2022

Stronger Together: Registration is Open!

The Western Canada Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (WCR&HCA) will be hosting an unforgettable event in Waikiki, Hawaii, from Feb. 5–9, 2023. This must-attend conference offers industry speakers, education and an array of networking opportunities in one of the world’s most beautiful locations. For more information, flip to page 15 and head to the event website to register: www.lesterfiles.com/stc2023.

PCL Receives United Way National Award 

In September, PCL Construction received the National Community Champion Award from United Way Canada. This esteemed recognition showcases relationships throughout Canada that are fundamental to successfully achieving United Way’s mission.

Those who receive this award demonstrate exemplary commitment to improving their communities through excellence in fundraising, engagement, advocacy or development of the non-profit and charitable sector in Canada.

“To say that receiving this award is an honour would be a massive understatement,” said PCL president and CEO, Dave Filipchuk. “It’s very special to be recognized for the annual campaigns across our districts that all of us at PCL take pride in. Thank you to United Way for acknowledging our efforts and thank you to our PCL family for continuing to show commitment to our communities with ongoing generosity and a long-running relationship with United Way.”

Last year, PCL collectively raised $5.1 million for United Way.

Canada and Saskatchewan Invest in Northern Airport Infrastructure

On Aug. 31, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, and Jim Lemaigre, MLA for Athabasca, on behalf of the Honourable Jeremy Cockrill, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Highways, announced $2.9 million in joint funding for upgrades to six northern airports.

The airports in La Loche, Île-à-la-Crosse, Sandy Bay, Cumberland House and Pinehouse Lake will benefit from $1.25 million in combined federal and provincial funding to install All Weather Observation Systems (AWOS). The AWOS provides accurate, uninterrupted, real-time information and reports on airport weather conditions.

“The projects announced today are vital to ensuring safe, secure and efficient travel for visitors and residents of Northern Saskatchewan. These investments, made possible through collaboration with the Government of Saskatchewan, will foster community growth for years to come,” Federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities Dominic LeBlanc said.

“Saskatchewan’s northern airports connect communities to vital public services like air ambulance, law enforcement and fire suppression. These investments will ensure northern airports can provide safe, timely and reliable service,” Jim Lemaigre, Saskatchewan MLA for Athabasca, said on behalf of Saskatchewan’s Minister of Highways Jeremy Cockrill.

In addition, the airports in La Loche, Île-à-la-Crosse, Pinehouse Lake and Patuanak will see upgrades to airfield lighting that will improve safety and reliability. The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are each investing $825,000 in these projects for a combined $1.65 million investment.

“People across northern Saskatchewan rely on community airports to connect them to friends, family and medical services. These improvements will help to keep those connections strong,” said Pinehouse Mayor Mike Natomagan.

The Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan are each investing $1.45 million dollars into these projects.

Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce in Favour of the Government of Saskatchewan’s Four-point Affordability Plan

The Government of Saskatchewan’s four-point affordability plan, released on Aug. 23, will support Saskatchewan businesses as they continue to persevere through the current COVID-19 recovery phase.

“We continue to navigate the impacts of the pandemic, such as labour market challenges, supply chain disruptions and inflation,” said Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce (SCC) CEO Prabha Ramaswamy. “Many of our members have voiced that they are still facing significant challenges in sustaining their business – specifically with escalating costs. Therefore, we welcome the provincial government’s announcement of a four-point affordability plan.”

In particular, the SCC commends the extension of the small business tax rate reduction to 2024 to help mitigate the economic impacts that the Saskatchewan business community is experiencing.

“This will assist small businesses in saving costs during this time of inflation and supply chain disruptions,” said Ramaswamy.

The SCC also applauds the government’s decision to retire up to $1 billion in operating debt, resulting in significant savings on the cost to service the debt.

“Right now, businesses value a fiscally prudent government that pays down debt and also invests in its people and in the future of the province,” said Ramaswamy.

While the SCC is pleased to see the removal of fitness and gym memberships and some recreational activities for those under 18 from the planned October PST expansion announced as part of the 2022–23 budget, it encourages the provincial government to consider expanding the PST exemption to other sectors and demographics.

“We look forward to further consultations and discussions with the Government of Saskatchewan on how the projected surplus can be invested to support business,” said Ramaswamy.

Saskatchewan Research Council Achieves Significant Milestone in Advancing Canada’s Rare Earth Element Supply Chain

In August, Minister Jeremy Harrison was presented with the first metal ingots ever produced in Canada. The ingots were processed by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) during a successful test run of the metals smelting unit at its under-construction Rare Earth Processing Facility.

Metal ingots, a rare earth metal, are the key ingredient used to manufacture permanent magnets, which are used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics, etc.

In June 2022, an additional $20 million in funding for the facility was announced by the Government of Saskatchewan to expand its capabilities and move further down the rare earth element (REE) value chain with the addition of a metals smelting unit that will produce these ingots.

“This milestone shows the incredible progress that SRC is making towards a key element of our Government’s 2030 Growth Plan and in fact, now actually exceeds that original objective,” Minister Responsible for SRC Jeremy Harrison said. “Our investments into this facility are already starting to show impacts that will be highly valuable over the coming decades.”

“SRC is proud to be a world leader in REE processing and separation technologies and now to be able to add metal processing to that list, is an incredible accomplishment,” SRC president and CEO Mike Crabtree said. “The production of rare earth metal is a very important, strategic step for the facility, for Saskatchewan and in establishing a rare earth supply chain in Canada.”

The fully integrated, three-stage Rare Earth Processing Facility will be the first-of-its-kind in North America and will be producing REE products for sale in the international market in 2024, including individual rare earth oxides and didymium metals.

SRC is Canada’s second largest research and technology organization. With 350 employees, $275 million in annual revenue and 75 years of experience, SRC provides services and products to its 1,400 clients in 25 countries around the world.

Brandt to Create up to 200 Jobs with New Moose Jaw Trailer Factory

The Brandt Group of Companies is pleased to be opening a new utility trailer manufacturing facility in Moose Jaw with production expected to start in 2022. Brandt plans to create up to 200 positions over the next three years including assemblers, welders, material handlers, engineers and supervisors.

“Brandt is excited to become an active member of the Moose Jaw business community and we will be hiring local contractors to prepare the facility for production,” said Murray Yeager, Brandt vice president, Manufacturing. “Later, when the upgrades are complete, we will employ local vendors for everything from supplies and janitorial services to maintenance and snow removal.”

Moose Jaw was considered an ideal location, with its strong workforce and history as a centre for trailer production. The move is being made to free up space at Brandt’s North Regina Works campus to expand production for other product lines.

Brandt also has long-term plans for additional expansion to the plant to produce utility trailers for North America-wide distribution.

The 64,000 square foot facility was originally home to General Cable and was purchased by Brandt in 2012. 

A refresher on WCB claims as we head into a busy construction season

By Cliff Gerow, Injury Solutions Canada

Spring has sprung, the grass is green and we wonder where the construction is? It’s everywhere! Thank goodness it’s construction season again.

With construction season comes seasonal work and seasonal workers, so we thought it was time to do some quick reminders for employers about the pitfalls that face us during the short season as it pertains to workers and injuries.

We have gone over this topic before, but a quick refresher is never a bad thing.

Do you have a solid hiring plan? What? Yes, a hiring plan. Besides the obvious questions – are they qualified for the job, do they fit your organization, etc. – have you considered a fit for duty assessment for all new employees? This is a screening, usually by a physical therapist, that takes about an hour, costs approximately $100 and provides very objective findings about whether the applicants are physically able to fulfill the role you are asking them to do. It is amazing how much this small investment can save you in the long haul in lost time and downtime.

Do you have an established, documented return to work (RTW) program? It is required by the WCB Act and is vital for your company to react quickly in the event there is an injury in the workplace and to prevent unnecessary lost time incidents that could have been prevented. This plan, if you have one, is of no value if no one knows about it and it is collecting dust on a shelf somewhere. Every employee, no matter their level, must be made aware of it. That includes what the program involves, what each employee’s responsibilities are and what their individual expectations are, as well as the expectations of all other stakeholders within the program to make it operate properly. We suggest, in the strongest terms possible, that every employee be made aware of the program and that their participation in it is a condition of their employment. Do this during each employee’s onboarding event, document it and have the employee sign off. We also suggest that this be repeated on at least a semi-annual basis and mention the program regularly at toolbox meetings or other safety discussions.

Have a functioning safety program on site – again, not just on paper but as part of the culture of your company. This means that once everyone has been instructed on the safety of the site, ensure that all infractions, no matter how small, are documented and take the opportunity to educate. I know this can be a pain at times, but as we have always said, documentation will set you free! This is true if it comes to a WCB claim, a harassment claim or any other such dilemma you find yourself in. Photographs speak volumes and you can’t have enough, trust me, so take them from all angles and have something with a scale in them to prove size and shape, if necessary.

Ensure all equipment is safe. Employees must follow proper procedures for use and maintenance. Early Monday mornings or late Friday afternoons are always the “danger hours,” when it can be tempting to try get things done before deadlines or before the end of the day, but we all want to go home in one piece. Take the time to take the time.

An unseen injury is a difficult injury to work with. Discussing psychological injuries could be an article in and of itself, but for now, we’ll let you know that the WCB in Saskatchewan has assigned a single point of contact in dealing with these types of injuries. All stakeholders will have the same person to contact, so we are hoping that should streamline the process and make communication easier, although for employers, that has not yet been the experience to date, but we are hopeful.

The Saskatchewan WCB is also ending its COVID-19 cost relief in June and that will have direct impact on employers; you will have to deal with COVID-related claims as any other communicable disease, which will make them much more difficult to claim. This is just an FYI for all.

Now I know what you are all thinking, and we hear this all the time, “I am not in the business of doing all this kind of stuff, I am in the business of building things. How do I do all of this and do what I love to do?”

That is where we and other third-party operators come into play. Like you, we are good at preparing all these plans, presenting them to you and your staff and dealing with all the other headaches in your life. 

Making the effort to modify behaviour

By Ashton Butler, MLT Aikins LLP

Progressive discipline is a straightforward concept that is frequently underutilized or misapplied. Employers often run into problems where they plan to terminate an employee for just cause but realize that they have not properly engaged the progressive discipline process. Failing to engage in progressive discipline can have the further unintended consequence of giving an employee the expectation that the employer has condoned a particular type of behaviour. Accordingly, progressive discipline is an important tool that should remain front of mind for employers and be utilized where appropriate.

In a nutshell, progressive discipline requires that an employer engage in a series of increasingly severe disciplinary steps designed to modify an employee’s behaviour. The underlying principle is one of preventative and corrective action – the intention is that the employee will learn through experience and will face the threat of more serious discipline if their behaviour is not corrected.

Progressive discipline can be beneficial for employers in two regards. Generally speaking, progressive discipline allows an employer to:

Intervene and communicate to an employee that their behaviour or actions are unacceptable and to correct issues early; and

Create documentation to demonstrate that an employee was treated fairly and was appropriately warned of the consequences of their actions.

Where progressive discipline eventually leads to a termination for just cause, documentation confirming that an employee was made aware of the issues and was clearly warned of the consequences for failure to correct problematic actions or behaviour may provide the employer with a defensible argument for termination for cause.

Progressive discipline is more commonly used where a single incident of misconduct is not so egregious to justify termination for just cause.

Managing employees who continuously violate a workplace policy or fail to perform their job duties can undoubtedly be a frustrating process for employers. When progressing down the path of progressive discipline, employers should be mindful that if an employee repeatedly engages in the same type of misconduct, it may be appropriate for the employer to move through the progressive discipline process more quickly than if the employee engages in different, unrelated types of misconduct. Ultimately, each case of progressive discipline should be assessed individually, based on the specific circumstances of the case.

The law of progressive discipline

Courts are typically more likely to uphold a just cause termination where the employer had previously warned the employee that a particular type of conduct is unacceptable and clearly and unequivocally warned the employee of the consequences for repeated conduct, namely the potential termination of employment.

Written documentation of the progressive discipline steps is particularly important.

An example of a case where an employer’s termination of an employee for just cause for incompetence was upheld is the Saskatchewan case of Schutte v Radio CJVR Ltd., 2009 SKCA 92 (“Radio CJVR”). In that case, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal overturned what it held to be an overly stringent test imposed by the trial judge, ultimately holding that the applicable standard for just cause termination for incompetence is not one of an employee being “incapable” of performing their job duties, but a question of whether the individual was “consistently failing to meet a reasonable standard of performance” (Radio CJVR at para 17).

A key takeaway from the Radio CJVR case is that the Court of Appeal noted that while the standard of deficiency necessary to constitute grounds for summary dismissal is stringent where there is no significant misconduct such as dishonesty or gross insubordination, the standard of incompetence to constitute grounds for summary dismissal for incompetence is less stringent where the employee has been provided repeated notice that their performance is deficient, considerable assistance has been given to help them improve and clear warning was provided that failure to improve will result in termination of employment.

The Court of Appeal ultimately held that the employer’s expectations regarding job performance were reasonable, the employee failed to meet the reasonable standard of performance, the employer provided clear and unequivocal warnings, and the warnings clearly indicated that the employee would be dismissed if the standard was not met. Given these factors, the test for just cause dismissal was met and the employer was entitled to terminate the employee for just cause.

Another case that is illustrative of the importance of progressive discipline is Parent v Spielo Manufacturing Incorporated, 2013 NBQB 394, where the court upheld a just cause termination on the basis of incompetence. In that case, the employee’s job performance was addressed on a regular basis and the employer communicated concerns and gave suitable instructions to the employee to meet its standards. The employee was also given warning that a failure to meet the employer’s standards would result in dismissal. The court stated, “[i]t seems clear that [the employee] was not listening to the constant message that she had to improve her performance to maintain her employment at [the employer], otherwise she would be dismissed.”

The two case law examples above arise in non-unionized settings. The principles of progressive discipline for non-unionized employers addressed in this article are similar in unionized environments, subject to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the employer and the union.

Creating a progressive discipline policy

A proper progressive discipline policy is one that allows an employer to track an employee’s progress by implementing a step system, or formalized set of stages. Common stages of progressive discipline that can be formalized into a progressive discipline policy can include:

• Verbal warning
• Written warning
• Suspension (with or without pay, depending on whether the employee’s employment agreement or the employer’s policy allows for suspension without pay, or potentially any applicable collective bargaining agreement terms)
• Final warning
• Discharge

It is typically recommended that an employer’s progressive discipline policy include a general clause that indicates that the employer retains the discretion to deviate from the discipline policy based on a review of the individual circumstances of each case.

It is recommended that employers obtain legal advice with respect to the appropriate approach to the progressive disciplinary process. The appropriate approach may depend on an organization’s progressive discipline policy. 

Ashton Butler is a management-side labour and employment lawyer with MLT Aikins LLP in Regina.

This article was originally published in the Spring/Summer 2022 edition of HR Saskatchewan magazine and is reprinted with permission from CPHR Saskatchewan and the author.

The B.C. Builders Code provides the right tools

By Deb Draper

The B.C. Builders Code, created in 2019 by the BC Construction Association (BCCA) and its partners, is a new and powerful tool helping the construction industry grow and prosper into the future.

The industry is facing an ominous deficit of construction workers in the coming years. Yet BuildForce Canada reports that of the one million tradespeople employed in the construction industry in 2021, only five per cent of the on-site construction workforce were women. It isn’t much better for Indigenous people and new Canadians.

Looking for solutions, BCCA applied to the provincial government to fund development of a project to improve retention of tradeswomen in the industry. In 2018, they received funding and expertise from the provincial and federal governments, stakeholders in the industry as well as project owner LNG Canada.

Building the Code

Lisa Stevens, chief strategy officer at BCCA took the lead on the project.

“In the course of speaking to hundreds of tradeswomen, we heard clearly that they did not want us to create a program that would further shine a spotlight on them or make it appear there was any preferential treatment,” said Stevens. “They just want to be able to do their work like everyone else. We were well aware of the lack of diversity in construction and overall skilled workforce shortage, along with high turnover of all workers in the first year. We soon realized the need to provide an effective tool for employers looking to attract and retain not just tradeswomen, but to build an overall diverse and inclusive workforce.”

This led to the idea of a Code of Conduct for everyone on a worksite.

“The approach we took was that we know safety is extremely important in the construction industry,” said Stevens. “We needed to work on cultural understanding and acceptance of the idea that if you allow negative behaviours on your worksite, you don’t have a safe worksite.

“This concept that safety is about psychological hazards, as well as physical, has generally been accepted in the industry, and a lot of employers and crews are there already. But what the Builders Code does is give them the language and ability to profile this priority in a way everybody understands. We’re used to working with building to code in our industry, so the idea that we have a code for behaviour fits the vernacular.”

One of the biggest issues in developing an inclusive culture is for individuals to become aware of their own behaviour, to realize that something they might be doing or saying is harmful to other people.

“A big part of adopting the Builders Code is about unlearning,” said Stevens. “Maybe I offer to carry something for someone because it’s heavy, but they don’t need me to make that offer. I feel like I’m being kind, but maybe it’s demeaning to that person. There’s so much behaviour that we do, and don’t understand how it might affect others.”

An acceptable worksite

The Builders Code sets a standard code of conduct through defining an “Acceptable Worksite” for reducing risk and ensuring a safe and productive environment for all workers. At www.builderscode.ca/signthepledge, employers can download and sign a personalized pledge indicating their commitment to build a workforce where all employees are able to perform at their best and reach their full potential.

“We encourage employers to sign the pledge,” said Stevens. “It isn’t mandatory, but if they do, we’ll promote their company on our website. This is a powerful way to show potential employees and clients they support the Builders Code Acceptable Worksite standards. We’re finding that tradespeople seeking work are looking for a Builders Code company where they’ll be treated with respect and given opportunities.

“We have different-sized companies on board, but recently, Teck Resources, Ltd., a very large mining company, signed the Builders Code [Acceptable Worksite] Pledge. BC Hydro also signed and went further by having all their main contractors on their Site C Project sign the pledge.”

Benefits of adopting the Builders Code

“The construction industry is one of many industries that suffer from the impacts of mental health issues,” said Jaret Swanson, manager of Consultation & Education Services for Construction at WorkSafeBC. “We see that taking the Builders Code [Acceptable Worksite] Pledge and committing to building a more inclusive ‘construction community,’ will result in a psychologically safer and more accepting work environment with all the value-added benefits that brings.”

Chelle Wright, an occupational safety officer on WorkSafeBC’s construction team, has worked in construction for more than 20 years and recalls that when she started, positions for women were very limited.

“As time passed, the idea that women do not belong in construction began to change, and I was able to expand my knowledge and experience within a world that had previously been very gender-biased,” said Wright.

Wright credits the Builders Code, BCCA, WorkSafeBC and other partners with assisting in these changes and raising awareness of the need for them to continue.

“The best ideas don’t come from an individual, but from the collaboration of many. Promoting psychological health and safety in the workplace allows all workers to have a fulfilling and safe work environment regardless of gender, ethnic background or sexual identity,” she said.

It isn’t only workers who benefit from changing perceptions and actions. According to a 2018 article, “Delivering through Diversity,” by McKinsey & Company, “Companies have increasingly begun to regard inclusion and diversity as a source of competitive advantage and specifically as a key enabler of growth.” In “The Value of Diversity and Inclusion in the Canadian Construction Industry,” the Canadian Construction Industry (CCA) concludes that this advantage touches on many dimensions: productivity, revenue, market share, employee retention, innovation and more – resulting in an improved bottom line.

Acceptable worksite policies

The Builders Code team has developed two Worksite Policy models: one from smaller employers and those new to workplace culture, and another for larger employers or those interested in more developed policies. The policies are written in real language and can be changed in any way that works best for each company. These policies are free and have already been downloaded thousands of times.

Further resources

Through BCCA, the Builders Code offers several two-hour training sessions and one full-day session covering topics of direct interest to construction employers looking to develop and strengthen their commitment to achieve acceptable worksites and increased employee retention.

Stevens says there is a fee for the training sessions, but the Crew Training app is free to download and covers the basics of unacceptable worksite behaviour.

“Workers onsite can download our app onto a phone, watch a quick ‘Cool or Tool’ real-life scenario each day, and answer a couple of questions about the video. We use animated tools in the videos instead of people and the use of humour makes it easier to talk about things,” said Stevens.

Builders Code Employers Advisors can help with the adoption of the Builders Code or navigating human resource situations on the worksite related to hazing, harassment and bullying with the goal to retain the tradesperson.

What’s next?

After coming off the pilot project just over a year ago, the Builders Code is self-sustaining and growing, managed fully by BCCA, and is in the process of hiring a full-time provincial manager.

“Both the Northwest Territories and Nunavut recently signed on, and we hope we can continue to grow and get more official B.C. licensees in other jurisdictions,” said Stevens. “There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we have received a very positive reception across the industry. When we went back to those companies that had been early signatories to see how the pilot worked, across the board, the experience in the crews has been very positive. Everybody gets it and are willing to make the changes. We’re just helping them along.” 

This article was originally published in Issue 3 2022 of Piling Canada magazine and is reprinted with permission.

How to identify and overcome bottlenecks

Submitted by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Jeani Ringkob founded StoryBuilt Growth Strategy & Marketing after nearly a decade in the asphalt paving business and has helped several businesses grow and develop in the construction world. In the presentation she gave during World of Asphalt 2022, “Overcoming the Bottleneck in Your Business: How to Identify It Fast and Fix It Right, Every Time,” she explained that businesses are a lot like airplanes.

Ringkob explained that both businesses and airplanes require constant attention, regular maintenance, periodic enhancement and dutiful repairs to keep themselves up in the air. Identifying bottlenecks in a business is just as important as identifying faults on an airplane – failing to do so could result in a crash.

Ringkob broke the anti-bottleneck process down to three stages:

• Identify
• Investigate
• Implement

When it comes to identifying bottlenecks, she said a lot of it comes down to examining decision-making. Are the business’s leaders making the right decision at the right time? If not, she explains that can lead to wasted resources, missed opportunities, mediocre employees, costly mistakes – bottlenecks.

The reason inefficient decision making can lead to bottlenecks is that it can take leadership’s focus off growth, confident decision making, investment, new products and more, and instead force leaders to focus on survival. Successful businesses focus on growth, stalled companies focus on keeping the lights on tomorrow.

Once the problem is identified, Ringkob says the next step is to investigate what has been found. Was alignment found between company, product and customer? What was found about the company’s strengths and weaknesses, and those of the competition? What does the company’s pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase strategy look like? What can be done to improve what has been found?

Whatever the investigation has found to be a potential solution to the identified bottleneck, that solution is going to need to be implemented strategically. Ringkob recommends the “O.M.E.N.” test:

• Objective: Set the result the business intends to achieve
• Measurement: How will progress be measured?
• Evaluation: The frequency at which measurement will be reviewed
• Nurture: How the business will tweak things as new data comes in

Ultimately, Ringkob emphasized that a lot hinges on communication. She says communication must be simple, and it must work, both internally and externally. 

For more from Jeani Ringkob, she will present on “Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent at Every Level” and “Strategic Decision Making for Increased Margins” at CONEXPO-CON/AGG, running March 14–18, 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. CONEXPO-CON/AGG offers entire education tracks to help businesses “Attract, Engage & Retain Talent” and “Business Best Practices.” Visit conexpoconagg.com to learn more. The Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association is a supporting organization to CONEXPO-CON/AGG.

Construction workers need good nutrition to stay strong and safe on the job

By Ligia Braidotti

A construction worker’s job can be demanding and physically taxing, especially on the body. With the nature of construction being what it is, workers perform physical labour in conditions that can put them at a higher risk for injury. While the employees’ long-term health is important, they must maintain a high level of performance while on the job. In addition, proper nutrition can prevent issues and improve recovery time when injuries occur.

A hungry construction worker can become tired and lightheaded, making them more prone to injury on site. A tired employee is more likely to be injured than one who has had adequate rest and eaten enough food throughout their shift.

However, it’s essential to understand that a healthy diet will differ for everyone. According to Brooke Bulloch, a registered dietitian and CEO at Food to Fit Nutrition, people should know that the complexities of their lives play a significant role in how, why and what they eat.

“There really isn’t a one-size-fits-all diet, and nutrition wellness involves so much more than ‘eat this, not that,’” said Bulloch. “We invite clients to dig into these aspects for a deeper understanding of how to best work with barriers that make it difficult to improve nutrition intake and wellbeing.”

Businesses can’t afford to have malnourished workers on construction sites. According to the International Labour Office (ILO), a poor diet on the job costs companies around the world 20 per cent in lost productivity. Bulloch adds that poorly hydrated, hungry workers can become inefficient, and it increases the risk for errors.

“Similar to sports performance, dehydration and under-fueling are major contributors to mental and physical fatigue causing reduced performance,” she said.

A lack of quality nutrition can lead to many health problems – specifically weight-related issues. This can be especially true for manual labourers, who spend much of their workday on the move, physically exerting themselves. The ILO study found that one in six people worldwide is either malnourished or overweight. Although the food at the workplace is often not a priority, the ILO study states, “It is often a ‘missed opportunity’ to increase productivity and morale.

“Canteens, if they exist, routinely offer an unhealthy and unvaried selection. Vending machines are regularly stocked with unhealthy snacks. Local restaurants can be expensive or in short supply. Street foods can be bacteria-laden. Workers sometimes have no time or place to eat.”

The study asserts that food is essential for the employment of a productive workforce and the protection of workers. At the same time, the right to safe drinking water and freedom from hunger are fundamental human rights. Additionally, Bulloch says that employers should provide their workers with the nutrition they need to stay fit and healthy while working.

“Employers can help most by ensuring that employees have opportunities for hydration and meal breaks throughout the day. Certainly, the day can get busy, and I can imagine it’s tough to break up the day in the middle of an important project,” Bulloch said. “We encourage employers to add dietitian coverage to personal health benefits packages. This allows the employee to seek personalized care for unique health issues they may be running into – quick and easy meal and snack ideas; managing a health condition; struggling with physical symptoms that affect the quality of life, energy or focus. Everyone’s needs are unique. Therefore, one-on-one sessions seem to be most effective.” 

Tips for staying nourished on the job

Staying nourished on the job should be a priority for construction workers and employers.

Brooke Bulloch with Food to Fit Nutrition provides some simple tips on how you can ensure you’re taking care of yourself:

• Eat every three to four hours to maintain energy levels and prevent blood sugar dips
• Choose nutrient-dense meals that include carbohydrates and protein
  • Snack suggestions:
    • Protein bar and fruit
    • Fruit and nut trail mix
    • Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole-grain bread
    • Banana and hard-boiled eggs
    • Crackers, cheese and a few turkey-based meat sticks

• Limit fatty foods to keep your energy up: greasy meals can slow you down, cause fatigue and upset your digestive tract
  • Meal suggestions:
    • Wrap or pita with lean meat, tofu, beans or chickpeas
    • Burrito bowl with rice, veggies and meat or beans
    • Vegetable soup and sandwich combo

• Add veggies where you can: your body needs antioxidants to combat cell breakdown and keep you healthy. Don’t worry too much about portions but add extra veggies to your meals.
• On hot days, when you’re sweating and trying to stay hydrated with water, be sure to replenish sodium with an electrolyte beverage or mix, such as Hydrolyte tablets or a bottle of G2
  • Sodium is the most lost electrolyte in sweat and helps keep you hydrated
  • Sodium depletion causes nausea, dizziness and mental and physical fatigue
  • Sodium and water can help prevent or reduce the severity of muscle cramping
  • Add 1/8 tsp of salt to 500ml coconut water for sodium replacement

The Canadian Construction Association is helping to create a long-term plan for sustainable infrastructure investment

By Mary Van Buren, Canadian Construction Association

Every aspect of our modern lives is touched by the infrastructure designed, built and maintained by the construction industry.

It’s schools for our kids and the hospitals that care for us. It’s the reason we have clean water and that our homes and businesses are heated or air-conditioned and running with electricity. It’s the roads, bridges and trade corridors that connect our communities not only to each other but also to the global marketplace.

An investment in infrastructure is an investment in Canada’s growth economy and the health, safety and wellbeing of Canadians.

It’s time to invest in Canada.

Investing in infrastructure

As the industry’s national advocate, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has been working to help shape a long-term plan for sustainable infrastructure investment – one that is aligned with the current and future needs of provinces, municipalities and Indigenous communities. One size does not fit all. More consultation and early engagement need to happen.

With reports that Canada has fallen from 10th to 32nd in terms of global trade infrastructure, CCA has been working in partnership with the Western Canada Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association (WCR&HCA) to improve investment in the trade corridor. Scaling up our trade infrastructure will build supply chain capacity, support green innovation and emerging technologies, create transformational jobs and fuel our global competitiveness.

Our industry can be the path to green and the road to economic prosperity, but we need supportive policies and a national plan backed by a long-term investment strategy. More is needed if Canada wants to compete globally, expand into new and emerging markets, attract investors and boost employment.

Canada’s proposed first-ever National Infrastructure Assessment is an important step to creating a longer-term vision for Canada’s infrastructure planning – one that is expected to include establishing an independent advisory body that can provide balanced and expert-guided advice. We need to move from quick fixes to a strategy that focuses on long-term solutions and value for Canadians.

Building workforce capacity

Building workforce capacity and developing the workforce we need would go a long way in addressing both our immediate and future infrastructure needs. Skilled tradespeople cannot be created overnight. We need to build a pipeline of talent. More attention needs to be placed on attracting youth, women, Indigenous peoples, immigrants and foreign workers to address the shortage of skilled workers in construction.

CCA’s Talent Fits Here initiative is our industry’s united effort to build workforce capacity by shifting perceptions and showing the diversity of opportunities that exist in construction. We are also excited to be collaborating with the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum and other partners to promote the new Apprenticeship Service program. This program will provide financial support to employers across the country who hire new first-year apprentices in 39 Red Seal trades. These incentives will help small businesses hire more workers and give apprentices from under-represented groups more training and opportunity.

Important work is also being done by associations and employers to address diversity, equity and inclusion within the industry. Companies across Canada are recruiting more from underrepresented groups and developing HR policies and programs focused on organizational change. Associations have put in place programs to introduce students to the trades or help newcomers find good paying jobs in construction.

Modernizing procurement

The federal government must be prepared to lead the way by adapting procurement policies to support fair competition, innovation and shared risk. Engaging with contractors earlier and moving away from the lowest bid model will encourage the use of new processes, better practices, alternative energy and more sustainable materials. CCA’s annual Meech Lake meeting with government leaders resulted in a commitment to establish a working group on procurement modernization. We are eager to collaborate on ways to remove restrictive RFP requirements and increase participation.

Building for today’s communities and tomorrow’s Canada requires long-term planning, but the investment pays dividends in return by accelerating economic recovery, increasing jobs and the diversity of opportunities available in the sector, combatting climate change and supporting growth and innovation.

Stay in touch!

Canada will be counting on the construction industry to build back better. You can count on CCA to be a collaborative partner to the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association, providing helpful tools, sharing best practices across the country and being your voice with the federal government.

Stay in the loop by subscribing to CCA’s newsletter at bit.ly/ccasubscribe, by following @ConstructionCAN on Twitter or by looking up Canadian Construction Association on LinkedIn. 

Mary Van Buren is the president of the Canadian Construction Association.