Integrating Amendments To The Occupational Health And Safety Act Into The Workplace

Change management for Human Resources Practitioners

The business environment today is turbulent and ever changing due to external conditions which have resulted to organizations adopting new and complex initiatives. The changes affected work promoting organizations to changing the design, reallocating recourses, changing systems and procedures in a continuous attempt to improve performance. The competitive nature of business has put more focus on effectiveness. All of the processes and procedures across the organization must continue to be realigned to achieve the overall objectives desired by the organization for it to survive in the ever changing and competitive business environment. Performance is thus measured on how the objectives are achieved. The objective can be achieved through setting goals and measuring performance against the set targets. As human beings we are naturally inclined to resist change but when supported through the change process we become adaptive and successful. This can be attributed to the fact that we view chance as disruption to our life and work.  Individual change management requires an understanding of how different people experience, react to change and what is needed for the change to be effective. Also the practitioner needs to know how to help people make a successful transition and the message delivery. For example what messages do people need to get. The planning needs to factor in optimal time to teach them the new skills to enable them demonstrate new behaviors, and how to the makes changes to be impressed. Individual change management draws on disciplines like psychology and neuroscience to apply actionable frameworks to individual change.

1 a. The introduction of performance contract can be classified as an organizational wide change as this affects the organizational culture. In the end this affects how employees and individual behave and perform their duties. Such a change should be planned well as it can cause disruption or taken in a negative way by the employees. It can also be termed as planned change with the objective of improving the normal way of operation with the aim of achieving a pre-defined goal. In this perspective the change is calculated and the desired goal chosen consciously so as not to cause disruption.

1 b. After understanding the objectives of the performance contract, it enabled me to review myself under the big goals of the organization and my professional expectations. I took it up as a measurement tool of my contribution to the organization and also self reflection of my week areas for improvement. The performance contract acted as a benchmark for my professional development and career advancement by keeping me on track of the goals and expectations set out on the contract.

Advantages and disadvantages of the amended section

1 c. The contact signed enabled me to identify and define my professional expectation at the work place. There was clarity and a better understanding of my job responsibilities. These enabled me to set personal goals aimed at achieving the laid out goals. The engagement prior to drafting and the signing made me part and parcel of the process. I was able to give out my input on what is achievable and realist hence owned it up. I felt in charge of my career advancement and empowered to drive my development. These also gave me the opportunity to have a voice on how to achieve the organizational goals.  It also reduced misunderstandings and confusion at my work place as each individual had clear set goal. Job and role duplication was also minimized. Through the targets set out in the contract I was able to measure my accomplishments at work and identify the areas I needed to work on so as to improve my performance. Since reward was tagged on ones performance which was now measureable it motivated me to perform my duties well. At the end I become more goal oriented in how I performed my job.

1 d. As human beings it’s natural to resist anything that will change what we are used to so when performance contracting was first introduced in the organization that I work, I resisted its implementations. To me it was tool introduced by the management to punish us such that those who do not meet the targets shall be laid off. Also I saw it as time consuming without adding anything meaningful to our jobs. I did not see its importance to my life and profession. With this mind set I was not willing to empress it.

2 a. Define the amendment to the Occupational Health and Safety Committee structure in the workplace.

The Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act establishes minimum standards for healthy and safe practices in Alberta workplaces. This act was amendment and the changes took effect on June 1, 2018.  The laws are meant to be enforced through, investigations and inspections. Case where the law is not followed administrative penalties and fines are imposed. Employers can also be prosecuted.

Amendment to the law enshrines workers’ rights where employers must inform workers about potential hazards and allow them access to basic health and safety information on site. It also ensures workers are involved in health and safety discussions which including participation in health and safety committees.

Shared responsibility for employer and employees

It empowers Workers refuse to perform dangerous work and the law protected them from any form of reprisal for exercising this right. In such cases worker must continue to be paid while a work refusal is being investigated. Meanwhile other workers may be assigned to the work but must be advised of the refusal, reason for it, and made aware of their own right to refuse the work after the employer determines there is not a risk.

The law mandates all work site parties to work together and ensure a health and safe work site. The employer must ensure the safety, health and welfare of workers is guaranteed. He should also ensure workers are aware of their rights and duties under the law and that any health and safety issues are brought to their attention. The employer should provide competent supervisors, trained workers, and preventing violence and harassment and ensuring public safety at or in the vicinity of work sites. This should be achieved working with the joint work site health and safety committee or health and safety representative. Supervisors and workers need to work together to mitigate any safety and health hazards and where concerns are noted the same should be escalated to the employer. They also have a duty to use protective wear and prevent, refrain themselves from participating in violence and harassment acts

Contractors should ensure that work being performed by employers under their control does not cause danger to the health and safety of persons at the work site.

It’s the obligation of owners of work sites to ensuring the infrastructure, land and any premise or building under their control is maintained and provided so as not to endanger anyone.

Its only for oil and gas site that Prime contractors are required at construction sites otherwise their obligations remains the same.

Suppliers should ensure their products are safe to use and they comply with the legislation and where they don’t they should provide equipment and instructions for safe use (if they exist). Any harmful substances provided should include manufacturer’s specifications. They should provide notice when their product or equipment doesn’t comply with the law.

Service providers must ensure the services provided comply with the law and do not create a hazard. Also they should be are provided by competent persons.

Self-employed persons are also responsible for ensuring they don’t create hazards for themselves and others and complying with all the laws that apply to employers and to workers,

Increased business cost

It’s the duty of temporary staffing agencies to avail competent workers and ensure that they are provided with necessary protective gear and tools for their work.

The law prohibits sexual/domestic violence, bulling at the workplace or any physical and psychological harm. A harassment and violence prevention plan need to be implemented at the work place. It also protects workers from reprisal when exercising their rights and duties under the law.

The law requires employers with 20 or more workers at a site and work lasting 90 days or more to have a health and safety committee and must have a written health and safety program but a director can order any other work site to establish a HSC. For those with 5-19 workers at a work site and work lasting 90 days or more should have a health and safety representative.

 The roles, responsibilities and authorities of government for OHS are also clarified in the legislation. The act and its administration must be reviewed every five years.

2 b. Explain two advantages and disadvantages to this amended section from the perspective of a Human Resources Practitioner.

One advantage is that they will be shared responsibility for both the employer and employers on the part of ensuring the work environment is healthy and safe. These will helps to mitigate negligence on the part of employees as they are equally responsible for their safety and that of others.  It also refrain them from causing or participating in violence and harassment. These will avoid apportioning blame to the employer alone.

Increase in business cost for example the requirement to set up committee will led to increased costs as the employer must provide the committee members with compensation and training for their committee work. Also the medical examinations will be at the employers cost.

3 a

The human resource team shall be trained on the new amendments. Facilitators shall be organized to take them through the various changes of the law. The human resource department on regular basis should check the government websites pertaining to the OHS. This will help them human resource remain updated on the new amendment and gain in depth knowledge. The human resource department should seek the guidance of the legal department regarding the new laws and how to implement them. Fourthly, the HR manager along with other employees of the HR department should attend OHS workshops and seminars,. These workshops and seminars would also contribute towards enriching the knowledge of the HR department regarding the OHS and Safe work laws.

3b.

Creation of a Joint work site health and safety committees

The employer appoints two management members of the committee.

Staffs will then elect two representatives to the committee.

The committee will meet on a quarterly basis to deliberate on issues

Their mandate will be working together to identify and solve health and safety concerns at the work site. They will also promote awareness and interest in health and safety.

Activity no	Activity particular	Time(mons)
1	Recognising the business needs responsible for the changes in system, job redesigning and reallocating resources	1
2	Acquisituion of resources to bring about the change	3
3	Holding meeting with the employees to make them aware of the prospective changes and its importance to the company	1
4	Training of employees on the new systems	2
5	Mentoring and counselling of employees to deal with fear and insecurity	2
6	Implementation of the change	1
7	Monitoring the effect of the change by measuring performances of the employees	6
8	Recognising areas which require further training and guidance	1
9	Training of concerned employees	1
10	Monitoring performances of employees on regular basis	12
	Total time	30

 

References

(2018). Retrieved from Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act: https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/ohs-changes-highlights.pdf

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(2018). Retrieved from change management defination

https://www.cio.com/…management/change-management-change-management-definition

 The Planning of Change (2nd Edition). Warren G. Bennis, Kenneth D. Benne, and Robert Chin (Eds.). Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York: 1969.

(2018) Retrieved from Occupational health and safety changes

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-86-304/

(2018) Retrieved from Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

 https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-86-304/

(2018) retrieve from Green Book (Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations

https //www.osg.ca/…/green-book-ontario-occupational-health-and-safety-act-and-reg…

Retrieved from

Legislative & Regulatory Changes | Canadian Labour and employment law:https://www.labourandemploymentlaw.com/category/legislative-regulatory-changes

(2018)New OHS Act 2018 | Environment Health Safety – University of Alberta

https://www.ualberta.ca/environment-health-safety/news…/2018/…/new-ohs-act-2018

(2018)Retrieved from

OHS Act Changes – Calgary Chamber

https://www.calgarychamber.com/…/2018/…/2018-06-05_OHS-Presentation_Alberta