Management

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Management

Bullying doesn’t just happen in high school
There are few statistics available to measure whether harassment and bullying complaints are on the rise, however, as employer counsel, we often see issues of harassment and/or bullying being plead in actions against employers and we certainly receive more concerned calls from clients seeking advice on these issues.

Organizations need critical thinkers
Within organizations, a lack of critical thinking can be severely damaging. Critical thinking is needed for problem solving and for generating innovative ideas and solutions. Without creative thinking, new paths and avenues of direction fail to be fully explored and forged.

Managing within the law
Employers may mean to provide their employees with fair employment contracts but when a dispute arises, parties often disagree on the rights they believe they have. How does an employer avoid these pitfalls? Below are certain tips to keep in mind when drafting employment contracts.

Multi-Residential Largely Untested Territory for Benchmarking
BOMA Canada is the first entrant to the Canadian market with an assessment and benchmarking tool for sustainable operations in the multi-residential sector, but the momentum may lie elsewhere. The Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) also has plans to introduce 14 new green standards later this year to augment its Certified Rental Building (CRB) program and has favourable prospects to sign up 75,000 suites by the fall of 2013.

Prepare for the future
Last month, I debuted the first online seminar discussing the activity in the Ontario purpose-built rental apartment industry. Along with special guest Sandy Mandel, we looked at the transactions that had taken place so far this year, and cast our eye on the future.

Guidelines for employers when developing social media policies
The ever-growing phenomenon of user-generated web content (blogging, social web-applications and networking, for instance) has added a new dimension to work relationships and altered the traditional forms of engagement between employers and employees. This heightened level of inter-connectedness can be both positive and negative in the employment context.

Bed Bug Concerns Addressed in North American Summit
BedBug Central, a leading educational resource for bed bug services, is set to provide property managers, housing directors and landlords with information on effective bed bug management at the third annual North American Bed Bug Summit.

Taking the mystery out of mystery shopping
As a typical apartment owner, you can’t be everywhere at once. You can’t always be fixing the plumbing, handling rent cheques, or, most importantly, giving tours of vacant apartments and keeping your building filled. You have staff that handles these tasks. But how can you tell how well your staff is doing?

Demystifying CMHC’s documentation requirement
How many times have you said or heard “I can’t go to CMHC, I have a quick closing and just cannot wait for them”, or something similar? As the former Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) regional manager of Underwriting at the Ontario Business Centre, I can tell you that CMHC staff can turn around an application within a reasonable time. They just need the appropriate information.

Co-brokering is about scaling your business for the future
A lot of the green revolution that’s sweeping our industry lately has been about efficiency. How do we heat and power our buildings using less energy? How do we build using more recycled materials? How do we design to use the most floor space in the smallest footprint? While efficient thinking takes a lot of effort, it pays off directly on our bottom line.

Great leadership starts with self leadership
All leadership begins with “self-leadership.” Before any leader can aspire to lead a thriving enterprise they must first master leading an organization of one.

Arrears amass with prolonged dispute settlement
Ontario’s lengthy eviction process typically costs rental housing owners about three months of rent income plus additional legal and administrative fees. Critics maintain that unnecessary procedural delays are increasing landlords’ losses and amplifying tenants’ debt loads, which makes it even more difficult for them to pay off arrears and retain their housing.

Criminal records stunting progress of Canada’s construction industry
With a substantial growth in residential building projects and an increase in government investment in the non-residential sector, the construction industry in Canada shows great progress and potential. According to the Construction Sector Council, rising incomes and lower interest rates have sustained a constant flow of projects since the recession and recovery in commodity prices have created several mining, pipeline and port expansions.

Soar with positive strategic planning
When it comes to Strategic Planning, we’re all familiar with the conventional approach of completing a “SWOT” Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) but not necessarily with the new paradigm, a “SOAR” Analysis (strengths, opportunities, aspirations and rewards).

Take steps to reduce safety risks
Responsible owners of residential apartments will understand the need for ensuring that their properties are being managed to the standards required to provide regulatory compliance in health and safety, and will also be aware of the impact accidents can have on the brand name of a company. These owners and managers will also be genuinely motivated to provide a safe environment within their buildings.

A new means of minimizing carbon footprint
Environmental responsibility is increasingly becoming a business requirement. Car manufacturers are developing new technologies to improve fuel consumption, universities are rapidly expanding curriculum to include environmental programs, fashion designers are turning recycled paper into eco-friendly couture, while property owners install sub metering systems and spend endless hours persuading tenants to participate in recycling programs.

Treating apartment gyms like public facilities
With Spring around the corner, the gym often becomes one of the busiest parts of a property. Many residents, both young and old, notice a bit more girth around the waist at this time of year, and off to the building’s gym they go.

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