Your digest

The board of directors wishes all employees a happy Employee Appreciation Day: “I commend you all for adapting so diligently to ensure Canada’s Biological Lifeline has remained strong, safe and reliable,” says chair of the board, Mel Cappe. View his full message of gratitude to all employees on behalf of the board on Connect.

Addressing your concerns about vaccine availability: Most of us are probably wondering when we’ll get a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccination roll-out across the country is very different depending on which province or territory you’re in, and even which local public health unit you’re in. “We are advocating on your behalf and seeking prioritized access to the vaccine as an essential service,” says CEO, Dr. Graham Sher. “I want to reassure you that every effort is being made to engage with the appropriate government officials at all levels to ensure that our employees and volunteers receive the vaccine as quickly as possible when it is available in each jurisdiction.” Read more about vaccine availability on Connect.

It’s now easier than ever for employees to manage their charitable donations through payroll deductions to Canadian Blood Services: A new form has just been added to the Employee Direct Access (EDA) portal, allowing you to quickly make changes to your existing charitable donation, start a new donation or give notice to stop a current donation through payroll deduction. The form takes just a few minutes for you to fill out and gives you the option to make a one-time donation or a recurring biweekly deduction of any amount from your paycheck. Read more about how to access this form and how financial donors help make a lifesaving difference for patients on Connect.

How ergonomically correct is your workstation? Employees interested in making their home offices more comfortable and efficient have until March 31 to take advantage of a $200 rebate for equipment, such as chairs, desks and footrests, along with computer monitors, mouse and other peripherals. The rebate is part of the larger strategy we implemented to support employees required to work remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with funds for eligible home-based equipment, the strategy provides a wealth of ergonomic tips and best practices and assessments conducted by one of our occupational health and safety professionals. Read more about how to make your home workstation more comfortable on Connect.

Partners for Life feature — working with Canada Life: For 50 years, Canada Life has been a dedicated supporter of Canadian Blood Services, teaming up with our organization for employee group blood donations and events, sponsorship of key donor recruitment programs and raising awareness about the ongoing need for blood. Thanks to their financial support, the NextGen Lifeline is able to target new donors between the ages of 17–35 and mobilize a volunteer group of engaged youth to recruit blood and stem cell donors from among their peers. Canada Life also supports the Hockey Gives Blood Player Ambassador program, #BeAHero stem cell campaign and the Canada Life Week to Save Lives blood drive. Learn more about how Canada Life supports what we do on Connect.

Question of the day: We were told that unanswered questions from the Bell Let’s Talk Day live events would be addressed and posted on Connect, but I haven’t seen anything yet. When will these be posted?

Thank you everyone for your patience as we compiled and sourced answers to your questions. We received dozens of submissions from employees during our mental health live panels, held as part of Bell Let’s Talk Day on Jan. 28. This proves how necessary it is for us to continue talking about mental wellness. The unprecedented challenges we’ve faced both at home and in our professional lives have had a profound impact on our well-being.

The responses are provided by Yasmine Sikender, a bilingual clinical social worker with our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and one of two drop-in counsellors available to employees, with help from members of our people, culture and performance team. You can find the Q+A on Connect.

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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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