Your digest

May 4, 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

Celebrating Asian heritage this May: May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, a time to reflect on and celebrate the contributions that Canadians of Asian descent continue to make to this country’s growth and prosperity. Over the next few weeks we’ll share a variety of new stories about their contributions and connections to Canadian Blood Services. But to kick things off, we’d like to draw your attention to some stories we’ve already shared over the past several months on blood.ca/stories, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Keep an eye out in Your Digest for new and inspiring content all month long and read more on blood.ca.

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, Elaine St. Pierre a territory manager in Barrie talks about the “calming effect” of getting the vaccine after battling cancer, and Sherry-Lynne Bass, a plasma associate in Sudbury shares her inspiring hopes of getting back to “a life of normalcy.” 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.”

This week is all about your health and safety: North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week (May 2–8) and Mental Health Week (May 3–9) take on even greater significance this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way many of us work. “Our frontline employees have seen a lot of changes, including increased reliance on personal protective equipment, physical barriers and new work practices. They’ve had to adapt quickly and frequently, which can take a toll,” says Darren MacPherson, associate director of occupational health and safety and employee health services. “Virtual workers have also navigated challenges adapting to entirely new environments. Home workspaces can create their own unique pressures, including ergonomics risks and mental health stressors.” Read more and learn about workshops happening this week to support your health and safety on Connect.

Question of the day: Will Canadian Blood Services be offering the $200 office supplies rebate for fiscal year 2021-2022?

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we understood that we needed to help our teams adapt to the evolving realities of remote work. To support employees who were able to work from home set up their home office, we offered a $200 towards eligible office supplies during fiscal year 2020-2021.

Although that specific funding is no longer available, employees who require ergonomic office supplies so they can do their job safely, still have access to virtual ergonomic assessments and funding through Canadian Blood Services.

The process is quick and easy:

If you are looking for ergonomic support, visit complete the form on the OHS ergonomics page on Connect.
Once you have completed the form, provide it to you manager/supervisor to review and submit to OHS/EHS with a request for a virtual home office assessment for you.
A member of the OHS/EHS team will get in contact you to schedule the assessment. Once the assessment is complete, they may suggest additional equipment that can be purchased directly by the OHS/EHS team on your behalf.

If you are looking to access funding for other office equipment that may be necessary for your role, please speak with your manager who may be able to process your request through your departments cost centre.

Visit Connect for more tips, tools and practices for home office safety.

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