The holiday season has arrived, bringing with it the much-anticipated office holiday party. These events are a great opportunity to unwind, celebrate the year’s, and embrace the festive spirit with colleagues. However, while they can be fun, it’s crucial to maintain professionalism, even in a celebratory and informal setting.

Holiday parties come with an increased potential for mishaps, and both employees and employers should take steps to avoid them. Here are some strategies to ensure the party remains enjoyable, while maintaining respect and professionalism.

Control alcohol consumption. An open bar is often a highlight, but it can lead to problems. While it’s tempting to indulge, excessive drinking can lead to regrettable actions or comments. Alcohol-related incidents, such as inappropriate behaviour, can quickly damage your professional reputation. For employers, it’s important to note that alcohol often contributes to workplace harassment. To mitigate this risk, employers can set limits on drinks or provide a drink ticket system, helping maintain a controlled environment.

Follow company guidelines. Even though the holiday party may feel like a break from work, it is still a company event. Maintaining professional behaviour is essential, which means respecting company policies even in a social setting. Employees should treat colleagues with respect, keeping boundaries in mind. Employers should be clear about expectations beforehand, creating a positive and respectful atmosphere for all.

Social media. It’s important to respect privacy and avoid posting anything that could harm someone’s reputation or the company’s image. Employers should have a social media policy to outline what is appropriate to share, especially regarding alcohol or embarrassing moments.

By balancing fun with professionalism, employees and employers can ensure a successful and memorable holiday party that everyone enjoys.

A global leader in HR and health & safety consulting, Peninsula has been supporting small and medium businesses for 40 years. We are trusted by over 140,000 SMBs globally. In Canada, we helped over 6,500 SMBs with tailored HR documentation, 24/7 employer advice, and provide employment management software. We pride ourselves on delivering a service that mitigates risk, adds value, and allows businesses to focus their time on what matters most.

Structuring stories builds credibility, engages audiences, and addresses fears. “Humans learn through storytelling,” says Paul Huffman, executive director of TalentHunt, and Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario (LBMAO) board member. “In the recruitment world you want them to want the role or come join your company to show expertise.”

In his example, Huffman describes his work with Home Hardware Stores Ltd. to recruit positions within the company, establishing clear storytelling to show off Home Hardware as a place to work, to attract employees from a wider geographic area to its head office in St. Jacobs, Ont. “[I used] my network within building materials and the category to tell the story of Home Hardware, the journey they were on, and show the candidate where it could take them in their career.”

Where employee retention is concerned, Huffman says to “[set] trust right from the beginning. That starts with the job description.” Job descriptions have become templates people use that are boring and ineffective, he says. “Often 75 percent of what is in there is not actually what the job is. People get into a job, and they think, ‘Geez, this is different than what was on the job description.’ And inherently, you have already lost trust, and that is when you start to see retention issues.”

Social media can help build credibility and attract candidates, especially from younger generations. Stories can be told on a website, through a video on a career page. There can be testimonials from current employees. The video can walk people through case studies of someone’s career track.

“There are a lot of things you can do beyond having a verbal story. But when you combine all those things, and then, once you have the people in there, treat them well, treat them with respect, give them opportunity for growth. That becomes your story that everybody knows.”

When a position opens up, internal referrals will come in, “because everybody who is working there enjoys it. They are referring friends and colleagues. Your recruitment funnel starts to fill up.”

The impact of storytelling leaves a positive impression even if the candidate is not hired. “It leaves a positive impression about your organization.”

When your store is more than 300,000 square feet in size, a lot of people are needed to work there. And that can mean a lot of employee turnover.

That’s the case for IKEA Canada, which has 14 giant locations in Canada. With 380 staff, the Etobicoke store in Toronto’s west end is no exception. That’s why the company has been working in recent years to develop ways, not just to cater to its customers, but to its workers, as well.

Hardlines was invited to take a tour of the Etobicoke store recently and see firsthand what IKEA has been doing to get and, more importantly, to retain workers.

Taking care of employees begins with their first day on the job. According to Wanda Arnott, human resources manager at IKEA, new hires get shadowed from the start. “The first day, co-workers are assigned a buddy, and the buddy is with them for at least the first five shifts, which gives them a very detailed learning journey for the first three months about what they need to understand, to learn.” With that support, new staffers “don’t feel alone.”

She added that the camaraderie is further encouraged at lunch. IKEA is renowned for its restaurants, which are good locations for workers to gather. The purpose, said Arnott, is “that we all mingle together. And it really does feel like: ‘What a big family!’”

And that attention continues year-round. Said our next tour guide, Grace Museitef, IKEA’s people and culture manager: “At the beginning of each fiscal year, we create something called a co-worker experience calendar, where we map out different events throughout the year for co-workers, along with cultural events that are relevant to our co-worker base.” Museitef used November (when our tour took place) as an example of how to celebrate and acknowledge the diversity of the workforce. “We celebrated Diwali at the beginning of the month. We brought in special treats for all the co-workers. We also participated in take-our-kids-to-work day,” she adds.

Given the number of new Canadians who get hired at the Etobicoke store, IKEA makes sure to offer a program that better helps them understand the opportunities available in their new country. Called Canada Life, the program includes “an information session to talk about the different things that are available through Canadian life to our co-workers.”

Keeping to IKEA’s commitment to health and well-being, the company has been using a program called Next Gen.

“It’s a program that we have for co-workers who want to grow with IKEA and take on more responsibility and develop into a leadership or specialist position,” said Museitef. Over the past four years, 30 employees at the store have participated, and half of them have moved up from previous roles.

“I’m happy to say that 50 percent of them have stepped into leadership positions, taken on more responsibility, and this program also gives them an opportunity to have mentors—peers that they work with and really take care of them.”

A lot of changes have taken place in recent weeks at the head offices of TIMBER MART. The national buying group has filled out its ranks in anticipation of the departure next year of the group’s vice-president of distribution and trading, John Morrissey. But the noteworthy aspect of all the appointments is that they represent hires from within or of people who have already worked with TIMBER MART.

And that suits CEO Bernie Owens (shown above) just fine.

“At TIMBER MART, we believe in hiring from within, when possible, and pursuing progress through people, because it nurtures our positive company culture and values,” Owens says.

TIMBER MART represents hundreds of independent member-dealers across Canada, each of which has built a culture based on the values of its owners. Those home-grown values are what Owens wants to reflect at TIMBER MART’s own head offices.

“We believe that by providing our employees with opportunities to grow within our organization, and by investing in them, it not only eliminates the risk of external hires not being the right fit but also offers several advantages,” Owens says. “Recruiting, hiring, and training employees is not easy and by doing so from within we reduce the knowledge transfer time from one employee to another, motivate and engage our employees by investing in them, unlock their creativity and true potential, and foster teamwork.”

Kurt Norlen was recently promoted to TIMBER MART’s top lumber procurement job as director of forest products trading. He was formerly national procurement manager. With over 30 years of experience in management and building material sales, he joined TIMBER MART in 2013. At the same time, the group’s national hardware procurement manager, Shawn Ettinger, was promoted to the role of senior national procurement manager. He’s been with TIMBER MART since 2019.

Other changes at TIMBER MART included the promotion of Phil Temple to the national role of director of member services. In addition, Carolanne Olivier has joined the group as national advertising manager. She came over from TIMBER MART’s ad agency, Sims Advertising, where she’s worked for the past seven years on the TIMBER MART account.

“In recent years, we’ve witnessed companies lose the essence of their corporate cultures that once formed their foundations, due to outsourcing their talent and ultimately not being successful in transferring the knowledge and experience from within to external hires,” says Owens.

He stresses the importance of keeping new and existing staff closely aligned with an organization’s values and culture, which will position them for success throughout a career within the company.

“Communicating early on with our staff about retirement timing, identifying likely successors, providing developmental opportunities, and using transition periods that allow for knowledge transfer from the previous generation to be imparted to the next one are all key to ensuring positive employment life cycles,” Owens said, “and that our organization continues to operate seamlessly despite transitions.”

Job stress is a common issue that can significantly impact both employee wellbeing and business productivity. While a certain level of stress is normal and even motivating, chronic stress over time can lead to absenteeism, poor performance, mental health issues, and higher turnover rates—ultimately harming your business.

A 2023 study by Statistics Canada revealed that over 4.1 million Canadians (21.2 percent of those surveyed) reported experiencing high levels of work-related stress. The consequences are not just emotional—physical problems like headaches, sleep disturbances, and cardiovascular issues are also common. Mental health is also affected. Anxiety and depression are closely linked to prolonged job stress, with one in three Canadians citing job-related stress as the primary cause of their mental health struggles.

As an employer, it’s important to recognize the signs of chronic stress among your employees. Watch for emotional outbursts, irritability, low productivity, or physical symptoms like fatigue and muscle tension. However, not all symptoms are easily visible, making it crucial to foster a culture of mental health awareness and provide support for those struggling with stress.

Common sources of job stress include unrealistic workloads, poor work-life balance, unclear job expectations, workplace conflict, and unsafe working conditions. To reduce stress, employers should take proactive steps such as setting clear job expectations, providing adequate resources and training, promoting a supportive work environment, and offering flexible work options.

Additionally, offering an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and stress management training can help employees manage stress effectively. A healthy, supportive work environment not only boosts employee morale and productivity but also helps attract top talent and reduce turnover, benefiting the business as a whole.

A global leader in HR and health & safety consulting, Peninsula has been supporting small and medium businesses for 40 years. We are trusted by over 140,000 SMBs globally. In Canada, we helped over 6,500 SMBs with tailored HR documentation, 24/7 employer advice, and provide employment management software. We pride ourselves on delivering a service that mitigates risk, adds value, and allows businesses to focus their time on what matters most.

Workplace leadership specialist, educator and award-winning author Pierre Battah spoke on both days of the Hardlines Conference.

With his wit and insight, Battah delved into discussions on the importance of leadership, particularly in elevating the voices of others and fostering a positive work environment. Day two’s talk revolved around many topics, including employee retention and psychological safety.

The role of employee management often falls on others, not just the person in the HR department, he said. The people you work alongside and mentor should keep you “mindful of the fact that your next generation of leaders in your company are probably already there,” and they will need a good leader.

Leaders should also provide positive feedback on a regular basis, particularly in a 5:6:1 ratio of positive to negative feedback to maintain employee engagement and motivation. Implement a system to “catch people doing things right” and recognize their contributions, he suggested. He also outlined the 12 elements of employee engagement, one of which is psychological safety.

Building psychological safety involves recognizing the importance of using people’s strengths and developing their emotional intelligence. Employees must feel safe to express themselves and take risks without fear of humiliation.

Jason Tasse, president of Lee Valley Tools, shared his insights on innovation and culture at the recent Hardlines Conference, held at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, Que., last month. His discussion revolved around his philosophies of pride, presence, (being) practical, people (before profit), and play – at work and in the long game.

Tasse illustrated that Lee Valley’s culture is built on practicality, a people-first approach, and long-term planning. Leadership training emphasizes collaboration and emotional connection.

Tasse began his career at Lee Valley 29 years ago in his hometown of Ottawa, starting out in the lumber yard. He assumed the role of president on Jan. 27, 2021.

“I’m reminded of the privilege offered to me to lead, inspire, and guide,” he said during the conference. “I’m reminded of the countless individuals who have placed their trust in me knowing that the decisions I’m going to make, and the actions I’m going to take, are going to have a profound impact on our lives. I love my job. I love the people I work with and the brand I work for. I’m proud of this.”

Tasse also highlighted the cell phone ban policy during meetings to ensure everyone is focused and mindful. Lee Valley has a unique culture, he said. There is no minimum wage, employees do not work on commission, and the rate of layoffs is minimal.

“We’ve only had two layoffs in almost five decades for a retail company. That’s pretty impressive. Our people are encouraged to solve customers’ problems at the lowest cost to the customer, and yes, sometimes that means sending them down the street to a competitor because it’s the right thing to do.”

As part of his presentation, Tasse gave accolades to three employees who exemplify their commitment to the Lee Valley brand.

To fuel the future growth of IKEA, the brand maintained its focus on recruiting quality talent while creating life-long relationships with its existing co-workers. Last fiscal, IKEA Canada saw a significant decrease in co-worker turnover rate, starting the year at 35 percent and ending at 24.5 percent, the lowest turnover rate in a decade and more than 10 percent less than the industry average of 37.4 percent.

IKEA Canada says it plans to continue this downward trend by focusing on the things that matter most to co-workers such as flexibility, financial tools and options, development opportunities, and mental health benefits. It also plans to boost wages and employ new technologies to improve retention and recruitment.

In 2022, across the company’s 600-plus stores and warehouses the quit rate fell to 17.5 percent in April, from 22.4 percent in August. In the U.S, UK, and Ireland, each departure cost IKEA $5,000 or more in rehiring and retaining costs, according to a Bloomberg article. In the U.S., the company’s quit rate is more than 70 percent higher compared to other industries, according to a 2022 McKinsey report.

With the fall season underway, many employees face the “post-summer blues,” a period characterized by decreased motivation and productivity as the carefree days of summer give way to back-to-school routines. With shorter daylight hours and increased responsibilities, this transition can negatively impact team performance and engagement. However, employers have a unique opportunity to re-energize their workforce and set a positive tone for the busy months ahead.

To effectively manage this transition, a strategic approach focused on employee wellbeing, workplace culture, and engagement is essential.

Create a supportive environment: Recognizing the challenges of seasonal transitions is crucial. Employers should create a supportive atmosphere where employees feel comfortable sharing their feelings. Open communication enables organizations to provide necessary resources, helping employees combat burnout and restore their focus.

Encourage team building: Rebuilding team spirit after the summer season is important for restoring a positive work environment. Organizing team building activities can help employees to reconnect with one another

Offer flexibility in schedules: Remote work is rarely an option in retail environments. However, flexibility in schedules—if you can offer them—can significantly ease the transition. By supporting a healthy work-life balance, employers can help employees regain focus without the added stress of rigid schedules.

Set clear goals: One effective way to combat the post-summer slump is to introduce new challenges and establish motivating goals. Presenting opportunities for growth and learning encourages employees to re-engage and builds excitement about upcoming projects.

Promote wellness initiatives: Finally, launching or reinforcing wellness programs focused on mental and physical health can be especially beneficial. Offering wellness workshops or Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can help employees feel motivated, ultimately enhancing overall productivity.

By prioritizing these strategies, employers can combat the post-summer blues and help keep teams excited for the season ahead.

A global leader in HR and health & safety consulting, Peninsula has been supporting small and medium businesses for 40 years. We are trusted by over 140,000 SMBs globally. In Canada, we helped over 6,500 SMBs with tailored HR documentation, 24/7 employer advice, and provide employment management software. We pride ourselves on delivering a service that mitigates risk, adds value, and allows businesses to focus their time on what matters most.

Tom Newton is an executive coach with 30 years of experience. As head of Trillium Executive Coaching, he emphasizes the universal challenges of leadership and team management. “The people and the challenges are the same,” he says. “The challenges of leading a team and navigating through the complexities of changing environments are always the same.”

Newton distinguishes coaching from mentoring and consulting by focusing on open-ended questions and confidentiality, which foster both performance and responsibility. When a person takes on new or expanded responsibilities, “the challenges of navigating that new team—managing and leading—are always paramount,” he says. The pressure to perform and meet targets can be overwhelming.

Often, Newton observes, people feel they must be the solution provider for others, believing they need to have all the answers. “I like to use a metaphor: imagine walking up a mountain with a full backpack. What’s in their backpack?”

This “backpack” includes the weight of team responsibilities and individual roles within the team. Newton explains that in some company cultures, employees can become accustomed to asking their boss how to handle certain aspects of their role. “A leader might say, ‘Let me show you how to do this,’ or ‘Let me tell you how to handle this.’ That can be enticing for the boss, because they get to share their knowledge.”

However, this dynamic can lead to dependence, where the leader takes on the burden of solving problems instead of encouraging independence. Newton equates this to putting more weight back into the boss’s “backpack.”

Coaching, he explains, provides a confidential environment that, by asking those open-ended questions, can prompt individuals to reflect inwardly and help them unpack and share responsibilities.