Your digest

Reminder — live Q&A with our CEO: Join us next Tuesday, August 11 at 1 p.m. ET for our next live event with Graham. These events are an important opportunity for us to come together to have open conversations about our latest measures, issues of concern and diversity, equity and inclusion. We look forward to seeing you all there — if you cannot attend live, a recording of the event will be made available shortly following the event on your COVID-19 employee portal. 

Search function now available on your COVID-19 employee portal: We are making it easier for you to find information about our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now available on your COVID-19 employee portal, employees can filter through the information available by using a simple search function located above the Q&A section. The search filter will capture information in all the Q&A categories on the site, so there is no longer a need to scroll through the whole page to find what you need! Having issues with the new search tool? Let us know at communications@blood.ca  

Stories from our frontline: Kristy Schwenning, a donor centre supervisor in Nanaimo, B.C. is part of the “travelling roadshow” that runs donation events in Vancouver Island communities. Having only been in her role a short while before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Kristy had to learn quickly how to support her team through the challenges. “We have a great team and we really care about each other. If someone is having a bad day and says something that’s a bit out of character, we know not to take it personally. We see they’re under stress and we look for ways to support them.  I would say the pandemic has brought us closer.”  Read more about Kristy’s story on blood.ca/stories.   

Register now for virtual SH’BAM™: Whether you are a seasoned dancer, or looking to improve your moves, it time to dust off those dancing shoes! We are expanding our virtual Goodlife fitness classes to include SH’BAM™ — a fun and social workout focused on the latest dance moves and popular hit music. Whether you are a fitness veteran or just getting started, this class is geared to all levels. Click here to register — and remember to share the link with your colleagues and family. See you on the “dance floor” every Wednesday at 6 p.m.! 

Question of the day:  Is unconscious bias part of the diversity, equity and inclusion strategy? Since everybody has an unconscious bias, and it’s important to recognize our individual biases, how is this being handled as part of our work? 

Recognizing unconscious bias is a central part of any diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. As we move forward, we are looking at learning opportunities for all employees which will include identifying and mitigating unconscious bias as a component.  

We have work to do, but the first action we can take is to identify biases by making an active commitment to acknowledge and manage them. While the learning opportunities are being developed, we encourage you to check out our diversity, equity and inclusion resource page to access a variety of supports and tools to help you identify and act upon unconscious bias in the workplace and in your personal life.

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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.      

Click here to read past editions of your digest.      

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