Human Resources Pillar Policy No. 5.0 Date Approved: Dec. 2012 Projected Review Date: Dec. 2016 PURPOSE: Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) believes that attracting, recruiting and retaining exemplary employees allow us to fulfill our vision of all students achieving their full potential. Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board strives to be an employer of choice that provides excellence and leadership in human resource management that maintains and strengthens collaborative relationships with employee groups. GUIDING PRINCIPLES: Human resources are Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board s most important asset. We: Recognize that an engaged and effective staff across the organization promotes HWDSB s vision of improved student achievement. Value employees by respecting their concerns, responding to their needs, encouraging professional growth, and recognizing their accomplishments. Foster the development of trustful and respectful relationships. Encourage collaboration and teamwork. Establish and maintain discrimination-free environments. Provide staff and leadership development to strengthen employees skills, knowledge and competencies. Promote and encourage healthy lifestyle practices, a safe and healthy physical environment and a supportive workplace culture. Maintain the highest level of ethical and professional standards. Respect and adhere to the collective agreements of all bargaining units and the terms and conditions for non-unionized employees. Promote and encourage and engage in effective communication with all stakeholders. Develop and sustain a workforce that reflects the make-up of the student body in the Hamilton-Wentworth region. INTENDED OUTCOMES: Strategic Focus Human Resource supports and practices will reflect the Board s commitment to strengthening positive and respectful relationships with employee groups and to promoting safe, respectful and inclusive working and learning environments. This will be done in accordance with the Board s strategic directions, Annual Operating Plan, Ministry guidelines and other legislated requirements and in accordance with the principles of fairness, equity, inclusion, consistency and transparency. Policy No.: 5.0 Human Resources Pillar Page 1
Employee and Labour Relations Fair and transparent policies, processes and procedures are in place to: o Recruit, hire, promote, retain and mentor qualified staff for instructional and operational effectiveness; o Facilitate and support respectful employee and labour relations including engaging employees in planning, decision-making, grievance hearings and conducting investigations and appropriate personal conduct / dispute resolution processes and procedures (e.g., Performance Appraisal, Progressive Discipline, Respectful Learning and Working Environment); o Ensure collective bargaining processes for determining wages, benefits and working conditions are timely, efficient, objective, transparent, aligned with local and provincial priorities and are applied in a respectful and professional manner. o Monitor, assess and adjust Occupational Health and Safety practices to promote school and workplace safety, healthy lifestyle practices and a supportive workplace culture for all employees; o Maximize staff utilization through attendance management procedures that monitor, report and provide improvement and support programs as required; o Assess employee commitment and engagement to support professional learning, training and career development programs; and Employee professional learning, leadership development and performance management processes promote continuous improvement and engagement for all employee groups. The contributions of staff members are recognized for 25 years of service to HWDSB and upon retirement. Personnel records, processes and control of data entry, systems updates and database maintenance are effectively managed to enable accurate and timely reporting of key department functions. Useful, timely and accurate information is provided to the Board of Trustees, administration and community stakeholders. Staffing and Operations HWDSB staff needs are based on Ministry regulations and funding, HWDSB Strategic Directions, the Board s Annual Operating Plan, equitable resource allocation, system needs and alignment with collective agreements. Monitoring processes ensure adherence to key Ministry and Board policy parameters (e.g., class size, prep time, collective agreement requirements, equitable resource allocation) and procedures are in place to adjust staff allocations for school-based staff as required. On-going research regarding HWDSB demographics is conducted and collated to better inform recruiting and hiring practices. Community outreach is implemented to inform members from our diverse community about career opportunities in education in order to address current and emerging staffing needs. RESPONSIBILITY: Director of Education Members of Executive Council Policy No.: 5.0 Human Resources Pillar Page 2
TERMINOLOGY: Attendance Management: A positive approach to absenteeism to help employees develop a willingness to attend work regularly. Collective Bargaining: A good faith process between an organization s management and a trade union representing its employees for negotiating wages, benefits, working conditions and other matters to mutually arrive at a Collective Agreement. Employee Relations: The maintenance of employee/employer relationships that contribute to the successful achievement of organizational goals, motivate employees and ensure healthy employee morale. Grievance Process: A step by step dispute resolution process the parties agree to follow to address alleged violation of Collective Agreement provisions. Harassment: The unwelcome and offensive conduct or comment that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome. It may be related to sex, race, colour, ethnic or place of origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, age, religion or creed, record of offences, sexual orientation, or marital, or family status. Harassment on these grounds is a form of discrimination and is expressly prohibited under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Labour Relations: All matters arising out of employer-employee relationships pertaining to collective bargaining and working conditions. Occupational Health and Safety: The promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of employees in the organization. Progressive Discipline: A process of increasingly formal steps for dealing with job-related behaviour that does not meet expected and communicated performance standards. The primary purpose of progressive discipline is to improve performance through the provision of feedback to the employee to help correct the problem. Succession Planning: The process to systematically identify and develop internal personnel with the potential to fill key organizational positions. ACTION REQUIRED: The development and implementation of specific policies, policy directives and staff development programs that will result in activities and practices that result in effective and efficient human resource management practices. PROGRESS INDICATORS: Data will be collected to measure the degree to which the intended outcomes contained in the Pillar Policy and related specific policies have been achieved. The review will include but not be limited to the following key areas and related components: Policy No.: 5.0 Human Resources Pillar Page 3
Key Areas Strategic Focus Employee and Labour Relations Components 1. Human Resource supports and practices will reflect the Board s commitment to strengthening positive and respectful relationships with employee groups and to promoting safe, respectful and inclusive working and learning environments. This will be done in accordance with the Board s strategic directions, Annual Operating Plan, Ministry guidelines and other legislated requirements and in accordance with the principles of fairness, equity, inclusion, consistency and transparency. 1. Fair and transparent policies, processes and procedures are in place to: a. Recruit, hire, retain, promote and mentor qualified staff for instructional and operational effectiveness; b. Facilitate and support respectful employee and labour relations including engaging employees in planning, decisionmaking, grievance hearings and conducting investigations and appropriate personal conduct / dispute resolution processes and procedures (e.g., Performance Appraisal, Progressive Discipline, Respectful Learning and Working Environment); c. Ensure collective bargaining processes for determining wages, benefits and working conditions are timely, efficient, objective, transparent and aligned with local and provincial priorities. d. Monitor, assess and adjust Occupational Health and Safety practices to promote school and workplace safety, healthy lifestyle practices and a supportive workplace culture for all employees; e. Maximize staff utilization through attendance management procedures that monitor, report and provide improvement and support programs as required; and f. Assess employee commitment and engagement to support professional learning, training and career development programs. 2. Employee professional learning, leadership development and performance management processes promote continuous improvement for all employee groups (e.g. Aspiring Leaders, Leadership Development Programs). 3. The contributions of staff members are recognized for 25 years of service to HWDSB and upon retirement. 4. Personnel records, processes and control of data entry, systems updates and database maintenance are effectively managed to enable accurate and timely reporting of key department functions (e.g. Employee Information System). 5. Useful, timely and accurate information is provided to the Board of Trustees, administration and community stakeholders. Policy No.: 5.0 Human Resources Pillar Page 4
Staffing and Operations 1. The forecasting and planning of HWDSB staff needs is based on Ministry regulations and funding, HWDSB Strategic Directions, the Board s Annual Operating Plan, system needs and alignment with collective agreements. 2. Monitoring processes ensure adherence to key Ministry and Board policy parameters (e.g., class size, prep time, collective agreement requirements) and procedures are in place to adjust staff allocations for school-based staff as required. 3. On-going research regarding HWDSB demographics is conducted and collated to better inform recruiting and hiring practices. 4. Community outreach is implemented to inform members from our diverse community about career opportunities in education in order to address current and emerging staffing needs. REFERENCES: Government Documents Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Education Act Full-Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program Occupational Health and Safety Act Ontario Human Rights Code PPM 152 Terms and Conditions of Employment for Principals and Vice-Principals Workplace Safety and Insurance Act HWDSB Strategic Directions Achievement Matters Engagement Matters Equity Matters HWDSB Policies Strategic Focus Staff Development Employee and Labour Relations Accommodation of Personnel Accessibility (Barrier-Free) Pathways Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Policy (Draft) Diversity and Equity Employee Expense Employee Support Program Harassment HWDSB Collective Agreements Occupational Health and Safety Performance Appraisal Progressive Discipline Pupil Accommodation Review Respectful Working and Learning Environments Policy Directive Workplace Violence Staffing and Operations Policy No.: 5.0 Human Resources Pillar Page 5
Pre-employment Screening Staff Retirement Recognition Policy No.: 5.0 Human Resources Pillar Page 6