Latest news with #frontlineworkers
CBC
10-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
N.S. government prepares engagement table on gender-based violence
A new engagement group on gender-based violence is intended to bring together subject matter experts, people with lived experience and front-line workers as the Nova Scotia government seeks progress on an issue the legislature declared an epidemic last year. Justice Minister Becky Druhan, who is leading the work, said the approach is based on a similar engagement group used to focus on child care when she was education minister. "It has proven to be a very effective way to ensure that sector and community has real, significant and meaningful input into government work," she said in an interview. Druhan said applications will open soon for up to 25 spots. The group's terms of reference and priorities will be finalized soon and then made public. The minister expects the first meeting to happen in the fall and for subsequent meetings at least once every three months. Bringing together insights and knowledge Although the government appreciates the work the sector is doing, Druhan said officials have also heard feedback that there needs to be a way to "knit together the insights and understanding and knowledge of first voices, of families and survivors and those who work on the front line" with the work the government is doing or planning. During the last meeting of the legislature's standing committee on health, the Liberals put forward a motion to create such a roundtable. A vote had been scheduled for Wednesday's committee meeting. In a news release, the party welcomed Druhan's announcement. "When we listen to the people doing this difficult work every day, and to those directly impacted, we can create better policies that save lives," Liberal MLA Iain Rankin said in the release. "I want to thank the presenters who supported the motion last month. Their insights helped build momentum for this important step. I'm hopeful that this initiative leads to real, coordinated action that helps those who need it most." Despite the Liberal motion, Druhan said the idea of an engagement table was something government officials had previously discussed with people connected to the sector. Must lead to change NDP Leader Claudia Chender said in a statement that the new group would only be successful if it leads to change. "We know what the problems are — and we know what must be done. The recommendations from the Mass Casualty Commission, the Lionel Desmond inquiry, and the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls — all provide us with a path forward. Now we need to do the work." For Chender, stable core funding for organizations that work to address and prevent gender-based violence would be a good first step. After tabling its budget earlier this year, the Progressive Conservatives announced additional funding for transition houses amid concerns there was not enough money being directed at the issue. That new money came after seven women were killed in Nova Scotia in less than five months whose deaths were connected to their male partners.
Fast Company
09-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Frontline workers feel so disconnected, nearly half don't know who their CEO is
Frontline workers, those non-desk workers who do some of the most demanding jobs, don't always feel connected to the company they work for. In fact, many say their team has an entirely distinct culture of its own and that communication with their company leaves a lot to be desired. According to a new global survey of 7,550 workers from Workvivo by Zoom, while frontline workers make up 80% of the global workforce, many say they don't get the recognition they deserve. Frontline workers know how essential their duties are. In fact, 49% say they feel their impact is greater than that of their office colleagues. They just don't feel recognized for it. Likewise, 40% say their company doesn't care about them as a person. A separate corporate culture Overall, according to the new findings, frontline workers feel largely disconnected to in-office culture. A staggering 87% said that their company's culture doesn't apply to frontline workers. Half of frontline workers feel that their team has its own specific culture that doesn't mirror that of the company's overall vibe. And a huge chunk of frontline workers feel so disconnected from their company they don't even know who runs it. Nearly half (46%) said they don't know who their CEO is. One glaring reason why frontline workers feel so disconnected from in-office culture seems to be a lack of communication. According to the report, 38% say they have feedback for higher-ups, but no way of communicating it. Forty-two percent say that the leaders at their company aren't good at reaching out to their team. Forty-eight percent say their company's communication feels irrelevant to frontline workers. Connecting with frontline staff Another recent report by Staffbase similarly found a communication disconnect among frontline workers. The research found only 9% of non-desk workers were very satisfied with internal communication. And it seems to be an issue that leads to overall workplace unhappiness and drives turnover. Sixty-three percent of employees who are considering leaving their position say poor internal communication is a factor. Meanwhile, most frontline workers aren't checked out. In fact, they want more communication. The latest report found that 69% of frontline workers want to better understand their company's decisions. Essentially, those on the frontlines want clear communication, to feel connected, and to be heard by the company they represent. 'Our research shows that frontline employees feel disconnected not because they care less, but because they are engaged less,' said Gideon Pridor, CMO & chief storyteller at Workvivo, by Zoom in a press release. 'To close this critical gap, organizations need to recognize frontline contributions in real time, communicate in ways that are relevant and accessible, and provide clear and visible paths for growth.'
Fast Company
04-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
The most underrated change agent in your company? Your middle manager
When organizations face disruption, whether it's a corporate restructuring, the sunsetting of a product line, or a shift in return-to-office policies, executive teams often turn to internal communications professionals to guide the messaging and navigate change. However, there's a missing link in this equation: the middle manager. As an employee communications cloud platform, we at Staffbase are always looking at what (and who) is impacting the effectiveness of those communications most. Our recently released communication impact study found that direct managers are the most trusted source of information for U.S. employees. Fifty-five percent of respondents reported that their immediate supervisor is their preferred communication channel, and 56% said they place a 'great deal' of trust in them. Despite that trust, there's a glaring disconnect: Non-desk workers, those on the frontlines in healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, and retail, say they are consistently less well-informed than their desk-based colleagues. Simply put, companies can't afford for frontline workers to miss out on their communications efforts. Internal comms teams can set the strategy together with executive leadership, but they must put the effort into fostering the pipeline that supports middle managers who bring these communications to life. The current state of the world is leading many organizations to lay off middle managers, but that's a grave error, severing one of the most vital communications lifelines between upper management and their workforce. Why internal comms can't go it alone The pandemic, ongoing economic volatility, and evolving employee expectations have fundamentally reshaped how companies communicate. In many cases, internal comms teams have shrunk, been centralized to one part of the organization, and generally had their reach stretched thin. The best communications in the world mean little if they aren't reinforced and humanized by the people employees interact with daily. Our research revealed that only 10% of non-desk workers are very satisfied with the internal communication at their companies. Furthermore, nearly 60% of employees who are considering quitting cite poor communication as a significant contributing factor. The implications are clear: If companies want to improve retention, reinforce change, and build trust, they must focus on improving both the quality and consistency of communications with all levels of employees. Since middle managers are one of the most trusted sources of information, organizations need to work toward empowering them to become stronger communicators who can provide that consistency and quality across the business. Closing the information gap between desk and non-desk workers One of the most striking findings in our study was the communication divide between desk-based and non-desk employees. While 67% of desk-based workers say their managers keep them well-informed, that number drops to 48% for frontline workers. This gap is about both access and equity. Frontline employees are often the most critical to day-to-day operations, yet they're also the least likely to receive timely or high-quality updates. Many don't use company email or sit at a desk, meaning they rely heavily on their direct managers to pass down critical information. When that chain breaks, confusion, misinformation, and disengagement follow. Creating dedicated communication processes can better equip managers with the knowledge and ability to deliver key information to those who struggle to receive it most. Tech can be a huge boon in this process. While there's no all-encompassing app that can replace employees' trust in their managers, utilizing an employee app as a main communication channel can help improve frontline access to information. These tools must be paired with training that ensures managers are both enabled and motivated to properly pair these communications channels with necessary in-person communications. Through posts, comments, and real-life conversations, managers will be better equipped to provide the communications support their various employees need. Coaching managers to lead communication, not just tasks We often assume that people management is synonymous with people leadership. However, just because someone oversees a team, doesn't mean they've been trained to navigate tough conversations, deliver clear change updates, or answer sensitive employee questions. Managers can subsequently become bottlenecks, delivering incomplete or inconsistent messages—or worse, avoiding communication altogether. That's where communications coaching comes in. High-performing organizations are starting to view manager communication as a core competency, rather than a desirable trait. They're investing in tools and training that help managers distill key messages, understand the 'why' behind changes, and create space for team dialogue. They're offering templates, talking points, and even in-the-moment coaching for big moments of transformation. The payoff is significant. When it comes to leadership communication, 91% of employees who say that the vision and strategy are 'very clear' also report being very or somewhat happy in their jobs. When managers communicate well, employees are more likely to feel connected to the company's mission, confident about their future, and have clear expectations. What does this look like in practice? Leading organizations are rethinking internal communication as a shared responsibility. They're not asking comms teams to carry the burden alone, they're making it a joint effort between leaders, HR, and middle managers. First, turn to training. Create or bring on formal communications training for all middle managers and leaders of the organization. This will help create a standard for the entire company and unify the skills for every voice across the business. Second, conduct an audit of your current systems and protocols to identify what tools are working well, which audiences are being underserved and what messages have resonated well to date. Third, create a set process for announcements, change and crisis communications. A team with representatives from the aforementioned core groups can work together to create toolkits and talking points that will help translating key messages much simpler and more direct for managers. Leadership may question the investment of time and money into the above efforts, so employee communications teams should work to measure success along the way. Develop a framework that measures the ROI of your communication efforts by tracking metrics like employee satisfaction, behavioral shifts, and impact on critical business goals. Doing so can help shine a light on the bottom line value of these efforts and create further buy-in across the entire team. In moments of uncertainty, employees don't need perfect messaging. They need consistency and transparency, and more than anything, they need to hear it from someone they trust.
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
goHappy Launches Frontline Referrals to Transform Hourly Workforce Hiring
RICHMOND, Va., May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- goHappy, the leading engagement solution for frontline workers, today announced the launch of Frontline Referrals, a new product designed to transform how organizations recruit hourly employees by tapping into their existing workforce as a valuable talent pipeline. Frontline Referrals provides a simple, app-free solution that empowers frontline employees to easily refer friends, family, and former coworkers, while giving employers the tools they need to track, manage, and reward successful hires automatically. The result is faster hiring, lower recruitment costs, and more engaged teams. 'Referrals have always been one of the most effective hiring channels, especially in hourly industries,' said Shawn Boyer, Founder and CEO of goHappy. 'But most referral programs are built for desk workers, not the frontline. We built Frontline Referrals to be radically simple. No logins, no apps, just a fast and transparent way to refer great people and get rewarded.' Designed with both frontline workers and HR teams in mind, Frontline Referrals streamlines every step of the process with: The launch of Frontline Referrals builds on goHappy's mission to help organizations improve retention, engagement, and overall workforce well-being through easy, accessible tools built specifically for the frontline. To learn more, visit: About goHappy goHappy is transforming how employers communicate and engage with their frontline workers by providing the most inclusive and simple app-free frontline engagement technology. The key to goHappy's success is enabling employers to reach 100% of their frontline employees where they already are - in their text messages. The team at goHappy has been operating in the frontline employee space for over 25 years. Its mission is to help ALL frontline workers feel more valued and connected so they can reach their full potential. In turn, employers not only improve communication to maximize engagement and happiness within their frontline employees, but also benefit from the bottom line impact that those improvements deliver. For more information on goHappy and its suite of frontline employee engagement solutions, visit Media Contact: Keith Gordon [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE goHappy
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OSBCU: Ford's Status Quo Education Budget Fails Students, Parents, and Workers
TORONTO, May 26, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), representing over 57,000 frontline education workers, is raising serious concerns following the provincial government's 2025 core education funding announcement, which continues to ignore the escalating crises in Ontario's public education system. Despite claims of increased funding, the funding announcement fails to deliver the investment needed to address chronic understaffing, systemic deficits, and rampant violence in classrooms across Ontario. Instead, the government's announcement simply maintains the status quo, masking deep structural issues with misleading figures. Key budget highlights: Total school board funding for 2025-2026 is projected at $30.3 billion — a 3.3 percent increase over last year. However, with enrolment up 0.6 percent and inflation rising, real per-pupil funding is only increasing by 0.3 percent — a minimal change that remains far below what students and schools need. Apparent increases in funding are predominately due to previously negotiated wage settlements. This funding does not add staff, expand services, or improve student supports. In the provincial budget released on May 15, the government projected meagre increases to total education funding of $100K (0.24%) in 2026-2027 and $200K (0.49%) in 2027-2028. Clearly this government's long-term plans are to continue to starve the education system of the resources students, parents, and workers need. Boards are still bracing for job cuts, as this budget is unlikely to change the trajectory of announced job reductions — exacerbating the staffing crisis and undermining already strained school operations. "There is a clear crisis in Ontario's public education system and the Ford government has turned their backs on education staff and students in their 2025 budget. There are no major policy changes, no new support for school boards in deficit, and nothing to address the real crisis in understaffing in public education," says Joe Tigani, President of the OSBCU. "This budget isn't just disappointing — it's dangerous." While the Ford government's budget on May 15 announced $30 billion over 10 years for new schools and childcare spaces, it offered no plan or funding for the education workers needed to staff them outside of teachers — a step that ignores the understaffing crisis facing thousands of overburdened frontline education staff across all job classifications. "Students deserve well-resourced schools and education workers deserve respect and fair working conditions," says Tigani. "That means providing immediate and substantial new funding to address staffing shortages across all education worker classifications, restoring real per-pupil funding to meet actual student and school needs, and implementing a funding strategy that reflects inflation and enrolment. The OSBCU will continue to fight until this government delivers the funding that public education in Ontario desperately needs." About the OSBCU The Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) represents over 57,000 frontline education workers in Ontario's publicly funded schools, including educational assistants, custodians, early childhood educators, clerical staff, and more. :kl/cope491 View source version on Contacts For more information, contact:Shannon CarrancoCUPE Communicationsscarranco@ 514-703-8358 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
