Your digest

Your Digest schedule over the holidays: Although we hope you have an opportunity to slow down and enjoy some needed rest with loved ones, we are know that many of you will be working over the holiday period to get lifesaving products and services to patients. We want to recognize and thank those of you who are working throughout the next couple weeks. What you do truly matters. Your Digest will also be available over the holiday period on a modified schedule. To accommodate statutory holidays, your next edition will be published on Thurs. Dec. 31; followed by an edition on Tues. Jan. 5. Members of the communications team will be available over the holidays. Reach us at communications@blood.ca.

Time to reflect, time to celebrate: Don’t miss the latest installment of our CEO’s blog. Graham reflects on all your effort to make this past year such a success and shares a bit of what he’s planning for his holiday at home. “I have pride in our collective success in making sure Canadians can rely on us” says Graham. “I thank you, I applaud you, I admire you and I am deeply grateful to you all.” Read more on Connect.

Happy holidays from our executive management team (EMT): 2020 has been a year we will never forget. Not only did it bring great challenges; but in many ways it brought us closer as we adapted to new ways of working and rallied across the country to ensure we could continue to meet patient needs. Being a part of Canada’s Lifeline has never felt more important, and your resiliency has not gone unnoticed. To say thank you, our executive management team (EMT) has recorded a short video for employees as we reach the end of what has truly been a remarkable year. Watch the video streaming now on Connect TV and Connect .

CLARIFICATION about in-person gatherings at Canadian Blood Services: In last Friday’s digest, we featured the decision not to allow in-person gatherings or celebrations on-site at Canadian Blood Services. We understand that this may have caused some confusion about whether in-person meetings in operational environments, such as frontline huddles are affected by this decision. Although celebrations such as potlucks, team building activities and holiday gatherings are not permitted, in-person meetings that help us meet our operational requirements can continue. For example, frontline huddles and other in-person meetings required to run our day-to-day operations should continue as scheduled. Employees must wear appropriate PPE at all times and practice physical distancing from others where possible. Employees working on site are kindly reminded that cafeterias and breakrooms should not be used for socializing purposes. You should maintain a two-metre distance from others where possible and are asked not to share food with one another. If you have questions about whether an in-person meeting you are organizing/attending is permitted, we encourage you to reach out to your manager for further guidance.

New surgical mask recycling program at our sites: Surgical masks are required for employees and donors in our operational environments to best protect against the spread of COVID-19. While the use of these disposable masks is necessary for our safety, we know that this decision may have negative effects on the environment. To minimize the impact of disposable masks, we are rolling out a new surgical mask recycling program at all Canadian Blood Services sites. Over the next week, you will start to see Terracycle Zero Waste Boxes implemented at our facilities across the country. Employees are encouraged to place their used surgical masks in the boxes for recycling. How is this helping exactly? Terracycle will take the used masks from over 50 locations and make them into new products like shipping pallets or plastic lumber. Employees are reminded to detach the straps from their surgical masks to reduce the impact of wildlife entrapment. Help us minimize our environmental footprint while keeping our teams and donors safe. If you have questions about the new recycling program contact carlene.vanderheiden@blood.ca.

How financial donors made a difference in 2020: In a year full of unprecedented uncertainty, it was not surprising that many non-profits and charitable organizations around the world were impacted directly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Month after month in 2020, our dedicated financial donors and partners have continued to step forward to demonstrate their commitment to patients — even during these times of crisis. The unwavering support of our financial donors has helped us adapt, innovate and overcome emerging issues facing our national blood supply system in 2020. Head over to Connect to learn more about all the ways financial giving have made an invaluable impact on patient lives this year.

Question of the day: Can I decorate my mask while I am at work?

We know that many of you are finding new and creative ways to spread the spirit of the season. We allow employees to wear displays of support for the holidays while working, however we do not permit decorating or tampering with our supplied masks.

This decision was made with your safety as a top priority. Our surgical masks are tested to meet a certain level of filtration and breathability in their original form. Decorating your mask may alter the integrity of the material or the fit and could decrease the mask’s efficacy.

We encourage you to find other ways of showing your holiday spirit while at work. Wearing hair accessories such as reindeer antlers or festive jewelry like holiday broaches and earrings are a great way to spread some cheer while keeping our teams safe.

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