Your digest

Save the date — live Q&A with our CEO:  Please join us on Tuesday, September 15 at 1 p.m. ET for the next live event with our CEO. With just two weeks to go, planning is underway. Let us know what topics are top of mind for you by emailing us at communications@blood.ca with the subject line “TOWNHALL.” An Outlook invite will be sent to you in the coming days with the details on how to participate. We look forward to seeing you all there and to continue these important discussions.   

Wait to donate reduced for short-term travellers to malaria risk areas: A new blood donor eligibility change will allow people to donate blood three months after leaving a malaria-risk area if they spent less than six consecutive months there. Before Aug. 30, 2020, these short-term travelers had to wait 12 months. This change will make it possible for thousands of Canadians to donate blood who previously could not. Malaria risk due to travel is one of the most common reasons for people being unable to donate, second only to having low hemoglobin. In 2019, between 1,100 and 2,000 donors per month were ineligible to donate due to malaria risk travel. Read more on blood.ca.

Resources to manage back-to-school stress and anxiety: No doubt, the start of this school year is filled with uncertainties that are causing stress for many parents and caregivers. Whether you are feeling anxious about your kids returning to school during a pandemic or taking on additional responsibilities as an educator — we have a number of resources, including two new live seminars this month to help. Learn more about the supports available to you and register for one of our live events to support working parents and caregivers on Connect.

Question of the day: As we head into September, can you remind me how our organization will be making decisions about who will be returning to administrative spaces as phase one of our return to office plan gets underway?

The return to office and virtual work plan will consider how we will safely return to work at our sites as well as how we will continue to support those working virtually. Leaders are currently working with employees to better understand who is currently working from the office, who has an essential need to return, and who would like to work virtually either some or all of the time as we work through the phases.

You can expect to see variations across the organization by roles and sites. Meaning, even though the earliest possible return for some employees is in the fall — it will not apply to all employees or sites. A facilities assessment will help guide our decisions on how employees can return safely as we move through each phase.

Keep an eye out in the coming weeks as more information on the return to office and virtual work plan will be made available. In the meantime, we encourage you to check-out our dedicated page on your COVID-19 employee portal for the latest updates and information on the plan. If you have questions about whether you personally will be returning as part of phase one, we recommend that you speak with your manager to receive further guidance.

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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