Your digest

April 30, 2021

We want to make it easy for employees to access the latest from Canadian Blood Services.  Every Tuesday and Friday, we will be bringing you important COVID-19 updates along with valuable information and inspiring stories about other parts of our operations.

We know things are rapidly changing; please remember you can always reach out to communications@blood.ca with your questions and suggestions on how we can better help employees.

Here is the latest.

See past digests

Townhall recording and post-event survey now available: Employees who were not able to join us for Tuesday’s live townhall can now access a recording of the event on the COVID-19 employee portal. Access information quickly and easily by using the jump-to question menu directly below the video. Help us improve future live events by sharing your views via this short survey (three minutes) by Mon. May 3 at 4 p.m. ET.  All answers will remain completely anonymous. An Outlook invite for our next live townhall in May will be sent to you shortly. 

My COVID-19 vaccination story: As efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 continue across the country, a number of our employees have come forward to share their vaccination experience and why it matters in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same. Over the next few weeks, we'll share their words in a special series. In today's installment, CEO Graham Sher describes how getting the vaccine brings him a little closer to seeing his children and co-workers again, and to resuming his photography hobby. Phil Loranger, director of external customer experience, shares his frustrations with booking a vaccination appointment and with the ongoing restrictions due to the pandemic. Read their stories on Connect. To participate in this important series, please reach out to us at communications@blood.ca with the subject line “MY VACCINE STORY.”

Workshops and activities planned for Mental Health Week:

Mental Health Week is taking place May 3–9 and the theme, Name it, don’t numb it, is highlighting how naming, expressing and dealing with our emotions are important to our mental health. Wellness champions will be organizing mental health breaks onsite, where it’s deemed safe to do so and in line with current COVID-19 restrictions and encouraging participation in the virtual workshops when possible. Five virtual workshops are planned and will be recorded for those who can’t attend live. Register here and visit Connect to learn more about the sessions available:

Psychological health and well-being, Monday, May 3, 12:00 p.m. ET
EAP orientation, Tuesday, May 4, 11:00 a.m. ET and Wednesday, May 5, 2:00 p.m. ET:
Stress and tension tamers, Thursday, May 5, 2:00 p.m. ET
Creative wellness workshop, Friday, May 6, 12:30 p.m. ET

Question of the day: I don’t feel comfortable taking public transit. Am I allowed to carpool into work?

We understand that some employees may feel safer carpooling to work with others than taking public transit. While we know that carpooling is necessary for some, we ask you to please recognize that there is a risk of having close contact with others outside of your own home per public health guidance.

If you need to carpool to get to work, or if your supervisor/manager asks you to carpool or use a taxi/rideshare while at work, we recommend the following for all people in the car:

Drivers and passengers should ensure that at least two-metre distancing is maintained whenever possible. In most cases, this will mean that a maximum of one passenger should ride with one driver.

Drivers and passengers should follow public health guidance and safety measures, including wearing a mask while inside the vehicle and practicing proper hand hygiene when entering and leaving the vehicle.

Employees are asked not to drive or ride to work if they are sick.

Employees should continue to follow local public health guidance (including provincial/municipal restrictions on carpooling) to ensure your safety and limit the spread of COVID-19.

If you have further questions about safety and carpooling, please contact OHS or your local public health authority.

About your digest

This digest will highlight the latest policy and employee support measures, resources to help you manage our new reality and original content like articles and videos to remind us that what we do matters.  No access to email? No problem — all this information and more can be found on blood.ca/employees from any device, no login required.    

Click here to read past editions of your digest.    

Have questions? Check out blood.ca/employees or email us at communications@blood.ca