responsibilities, it’s about the practical business considerations,” Miller Thomson Calgary labour and employment lawyer Kent Davidson said, emphasizing the importance of “compassionate flexibility”.
For casual employees there may not be an expectation of pay if their shift is cancelled, however if a permanent employee is told not to come to work the employer is likely to pay for that shift.
“With permanent employees who may want and be able to work, is the employer holding up his end of the bargain or could this be constructive dismissal?” Davidson said. “Most employers want to be seen as being compassionate and generous. If an employer makes a decision to keep employees at home, typically an employer will pay those wages without any overriding legal requirement to do so.”
However, in some cases the workplace is open but employees feel uncomfortable coming to work. Where an employee has been requested to come back to work and declines to return there is not the same moral imperative for the employer to pay the employee those wages, Davidson.
“They are really looking for compassionate, gratuitous leave and barring contractual provisions there is no requirement for employers to provide it.”
If they are claiming sick or stress leave an employer should assess it as they would a request at any other time, but under the circumstances may choose not to require a physician’s note. Some provinces, including Ontario, have provisions for employees to take unpaid emergency leave, however, Alberta does not have similar legislation.