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Submit your video, audio or written questions in advance of our next townhall

As provincial vaccination programs continue to make progress over the summer, we are planning and preparing our facilities for additional employees to start to return safely to our buildings across the country starting in September 2021 (subject to demand) and we know you have questions.

That’s why our next live townhall on Tuesday, Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. ET will focus on the next stage of the pandemic, how our organization will adapt, how we will support employees in this new environment and what you can expect in the coming months.

As we prepare for this event, we encourage you to send in your questions on any topic for Graham and our panel of experts, including Pauline Port, chief financial officer and VP, corporate services and Andre Kroeger, director of strategic facilities management and business integration.

Send your email or video questions to: communications@blood.ca with the subject line “TOWNHALL” or record an audio question by phoning: 1-800-509-2339.

Participate in the Aug. 10 live townhall by clicking on the meeting link in your Outlook invite. Can’t make it live? A recording of the event will be available on your COVID-19 employee portal within 24 hours

Q4 performance report to staff shows progress in areas of plasma collection, stem cell registration and diversity, equity and inclusion

Each quarter, Canadian Blood Services’ strategy team tracks our organizational progress toward the key focus areas outlined in our 2019–2024 strategic plan and reports back on our successes and challenges. The most recent report on Q4 performance (January–March 2021) is now available, and highlights where we are performing well (based on pre-determined targets) and where we might be falling short of our goals. It has been a difficult year, as the pandemic has continued to affect our day-to-day lives and how we are able to work — however, we still have much to celebrate. Explore some of the highlights from Q4 including our progress in the areas of plasma collection and stem cell registration from diverse groups.

Our CEO takes to the airwaves to discuss the possibility of Canadian Immunization Services

Last week, we shared a press release about a new CMAJ article co-authored by CEO Dr. Graham Sher that proposed Canada should create a national immunization service based on the Canadian Blood Services model. In the article, Graham and his co-authors argue that to prepare for the next pandemic, a coordinated approach to vaccination across the country is necessary. On July 25, Graham was interviewed on 580 CFRA, an Ottawa-based news talk radio station, about how this national vaccination system might work in practice, next time a pandemic comes along. “We’ve learned many, many lessons from this pandemic,” said Graham to CFRA host Colton Praill. “I’m hopeful that all levels of government will come together and ask the important questions — what improvements can we make to our Canadian health system [and] how can we achieve greater integration, efficiency and response?” Listen in at the 11-minute mark for Graham’s full interview.

Question of the day: I want to change my legal name and/or IT account name in Canadian Blood Services’ systems — is there a limit to how long my display name can be?

Yes. If you read our step-by-step guide last week about how to change your name within Canadian Blood Services’ systems and wish to update your IT account name, please be advised that there is a 19-letter limit for your full display name (first and last name).

We recognize that some employees may wish to go by their full legal names in their IT accounts (which may exceed the 19-letter limit).  Unfortunately, this is a restriction within some of our applications requiring us to implement a maximum character length rule.

If your name exceeds the maximum letter length, you will need to determine how you would like your account name to be shortened. You are still encouraged, however, to use your full name in your email signature and other electronic communications with colleagues, if you wish.

Names are personal — and for many of us, they are an important part of our identity. There are many reasons why an employee would need to change their name or use an alternate name in our systems: marriage or divorce, a desire to abbreviate a longer name, a gender change and more.

Learn how you can get the process started to change your legal name and/or IT account name on Connect.

Note: if you are requesting a name change in Canadian Blood Services’ systems, please contact the HR support team after submitting your IT request to confirm the change.

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About your digest

This digest highlights 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