Your digest

Our diversity, equity and inclusion survey results are in:

As you know, we engaged Feminuity to conduct an employee diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) assessment in July. The assessment was completed by 62 per cent of employees and there were 45 voluntary interviews conducted by Feminuity. Thank you to everyone who participated. Findings from that assessment are now available on our DEI resource page.

We learned that while employees are deeply engaged in our mission and purpose, there is work to be done to nurture a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization where all employees feel like they belong. The results also showed that employees advocating for change expressed an urgent need for: more psychological safety, more equitable and transparent processes in the organization, strong and sustained action around DEI issues, DEI education for the entire organization and DEI in leadership.

We have work to do. Learn more on Connect about how we are using this data to identify opportunities for deeper discussions.

Updates to donor mask requirements: As our knowledge of COVID-19 evolves, it is necessary that we continue to protect our essential operations and limit the risk of community spread. Effective Monday Sept. 28, donors will not be permitted to wear masks with valves or gaiter/buff-style masks in Canadian Blood Services sites. We are doing so with an abundance of caution to continue to protect the health and safety of our teams, volunteers and donors. This decision is aligned with recent guidance from public health, consistent with our requirements for our employees, reduces the possibility of contamination, and allows us to better assess impact of cases of individuals who test positive for COVID-19 who have been in our sites. Learn more about how this affects our collections teams and donors on your COVID-19 employee portal.

Working together to educate children about organ donation: If you ask anyone working in the organ and tissue donation and transplantation (OTDT) community what they feel is the biggest obstacle in their field, they might say it’s the lack of education and awareness. According to medical leaders and teachers, this gap can be seen from the classroom to the hospital. Three professionals are working hard to evolve the current educational resources to be more accessible and inclusive and ultimately change the way Canadian kids learn about organ and tissue donation. Learn more on blood.ca/stories.

New Reasons TV campaign: Starting next week, don’t be surprised if you start to see us pop up in-between your favourite TV shows. On Monday, we will be launching our Reasons television ads to support and recruit new blood donors. Running until November, the ads will build upon our 2019 campaign, showing heartfelt “reasons” why individuals are motivated to become blood donors. Check out these inspiring ads on our YouTube channel, and share them with your network so we can continue to deliver on our vision to help every patient, match every need and serve every Canadian.

Donated plasma saves Ottawa man’s life: Life changed in a flash for Mike Jones, a truck driver and self-described outdoors guy. When he woke up one morning in 2019, Mike could no longer feel his hands or legs.  An ambulance rushed Mike to hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a severe case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack nerve cells.  One of the only effective treatments for GBS is immune globulin and Mike’s condition began to improve after a second dose. More than four months after the initial attack, he was finally able to walk out of the hospital. Two years later, he continues to work on his recovery at home. Read more on blood.ca/stories.

Question of the day: Will Canadian Blood Services be issuing T2200’s at tax time?

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has provided a draft response to the issuance of T2200’s for the 2020 calendar year. The CRA is proposing to revise the standard T2200 form, into a simplified version specific to claiming expenses related to working from home during the pandemic. 

Canadian Blood Services is taking the proactive approach by starting work on implementing a solution to ensure a mechanism is in place for next year’s tax season.  

The CRA’s proposal for addressing working from home during the pandemic is subject to change as they have been made aware of the large administrative burden this will have for employers across the country.

As additional information is released, we will be sure to provide updates to employees.

 

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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.     

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