Hello fellow coworkers,
As you are probably well-aware, the Wales, like many healthcare facilities, currently faces a staffing crisis. We work short in many departments, which has been very hard on us.
I know I have thanked you in the past for continuing to do your jobs with dignity and grace, for stepping up and doing overtime when needed, and, overall, for sticking by us during these difficult times. Although I may sound repetitive, I continue to be genuinely thankful for each of you and what you are doing to help right now. We could not operate without you!
recruitment:
I am doing what I can to recruit new employees. In August, we posted job offers for Caregivers, LPNs, Nurses, and Housekeeping and Food Services personnel. These postings reached 17,988 people on Facebook and were shared 230 times. Likewise, the postings reached 124 people on Instagram, thirty-six people on LinkedIn, and 6,708 on Jobillico. We also sent our job openings to many post-secondary schools in the area and sent recruitment advertisements to both the St. Felix Journal and Richmond.
From these publications, we received sixty-one applications of which we hired thirteen new employees who already began working or will start in the near future: five Caregivers, one LPN, two Nurses, and five Housekeeping and Food Services employees. Please note I was unable to hire the majority of the applicants because they either live outside of Canada or do not speak English. I will continue to exhaust possible recruitment strategies and do what I can to bring new people to the Wales team.
STAGES:
Please remember that we are hosting final year LPN students from the Lennoxville Vocational Training Centre for their stages. Here are some basic details about each stage:
- September 3rd to September 17th: Seven students will be present for their Basic Care Stage
- October 13th to November 2nd: Six students will be here for their Rehabilitation Stage, at which time they will primarily work with the Therapy Department
- November 3rd to November 23rd: Three students will be onsite for their Rehabilitation Stage
- December 7th to December 22nd: Three students will do their Integration Stage here
Instructor Becky Lefebvre will lead each group. Many of us know Becky from past stages at the Wales. Prior to each stage, I will send a reminder memo in which I will include
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS COMMITTEE:
There will be an Employee Relations Committee (ERC) meeting on Wednesday, September 16th. I encourage you to share any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have with your ERC representatives. We are still looking for people to join the ERC. As an ERC member, you would act as a representative for your coworkers. You address issues you and your colleagues face and you share the contents of the meeting with the employees afterwards. You also play a key role in discussions, changes, policies, and procedures brought forth by Human Resources. If you would like to join, please send me an email at sgrainger@waleshome.ca. I also encourage you to reach out to us if you think one of your coworkers is a good candidate.
NEW EMPLOYEES:
I am pleased to welcome quite a few new employees to the Wales team!
- Connie Coates, Laurie Champigny, Theresa Moyer, and Annie Gervais who started (or will soon start) working as Caregivers
- Marie-Josée Paquin who began working as an LPN
- Josée Caron who will soon start working as a Nurse
- Oliver Liebrecht, Lucretia Coddington, Molly Dion, Catherine Lussier, Luc Beachesne, and Kyrie-Anne Rochealeau, who started (or will soon start) working in Food Services
Welcome! I am so happy to have you on our team.
Sydney Grainger
Human Resources Officer - Employee Relations Coordinator & Hiring Manager
819-826-3266 extension 223