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1. Have a well-balanced meal. Don’t skip what a midday break
is intended for: eating. Choose nutritious foods that provide
energy for the rest of the day.
2. Get to know colleagues. Socializing with coworkers or your
manager over lunch can strengthen connections. You could
also network with contacts from other departments.
3. Track professional goals. Use the time to meet with your
mentor to discuss career progress.
4. Step away from work. Getting out and taking a real break can
help you return to the office more productive. Try exercising
or walking to clear your mind.
5. Take time for yourself. Running errands or taking care
of personal tasks during lunch can result in a shorter to-do
list later.
MAJORITY OF WORKPLACE LEARNING TAKES
PLACE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Informal learning has surpassed more formal activities to become
the dominant method for workplace learning in Canada. More
than three-quarters (78 per cent) of respondents in a Conference
Board of Canada survey indicated that they spend up to two hours
per week on self-learning on the job.
This new report, Informal Learning: A Spotlight on Hidden
Learning in the Canadian Workplace, finds that 62 per cent of
learning activity in Canadian organizations is informal, compared
to only 38 per cent for formal learning. This is a marked increase
from 2004, when only 12 per cent of learning taking place in orga-nizations
was through informal activities and formal learning
made up 88 per cent.
“There is a growing disconnect as the majority of learning oppor-tunities
provided by Canadian organizations are formal, yet the
majority of meaningful learning that is actually occurring accord-ing
to employees is informal,” said Colin Hall, associate director,
Organizational Performance, The Conference Board of Canada.
Informal learning is learning that takes place without a curricu-lum.
Employees establish their own objectives and determine for
themselves when they have completed them. Examples of informal
learning can include activities such as asking co-workers for help
or seeking out expert knowledge on the internet.
The report finds that more than 80 per cent of employers believe
that direct supervisors and managers are supportive of informal
learning, while only 36 per cent of learners feel this is the case. In
fact, only 45 per cent of respondents reported that their organiza-tions
provide a “bare minimum” to “basic learning opportunities”
needed to support them in their job performance.
With the majority of workplace learning now happening
informally, employers should be giving it far more attention. If
employees are spending their time at work learning, there is a sal-ary
cost associated with that time. While employers traditionally
track the expenses related to formal learning, the cost related to
time spent on informal learning is likely to be considerably larger.
This report is based on the responses from a random sample of
802 people from a national panel of employed Canadians between
January and February 2017. The sample included a diverse group
of organizations representing a robust cross-section of Canadian
industry sectors.
FOUR ASPECTS OF WELLBEING THAT CANADIAN
COMPANIES CAN IMPROVE TO BOOST
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
Economic growth has pushed Canada’s jobless rate to levels last
seen in the 1970s, and, at the same time, created fierce competi-tion
among employers to attract and retain top talent. Gallagher
developed the 2018 Human Capital Insights Report to help orga-nizations
make more informed decisions about benefits and
compensation within a total wellbeing framework. The report
shares best practices from more than 20 Gallagher thought lead-ers
on ways to strengthen the key aspects of workplace wellbeing:
physical and emotional; career; financial; and organizational.
“Many employers have become accustomed to selecting ben-efits
and compensation packages based on cost alone, but they
risk losing their most valuable employees as a result,” said Leslie
Lemenager, regional president of Gallagher’s Employee Benefits
Consulting and Brokerage. “With clear and consistent two-way
communication, destination employers approach benefits and
compensation more holistically, assessing the diverse wants and
needs of their employees so they make more informed decisions
that support their value proposition.”
racorn / 123RF Stock Photo
INFORMAL LEARNING IS LEARNING
THAT TAKES PLACE WITHOUT A
CURRICULUM. EMPLOYEES ESTABLISH
THEIR OWN OBJECTIVES AND
DETERMINE FOR THEMSELVES WHEN
THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEM.
12 ❚ OCTOBER 2018 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL
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