Experts say including salaries on job postings is a vital tool to attract young workers and narrow the gender pay gap.nortonrsx
Can you imagine a job market where you always know the salary range before you put your hat in the ring?
While salary transparency on job postings isn’t standard practice across Canada, some provinces have recently taken big steps toward making it mandatory: P.E.I. passed legislation this summer requiring salaries be included on all public job postings and B.C. is hosting consultations looking at implementing similar laws. (This comes on the heels of wage transparency measures enacted in 2021 requiring federally-regulated private sector employers to report salary data in a way that shows aggregated wage gap information.)
These moves are being applauded by workplace equity organizations, who say including salaries on job postings is a vital tool to attract young workers and narrow the gender pay gap in Canada.
Read the full story to find out this practice could be a big win for women and other under-represented groups, plus which province is dragging its heels on wage transparency.
Why you should tack some vacation time on to your next business trip
As a marketing manager, Laurie Partington travels to trade shows and conferences several times a year, often turning that work into a perk by adding a little personal time to the trip.
Ms. Partington, who works for Matrox Imaging in Montreal, is a ‘bleisure’ traveller, combining business and leisure by adding a few days before or after a business trip to make the most of the flight and take in the sights. It’s a trend that’s grown more popular since pandemic travel restrictions began lifting.
“What works for me and I’ve always been lucky to do is, depending on where I’m going, I typically will fly in a little earlier or a little later, as long as that flight doesn’t cost the company anything extra,” she says. “It can work out well if you’re a little bit creative about extending your trip on your own dime.”
Read more on strategies to optimize your ‘bleisure’ travel.
How a chronic diagnosis led Ashley Freeborn to fashion success with Smash + Tess
“The night I did the comp exam for my graduate degree in education, I was doubled over in pain. Shortly after that, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease,” says Ashley Freeborn, co-founder and CEO of Smash + Tess. “Having a chronic illness unlocks this incredible creativity you never knew you had, and it led me to question what I was doing and where I felt the most lit up. […] I read about an intensive fashion program run by Condé Nast, and on a whim I decided to apply. There was a huge business component, and I realized that’s what got me most excited. So I started to write my business plan for Smash + Tess.
“Crohn’s gave me some insight into the importance of accessibility. It’s called the invisible disease, mostly because you can’t see from the outside what people are going through. I can tell you it’s debilitating and very painful. Wearing constrictive clothing can really hurt, so part of where the romper came from was that dream of being able to live a big life with ease and confidence.”
Read more about how Ashley Freeborn is reimagining the fashion industry, drawing inspiration in part from her illness.
In case you missed it:
How to know if you’re facing workplace ageism or sexism
When Lisa LaFlamme said she was “blindsided” after being let go from her job as anchor for CTV National News, many Canadians – from industry figures to viewers – suggested that discrimination was the root cause of the dismissal.
While Ms. LaFlamme’s former employer claimed her ouster was a business decision to reflect “changing viewer habits,” emerging details – that Ms. LaFlamme’s boss had raised questions about the appearance of her grey hair on TV; that there had been several formal reviews about problematic workplace culture in the newsroom – have continued to raise eyebrows.
The situation has prompted discussions of ageism and sexism in the workplace, leading many to wonder: How can you know if something is discrimination or not?
Read the full article here.
When is an emoji appropriate for business communication?
Nova Nicole uses Slack differently now. A leadership development facilitator who works in the tech industry, Ms. Nicole is no stranger to digital messaging at work. Since the onset of the pandemic, however, she’s noticed a distinct shift in the way she uses the platform.
“We use it for everything; it’s our main form of communication,” says Ms. Nicole, who is based in Blue Mountain, Ont. “But I do find it casual [compared to methods like e-mail], so I work hard not to use it in lieu of conversation and connection.”
Usage of communication tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Chat exploded during the early days of the pandemic when companies had to quickly pivot to remote work, and these apps remain popular among the 26 per cent of Canadian workers who still work remotely at least some of the time.
While they may have been initially adopted for reasons of convenience and speed, these tools may also have sparked a more casual style of communication than what we’ve traditionally considered appropriate for the workplace.
Read the full article here.
Ask Women and Work
Question:
I’m a small-business owner, and I’ve been growing my retail business over the past four years. I feel proud of what I’ve accomplished, but it’s taken a toll on my mental health. With money stress, hiring stress and taking care of my kids through the pandemic, I’m feeling lonely, exhausted and overworked. I’m definitely not ready to throw in the towel, but how can I overcome this burnout?
We asked Alberta-based business and Instagram coach Ashley Meadahl to field this one:
Many small business owners are currently experiencing exhaustion, lack of energy and lack of motivation from the past two years. You are not alone in feeling this way.
Running a small business requires a great amount of dedicated time and energy in addition to family commitments. The pandemic has created additional stress on top of these competing priorities. This can quickly lead to overwhelm, stress and burnout.
First, I suggest setting aside time at the beginning of each week to complete a task review. On Monday morning, grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and spend five minutes writing down all of your tasks for the week ahead. Then, assign each task to a day of the week for when you want to accomplish it. Highlight three priority tasks per day to complete and delegate the rest to staff or other team members. Not only will this lighten your workload, it will provide you with a clear outline of the actionable tasks you need to complete.
At the end of the week, take a look back on your schedule and review how your time was spent to decide if there needs to be any changes to eliminate overwhelm moving forward. This will help to manage your time and help you to recognize what can be assigned elsewhere. This will also allow you to focus on your priorities.
Secondly, seek support in other small business owners. Connecting with other entrepreneurs will provide encouragement, inspiration and an opportunity to share similar thoughts and experiences. This can include local business networks, mentorship programs and support groups. Being part of a community can reduce your feelings of isolation and make you feel like you aren’t doing it all alone.
Lastly, if you feel you are experiencing severe burnout symptoms and it is affecting your day-to-day life, definitely check in with your family doctor to see if a mental health professional can be recommended.
Submit your own questions to Ask Women and Work by e-mailing us at GWC@globeandmail.com.
