Rhonda Lenton, vice-provost academic, and Sharon Hooper, assistant vice-president, human resources, have issued this invitation to the York community:
York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, Patrick Monahan, vice-president academic & provost, Gary Brewer, vice-president finance & administration, and the Better Workplace Management Team, invite all employees to join them in York’s Creating a Better Workplace Community Forums.
We want your input, your opinions and for you to tell us first hand what you think we need to do and what changes we need to make as we continue to look at how we can make York a better place to work for everyone.
Since last fall, the Better Workplace Management Team has consulted with various members of the York community about how to create a more engaged and effective workplace that enhances York as an employer of choice and strengthens employee relations. Initial consultations have taken place with members of the union executives, the senior academic administration and Confidential, Professional and Managerial (CPM) employees. On the basis of that input, four key areas have been identified as priorities:
1. Enhancing leadership and change management: To ensure that the necessary tools and resources are in place for excellence in leadership and change management including a review of best practices to enhance the structures, policies and procedures that support change and a better workplace.
2. Building an engaged and effective workplace: To enhance the workplace so that all employees have meaningful and effective work where they are engaged and see the results of their contributions.
3. Addressing difficult and/or long-standing issues: To understand how to have positive conversations about challenging topics, resolving long-standing issues that impact on employee and labour relations.
4. Improving labour relations environment: To promote respectful, honest, enduring relationships between management and all union members.
In February, the Better Workplace Management Team began a second round of consultations, called “Fashioning Solutions” to get community feedback on these themes and to identify specific initiatives to address the four themes.
While the input received to date has been invaluable… now it’s your turn.
Before implementing the Better Workplace Strategy, the team wants to give all York employees the opportunity to learn about the strategy and provide input on one of the four themes. The Creating a Better Workplace Community Forums will include small break-out sessions that will be facilitated by members of the Better Workplace Team.
Two community forums have been arranged and are open to all York University employees (a third forum is in the planning stage).
- Community Session #1: Wednesday, May 4, from 8:30 to 11am, Vari Hall “A”.
- Community Session #2: Friday, May 6, from 8:30 to 11am, Robert McEwen Auditorium, Seymour Schulich Building.
These sessions are important and are considered to be part of your work day, so please mark the date(s) in your calendars and join us at one of the Creating a Better Workplace Community Forums.