Arete Employee Handbook

5.0 Preamble

5.1 Accessibility

5.2 Animals in the Workplace

5.3 Emergencies and Emergency Closings

5.4 Occupational Health and Safety

5.5 Working in the Office Alone

6.1 Business Travel and Expenses

6.2 Information Technology Use

6.3 Social Media Use

6.4 Media Relations

6.5 Work from Home

6.6 Workplace Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use

7.1 Pregnancy/Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave Request Form

7.2 HR Handbook Acknowledgement Agreement

7.3 Employee Performance Feedback

7.4 Information Technology Use Agreement

7.5 Cybersecurity Awareness Program

7.6 Psychological or Sexual Harassment Prevention and Complaints Management

This Handbook has been designed to provide supervisors and employees with information regarding company policies related to human resources and employment. These policies should act as the primary reference document for human resources decisions, so that matters may be handled consistently and equitably.

The Handbook includes topics related to your relationship with the company as an employee, and valuable member of the team. It addresses subjects like hours of work, leaves, conduct, employee relations, confidentiality, health and safety and end of employment, among others.

The company reserves the right to alter the policies contained in the Handbook at their discretion and will make every effort to inform employees of changes to policies in a timely manner.

This Handbook and its contents are not to be considered a contract for employment.

Note that subjects appear alphabetically and not in order of importance.

Scope

All policies in the Handbook apply to all employees, supervisors, and management. Where indicated, policies also apply to independent contractors and consultants conducting business on behalf of the company or while in the company workplace. The term “employee” is used generically throughout this Handbook to refer to these groups.

Policies applying to visitors or clients while present on company premises or while conducting business with the company will be indicated in each applicable policy.

Responsibilities

Management is required to:

1. Review and update, if required, this manual or individual policies to establish and maintain compliance with all related legislation and a best-practice approach.
2. Provide all employees with a copy of the handbook and/or individual policies. Where alternative methods of communicating policy content is required for accommodation purposes, management will make every effort to provide alternative means.
3. Make training available to employees on policies where required by regional legislation.

Supervisors are required to:

1. Train employees on policies where required by regional legislation.
2. Comply with and hold their teams accountable with the provisions of company policies.

Employees are required to:

1. Comply with the provisions of company policies.
2. Advise their supervisor if content of any policy is unclear to them or where they have questions.

Inquiries

Any questions pertaining to the interpretation or application of this manual or any individual policy should be addressed to your immediate supervisor, a member of management or where relevant, the Director, Finance and Human Resources.

Following are definitions of terms used throughout this Handbook. Additional definitions may appear in some policy areas where the specific policy may require them.

Company – another word used to reference Arete Human Resources Inc. (“arete”).

Management – refers to those persons or positions responsible for organizational business, operational and financial outcomes at a senior level, or is an owner. Normally these persons or positions are not the employee’s immediate supervisor, although could be depending on organizational structure.

Supervisor – refers to the person or persons responsible for the day-to-day supervision of an individual employee, group of employees and/or staff, contractors, or consultants. The term manager is often used to describe a supervisor, although a supervisor oversees people, where a manager may oversee a function and not people, or both.

Employee, employees, staff, or team – are terms used interchangeably in singular or plural form to describe an individual or group of individuals employed either on a full-time, regular part-time and/or casual part-time basis.

Full-time employees – refers to employees regularly scheduled to work at least 37,5 hours per week.

Regular part-time employees – refers to employees regularly scheduled to work less than the full-time schedule but at least 20 hours each week.

Casual part-time employees – refers to employees scheduled irregularly and on an “as and when needed” basis, where they typically work fewer than the regular part-time schedule of 20 hours each week, except under extenuating circumstances, during business surge periods, or seasonally.

Independent Contractor or Consultant – is a person hired not as an employee but, rather, one that has a contract for service where the company does not control the detail of the work and where the Contractor or Consultant remains self-employed or employed by a third-party organization. Some policies are applicable to this group.

Personal Information – personal information includes any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an identifiable individual. This includes information in any form, such as:

• age, name, ID numbers, income, ethnic origin, or blood type;
• opinions, evaluations, comments, social status, or disciplinary actions; and
• information otherwise contained in an employee file, credit records, loan records, medical records, existence of a dispute between a consumer and a merchant, intentions (for example, to acquire goods or services, or change jobs).

What constitutes personal information is stipulated by regional legislation and may vary slightly from the above.

Regional Legislation – references applicable legislation in a province, territory, jurisdiction, or municipality. Applicable legislation for a business may also fall under a federal Act. As an example, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is a federal regulation that applies to all jurisdictions with the exception of organizations that operate in Alberta, British Columbia, or Quebec, unless information crosses provincial boarders. Those jurisdictions have their own PIPEDA-like legislation.

Workplace – any place where employees may gather or meet for work-related or social functions, whether on actual office premises or offsite establishments (work vehicle, restaurants, banquet facilities, conference center, etc.) in Canada or overseas.

Lieu time – time off from work which an employee is granted for having worked outside of normal working hours. So, when an employee takes time in lieu, they are taking extra time off work instead of being paid for working overtime.

Overtime – refers to any hours worked by an employee that exceed their normally scheduled working hours.

The company is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility for all persons with disabilities. The latter warrants a separate policy that aligns with the provincial jurisdiction requirements and can be found in this handbook.

The company embraces and encourage differences in race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, family status, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and neurodiversity.

The company will strive to create a work environment where the collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represent a significant part of our culture.  Valuing and upholding diverse perspectives and contributions is central to the organization’s mandate and will be embraced internally to support employees, the public at-large, and other stakeholders.

The company also will strive to remove any barriers from recruiting, retaining and advancing underrepresented groups.

The company expects the highest degree of ethical conduct from its employees and recognizes that customers, suppliers, partners, and the public have a right to openness and honesty in all their dealings with us. As an employee of the company, you must conduct yourself in a manner that demonstrates this commitment, that represents the highest standards of personal integrity, and respects the reputation and position of trust placed upon the company.

Employees are required to disclose any personal relationships with other employees, clients, suppliers, or stakeholders, which might create a potential risk for real, potential, or perceived abuse of power, conflicts of interest, or favoritism.

When a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest is identified due to any personal relationship between coworkers, clients, suppliers, or a supervisor and a direct report, the company will work with the parties involved to consider options for resolving the problem. Failure to cooperate with the company to resolve a conflict or problem caused by an inter-office relationship between co-workers or among or with supervisors or others in positions of authority in a mutually agreeable fashion may be deemed insubordination and result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Employees shall not, for a period of twelve (12) months, from the date of termination of employment with the company, directly or indirectly solicit competitive business from any client or customer of the company, current or potential.

Further, employees shall not, for a period of twelve (12) months after having terminated employment for any reason whatsoever, directly or indirectly recruit, solicit, or otherwise induce or attempt to induce any employee of the company to terminate their employment with the company or otherwise to act contrary to the interests of the company.

Personal Information shall be collected, used and disclosed only for reasonable, business-related purposes, and in accordance with the following privacy principles:

1. Personal information may be retained in various formats including formal and informal written or electronic employee files, video or audio tapes, data or metrics, including, as examples. Please also reference definitions in Section 1.4 of this Handbook.
2. The collection of Personal Information will be restricted to that required by the company to pursue its business-related purposes and to meet its legal obligations and will be used, disclosed or retained only for the purposes for which it was collected.
3. Personal information will only be disclosed to a third-party where there is written permission, as permitted under legislation, or where required by law.
4. Each Employee will take all reasonable steps to protect Personal Information from unauthorized access, loss, disclosure, theft or transmittal. Reasonable steps include physical, electronic and procedural methods appropriate to the level of sensitivity of the Personal Information.
5. Each Employee will use Personal Information only for the purposes of company business objectives as instructed from time to time and shall not use or disclose this information to any third-party except as approved to do so by their supervisor. Whenever an employee is in doubt as to whether certain information is confidential, of a personal nature or whether such information should be divulged, no disclosure should be made without first consulting and gaining approval from their immediate supervisor.
6. The employee shall notify the Privacy Officer immediately of any breach or loss of personal information. Notice should be sent to privacy@aretehr.com.
7. The company shall notify the relevant regional regulatory body immediately of any breach or loss of personal information where there is a reasonable risk of harm to the individual.

The company maintains a zero-tolerance approach with regard to employees attending work under the influence of any substance, drug or alcohol. Except in approved circumstances, the use of alcohol, drugs or mind-altering substances including cannabis and cannabis-related products, in the workplace is strictly prohibited.

1. No employee shall:
   • Report to work unfit because of substance, alcohol or drug use.
   • Possess substances, alcohol or illegal drugs in the workplace.
   • Attempt to supply others with illegal substances or drugs while in the workplace.
   • Attempt to supply others with alcohol, cannabis and cannabis-related products, while in the workplace, except if included as part of an approved work-related function.
   • Consume illegal substances, alcohol or drugs or mind-altering substances including cannabis and cannabis-related products while at work.
2. The company recognizes that employees may be required to possess and/or take prescription and non-prescription medications, as required, under the following conditions:
   • Prescription drugs in the employee’s possession must have been prescribed directly to the employee, have appropriate labelling, and taken as prescribed. The company reserves the right to request employees to provide a medical certificate.
   • Any use of prescription or non-prescription over-the-counter drugs must not adversely affect the employee’s ability to safely perform his or her duties.
3. Employees must notify the supervisor or management if they believe or are concerned that any other employee is not fit for work or otherwise under the influence of a substance, alcohol or drug or mind-altering substances including cannabis and cannabis-related products, while performing work duties.
4. Determination of ‘fit for work’ shall be subject to the reasonable opinion of management.
5. In cases where an employee is suspected of being under the influence of substances, alcohol or drugs or mind-altering substances including cannabis and cannabis-related products (e.g. abnormal behaviour, dilated eyes, slurred speech, strong smell of alcohol or cannabis on the employee’s breath), determining that there is no apparent immediate medical emergency, may be sent home immediately, subject to further investigation and/or disciplinary action.
6. Contravention of this policy shall be deemed as misconduct and subject to disciplinary action up to and including possible termination. Cases involving possession and/or dealing of illegal substances or drugs while on work premises may be reported to the police.
7. Employees are required to participate as may be required with any investigation resulting from a violation of this policy.

The company recognizes that the goal of its recruitment and hiring practices is to select and retain the best possible employees for each role within the company. Each employee starting employment with the company, or at times where an existing employee is hired into a new position within the company, is required to complete a probation period during which time both the employee and the company may evaluate each other to ensure a mutual good fit.

The probationary period for all new employees at the company shall be three (3) months in length, unless extended due to an absence or illness. In certain situations, the supervisor may elect to extend an employee’s probation period. Such circumstances may arise to allow for additional time to assess the employee’s performance and/or in cases where additional training may be warranted.

Probationary performance reviews are conducted within three (3) months of commencing employment.

Arete is committed to providing an employee development and performance management process which provides employees with regular, ongoing feedback on their performance, enables productive relationships between supervisors and employees and offers an opportunity to review or modify work plans, measure performance and set goals.

Engaging in these processes requires effort by both the supervisor and the employee. It is the expectation that the supervisor ensure regular time is set aside with the employee to focus on the employee’s performance goals, understand their learning or development needs and how Arete can support them to achieve progress.  It is also the expectation that the employee adequately and thoughtfully prepares for these conversations.

Arete has developed two templates for use by the employee and supervisor to guide these processes (please see Section 7 for the forms and instructions for use).  It is recommended the supervisor and employee meet on a quarterly basis in support of this work.

It is also the expectation that the supervisor continues to provide informal and ongoing, two-way communication, coaching and feedback on a regular basis to enable success for both the employee and Arete. 

The company will endeavour to use every opportunity to clearly communicate expectations of the job and what will happen if these expectations are not met. Each employee has the responsibility to maintain a satisfactory level of performance, conducting themselves in a professional and competent manner, and for displaying conduct and behaviour that is consistent with organizational policies and practices.

If performance is unsatisfactory or an employee fails to observe company policies, performance improvement and possibly progressive discipline measures will be implemented. Refer to Section 7 for additional measures specific to the Arete Cybersecurity Awareness Program and expectations.

Where a supervisor has identified one or more gaps in an individual’s performance that is related to a lack of skills and/or ability(ies) required in performing the job, or where behaviour is of concern, the following steps should be followed promptly:

1. Clarify expectations either verbally or in writing, bringing work issues to the attention of the employee promptly.
2. Develop an action plan, ensuring employee ownership.
3. Provide a reasonable timeframe for improvement.
4. Provide support and guidance to assist the individual.
5. Monitor performance relative to the plan and provide regular feedback.
6. Where relevant, if the problem persists outside of the designated timeframe or the desired outcome is not sustainable, progressive disciplinary measures will apply.

The following progressive disciplinary steps should be followed for simple and/or serious misconduct:

1. If it is established that simple misconduct occurred, employees should expect to receive a stage 1 warning, with the expectation that performance or behaviour will improve immediately.
2. Failure to improve performance or rectify behaviour may result in a stage 2 warning, suspension, or termination depending on the circumstances and degree of incident.
3. For serious misconduct, immediate suspension or termination may be the first and only disciplinary step taken.

Written records are kept at all steps of the process either in an employee’s file, a supervisor’s diary, or in an electronic record. Notations on any verbal discussions should be kept in writing.

The company is committed to ensuring that employee resignations, terminations and layoffs are conducted in a fair, equitable and reasonable manner, fully compliant with all related legislation and based on the process outlined in this policy.

The company may, at its sole discretion, temporarily lay off employees. Under no circumstances will a temporary layoff, conducted in compliance with regional legislation, constitute a termination of the employee’s employment unless the layoff exceeds the maximum timeframe. In such an event, the employee would be considered terminated and then owed any notice and severance (if applicable) entitlements.

In consideration of the operational requirements of the company, employees are strongly encouraged to provide as much notice as possible. Generally, and unless specified differently in the employment contract, notice of at least two (2) weeks is to be provided in the case of non-management employees and of at least one (1) month for management.

Upon end of employment, employees are required to return all company property in their care, in the workplace or held outside the workplace, including any confidential and proprietary information, equipment, keys, books, reports and files, shipped safely at a time that is most convenient to all parties. All access will be deactivated at the end of the last day of employment.

The use of scented products and fragrances in the workplace, while permitted, should be done in a respectful, courteous manner which is mindful of other persons. The company reserves the right to require an employee to discontinue the use of any scented product to accommodate another employee’s sensitivity to the product.

Smoking, which includes any tobacco product or electronic cigarettes, is only permitted in designated areas outside of the workplace and in accordance with provincial smoke-free spaces legislation and municipal bylaws.

Establishing service time will be based upon continued employment service as either a regular part-time or full-time employee. Casual part-time is not recognized in calculating service time. In cases where an employee’s status may change between regular part-time and full-time, no break in service time will be applied.

Service time continues to accrue during any protected leaves of absence as provided for under applicable regional legislation. Service time stops accruing during period of lay-off or during non-protected leaves of absence.

Service time accrual shall be deemed lost should employment be terminated. Should an employee subsequently be rehired within ninety (90) days, no break in service time accrual shall be applied. If re-hired where a gap in service is greater than 90 days, service time accrual starts over based upon the date of rehire into a regular part-time or full-time position.

Unpaid leaves of absence requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. They may include time away for professional development (except organization-supported training or learning), education leave, or other personal leave reasons. Requests should be brought to one’s supervisor as early or as soon as possible.

Ordinarily, an employee will be expected to utilize their vacation and/or sick leave entitlements prior to commencing a leave without pay.

Employees may be granted other types of leave as permitted by regional legislation. These can include family responsibility, compassionate-based, illness or death-related, or personal emergency related leaves. Please consult applicable regional and federal legislation; and, in coordination with your immediate supervisor, determine if a specific leave applies to address your situation.

Arete knows that health and wellness benefits lead to happier and healthier employees. We are committed to helping our employees stay well and have set up a Wellness Account for all eligible employees, up to $500 each calendar year. The Wellness Account is designed to cover expenses for a variety of products and services related to health and wellness, such as wellness services, education and personal development and fitness and sports equipment. For further details regarding eligibility, limitations, exclusions and how to submit a claim please contact the Director, Finances and Human Resources.

Arete provides all full-time employees and their dependents with a group benefits plan. The following is a summary of benefits and premium payment. Note that individual coverage may vary depending on the plan eligibility rules.

Specifics of the coverage and benefit payment schedules are provided in the benefit plan booklet available to all eligible employees. All employees working more than 20 hours per week become eligible after three months of continuous employment and their coverage becomes effective on the first day following three months of continuous employment. The enrolment is mandatory.

Please see Section 5.2 for additional information pertaining to benefit continuation during leaves.

Arete is committed to promoting the health, safety and well-being of all employees, providing a safe and healthy work environment. To this end, Arete offers its employees and their families a comprehensive benefits program as outlined in Section 5.1 and Section 5.2 of the handbook, including continuation of benefits when an employee is unable to work for specific reasons.

From time to time, employees may be unable to work due to illness or injury, or when they qualify for specific types of leaves, such as maternity, pregnancy, parental, short- and long-term disability or for other reasons other than termination of the employment contract.

This policy is to clarify how such leaves may impact benefits continuation while employed by the company and to note that the company reserves the right to cancel, revise or amend any of the noted plan coverages, arrangements or internal administrative processes without notice.

This policy shall apply to all eligible employees following the prescribed waiting period and is subject to the terms of the benefit plan as outlined in the Insurance Company documentation.

Definitions

Below is a list of definitions relevant to this policy. Regional legislation may use differing language to describe the definitions outlined below.

Eligibility: Conditions that must be met for an individual or group (e.g., family members) to be considered eligible for insurance coverage.

Disability: An umbrella term covering impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions.

• An impairment is a problem in body function or structure.
• An activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action.
• A participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations.

Medical Leave: A leave category for employees who face medical conditions that reduce their physical and/or mental health to the point that they can no longer perform key job responsibilities.

Pregnancy/Maternity/Parental Leave: Pregnancy, maternity and parental leaves are associated with the birth or adoption of a child and these terms are further defined by provincial legislation which vary from region to region.

Personal Leave: A leave category for employees who are unable to work due to personal circumstances. These could include health obligations or urgent needs for a member of an employee’s family, personal educational needs of self or of a family member considered a minor, bereavement, religious or any leave as defined in federal or provincial legislation (e.g., victims of family violence).

Application

1. Please refer to the benefit plan coverage details in your benefits plan handbook, portal my-benefits or app provided to you at the time of hire (or upon benefit eligibility) for detailed information about your coverage levels, eligibility and your benefits, or speak with your company’s plan administrator.
2. Leaves, in the context of continuation of benefits and references in this policy, are:
   • subject to Insurance Company policies regarding eligibility,
   • approved by the employer, and
   • may be subject to federal and/or provincial legislation and obligations.
3. In the following cases, the company pays 100 per cent of plan premiums for employees:
   • All approved medical leaves. The company will continue to cover the full costs for eligible benefit plan premiums for employees who qualify for approved leaves for a maximum period of 12 months.
   • All approved pregnancy/maternity/parental leaves (see Section 4.4). The company will continue to cover the full costs for eligible benefit plan premiums for employees who qualify for approved leaves for a maximum period of 12 months.

In the following cases, the company cost-shares the responsibility for benefit plan premiums (i.e., 50 per cent each) with the employee:

1. All approved unpaid leaves (Section 4.8 and Section 4.9). The company will provide 50 per cent of the cost (with the employee providing the remaining 50 per cent of the cost) for eligible benefit plan premiums for employees who qualify for approved leaves for a maximum period of 12 of months.
2. All insurance company-approved short-term or long-term disability leaves. The company will continue to cover the full cost for eligible benefit plan premiums for employees who qualify for approved leaves for a maximum period of 12 of months.
3. To continue benefits during approved unpaid leaves as referenced above (i.e., Sections 4.8 and 4.9), the employee must provide payment for their portion of the premium to Arete (e.g., postdated cheques or e-transfers). If payments are not received within 30 days, the company holds the right to terminate these benefits without notice, due to non-payment.
4. Upon termination of employment, employees may be able to convert their group insurance coverage for Life or AD&D to individual policies directly with the insurer. It is an employee’s responsibility to notify the plan administrator if they wish to apply to convert. It is entirely the employee’s responsibility to oversee and manage this process with the Insurance Company.
5. It is each employee’s responsibility to immediately notify the Insurance Company or plan administrator if there is any change in personal or family status (e.g., marital status, new or ineligible dependents, change in other plan coverage, earnings, etc.). Additionally, if there are issues or concerns with claims or plan administration these must be immediately brought to the plan administrator’s attention.

Note that although the company has made every effort to accurately reflect the benefit plan policies and procedures related to continuation of benefits in this document, the final determination in all cases will be based on the company’s insurance contract with the insuring company. Claims/reimbursements for any and all benefits will be assessed and adjudicated by the Insurance Company, and they will have final determination on eligibility and any claim appeal process.

Inquiries

Any questions pertaining to the interpretation or application of this policy should be addressed to the supervisor, or where relevant, the Director, Finance and Human Resources.

Participation in the group registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) and Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) is available to all employees actively working more than 20 hours a week after the probation period of three (3) months has ended. These plans operate with contributions made by both the employer and the employee. Upon reaching retirement, the accumulated funds in the employee’s account serve as a source of retirement income.

Comprehensive details regarding the plan’s structure and investment choices can be found in documentation provided by Desjardins Financial Security, our designated plan provider.

Arete is committed to supporting your financial future and will contribute to 2% of your base salary each year in either option (RRSP or TFSA). Consequently, an employee can make additional voluntary contributions, enhancing the overall benefits of the retirement savings plan.

The company is committed to the health, safety, well-being and security of all employees and property during emergency situations. The company recognizes that unexpected emergencies, disasters, adverse weather and catastrophic situations may occur which could have significant impact upon employees and operations and strives to provide clarity on how the company and its employees are to respond to such situations.

Definitions

Adverse Weather – any severe or harsh weather condition, such as blizzards, temperature, flooding or violent storms posing a serious risk to employees either at work or affecting their ability to safely travel to and from work.

Emergency – any unforeseen event which results in a partial or total shutdown of business operations such as fire, power failure, bomb threat, security risks, toxic spill, natural disasters, etc., or other condition that may prevent the business to operate under its normal procedures.

Declared Emergency – a declared emergency is defined under the  relevant regional legislation, or any other relevant local or federal legislation, as “a situation or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise.”

Application

The company recognizes that the onset of adverse weather, disaster, emergency or crisis might impact the company’s ability to maintain regular business continuity. In such situations, it is understood that certain organizational policies already in place might be affected, altered or suspended as needed such as: Flexible Working Arrangements, Hours of Work, Leaves of Absence, etc. This policy shall take priority over other policies as needed.

1. Emergencies

• • In the event of any sudden emergency or disaster, management, with the assistance of the Business Continuity and Crisis Management Team, shall be responsible for taking the lead in providing employees with direction. At Arete, the Business Continuity and Crisis Management Team is comprised of the President and the VP, Corporate Services.
  • The Business Continuity and Crisis Management Team shall also be responsible for conducting a risk assessment of all of its operations and for the development of a business continuity plan.
  • Separate procedures shall be developed and communicated for any employee with a disability requiring special accommodation.
  • In the event of a prolonged office closure, alternate work arrangements may be discussed directly with each employee’s supervisor. In the event continuation of work is not possible, management or Human Resources will provide information to each employee regarding possible recourses. This may include those covered under local legislation.

2. Declared Emergencies

• • Declared emergencies may be instituted by various municipal, regional, or federal governments. Declared emergencies are most often accompanied by regulations and guidelines set out by governing entities.
  • A Business Continuity and Crisis Management Team shall be convened for any emergency or disaster and shall work directly with employees to provide detailed instructions, protocols and procedures. These instructions are to be followed by all employees.
  • The Business Continuity and Crisis Management Team shall also be responsible for conducting a risk assessment of all of its operations and for the development of a business continuity plan.
  • Separate procedures shall be developed and communicated for any employee with a disability requiring special accommodation.
  • In cases where the declared emergency is of a public health-related nature, such as a declared pandemic or other actual or emerging health-crisis, employees should exercise extreme caution and speak with their supervisor about being in the workplace.
  • In the case of a declared emergency of a public health-related nature, employees must be fit to work and may be required to provide evidence to support their fitness to work without endangering other employees of customers. Employees may be required to wear personal protective equipment.
  • The company shall follow all instructions provided by public health officials related to any public health-related emergency and reserves the right to place any employee on mandatory leave if it believes that employee may pose a health risk to themselves or others, related to the health emergency.

3. Inclement Weather

• • Management, or a named designate, is responsible for declaring an office closure due to adverse weather.
  • The company recognizes that weather conditions may change suddenly and with little notice causing unexpected delays with an employee’s regular work schedule. Employees are to notify their supervisor immediately by phone/email/text when a delay due to adverse weather is expected.
  • Employees are expected to monitor weather conditions and to use sound judgment before attempting to travel to the office during unsafe and adverse weather conditions. Failure to notify, or attempt to notify, their supervisors of an expected delay of more than thirty (30) minutes where a method of communications is available, and where it is safe to do so, shall be considered tardy and shall be subject to possible disciplinary action in accordance with company Hours of Work policy.
  • Employees required to work outside must be properly attired and adhere to all safety standards and protocols, as well as any instruction from their supervisors regarding suspending activities due to unsafe conditions.

The company is committed to the promotion of the health, safety and well-being of all employees, to the provision of a safe and healthy work environment and to the prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses.

Portions of this policy may apply to visitors or clients while on company premises or while conducting business with the company.

Definitions

Incident /Accident: Any unplanned event that has resulted in or has the potential to result in an injury, illness, close calls, near misses or death, or cause damage to property.

Near Miss: Any unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness or damage, but had the potential to do so.

Health and Safety Representative: Legislated under the OHSA, organizations with between six (6) and nineteen (19), employees are required to have one (1) employee-elected Health and Safety Representative, committed to improving the health and safety conditions in the workplace. At Arete, the designated representative is the Calgary-based, Director, Business Development.

Health and Safety Orientation and Training: Legislated under the OHSA, all employees must receive orientation and training to include an overview of the OHSA, roles and responsibilities of both the employees and employer, Health and Safety Representative, any common hazards (including WHMIS), and role of any governing entities.

Application

1. Where reasonable, the company will strive to exceed the legislated requirements by adopting the leading practices available to protect its employees and to promote a positive health and safety culture. The company will work toward continuous improvement in its health and safety program.
2. The company will review, and if required, update this policy annually to meet legislation.
3. Supervisors will take responsibility and accountability for the health and safety of those individuals under their direction and those workplaces under their charge. They will advise their employees of the existence of potential or actual workplace hazards and will ensure that they work safely and in accordance with health and safety regulations, and all applicable company policies and procedures.
4. Employees also have responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. Employees will work safely and in compliance with the health and safety regulations, as well as applicable company policies and procedures.
5. Employees will report all unsafe and unhealthy conditions and practices in the workplace to their immediate supervisors so that they may be promptly remedied.
6. All employees of the company are expected to demonstrate their commitment toward a safe and healthy work environment by acting in compliance with this Policy.

Safety and Security

1. Management will work in consultation and cooperation with Health and Safety Representative to fully implement and integrate the requirements of the OHSA and its regulations and any other applicable legislation into all company’s work.
2. The company will provide employees with any necessary time and will cover expenses of any required Occupational Health & Safety Certification training to Safety Representatives as may be required under the OHSA.
3. The company will provide orientation and training to all staff as required under the OHSA.
4. Supervisors will ensure equipment, materials, and protective devices as prescribed are provided and maintained in good condition. They will take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of their employees.
5. Employees will use equipment, materials, and protective devices as prescribed.

Workplace Accident Investigation and Reporting

1. The company’s first concern shall always be the health and safety of its employees or any person on the premises, therefore, ensuring proper and immediate medical attention following any incident/accident or potential workplace illness. This includes proper first aid and calling 911 where relevant.
2. No matter how minor the incident/accident, near miss, or potential workplace illness, it must be reported as soon as possible to Health and Safety Representative, as well as the immediate supervisor and/or management. The Health and Safety Representative and/or management is responsible to ensure any required documentation (if required) is completed.
3. In the event of an incident/accident resulting in a serious, critical injury or death, the employer is to also contact the relevant regional health and safety regulatory ministry or department As well, the incident/accident scene is required to be immediately sealed off and only unsealed by permission of a Ministry of Labour Inspector.
4. In the event of a potential workplace illness, the employer is to also contact the relevant regional health and safety regulatory ministry or department.
5. All reported incidents will be investigated following established company protocol and any regulatory requirements.
6. All investigations must be conducted in a timely manner and involve an investigative team consisting of those knowledgeable with the type of work involved in the accident, a member of management, the Health and Safety Representative, and a Ministry of Labour Representative as may be required.
7. Investigations should contain, at a minimum, the following:

• • Interviews with those affected and any witnesses.
  • A description of the incident.
  • Identification of risks and hazards contributing to the incident.
  • Recommendations/Remedial measures.
  • Development of a workplan/timeline for implementing recommendations.
  • Communication/updates to all employees on the incident and remedial measures recommended/taken.

8. Findings and recommendations from the investigation will be recorded in writing and tracked for completion by management. Copies will be kept/stored electronically for a minimum of seven years.
9. Results of the investigation will be used to amend or update any applicable organizational protocol, processes or standard to control or eliminate the likelihood of the incident occurring again.

Work Refusal

1. Under the Occupational Health & Safety Act, all employees have the right to refuse work which they have reason to believe is unsafe. This includes instances where they or another worker may be endangered by:

• • any equipment, machine, device or things
  • the physical condition of the workplace, and
  • workplace violence.

2. In the event that a worker raises a health and safety concern or complaint to their immediate supervisor, the supervisor shall:

• • Investigate in the presence of the worker and the Health and Safety Representative, to establish whether a health & safety risk exists
  • If determined to be a safety risk and the task is unsafe the supervisor shall undertake immediate correction action
  • The supervisor shall respond, in writing, to the employee to state the findings and any corrective measures taken.

The company is committed to providing a safe work environment for employees and others when working in the office alone.

1. Employees working alone in the office should speak with their supervisor about the measures and protocols that are to be followed to contribute to a safe work environment. A copy of the Arete Working Alone Guidelines is to be provided to all employees who may work in the office alone.
2. Employees are to inform a supervisor, the senior clinician, or a colleague when working outside of normal business hours or when aware that they will be working alone in the office.
3. Concerns related to a client (e.g. active substance use, threats or risk of violence, psychiatric concerns, domestic violence) are to brought to the attention of a senior clinician. Risks and safety plans are to be documents on a client file.
4. Incidences or safety concerns are to be reported as soon as possible to the Arete Senior Clinician so support can be put in place and remedies can be established.

The company understands the important role media can play in shaping the public’s opinion and image of the company and in advancing and promoting the services that it provides. The company is committed to managing media relations in a responsible and professional manner such that all information released through the media is presented in a clear manner consistent with the company’s identity and branding.

1. Unless otherwise appointed for specific purposes, the company’s President, VP Corporate Services and VP Marketing and Communication shall be official spokespersons for the company. No other employee shall represent the company or communicate with the media unless expressly permitted to so with consent of the President.
2. Any department or group seeking to publicize or advertise externally for an upcoming event or activity must obtain prior approval from the President for content approval.
3. All advertising and editorial content distributed by print, broadcast or online must respect all company branding guidelines.

The work from home policy is established to provide guidelines that enable employees the ability to perform their usual job duties. It aims to ensure a consistent and productive work environment while upholding the company’s standards for performance, communication and information security.

Employees working remotely will observe the same working hours as required or expected by the organization or for a specific role. A remote working arrangement is not meant as substitute for arranging regular dependent care.

Equipment/Tools

Employees will need to meet all technical and workspace requirements to work from home. Employees who are not able to meet these requirements will not be able to work remotely.

The company may provide specific tools/equipment for the employees to be able to perform their work responsibilities remotely. This may include two monitors, headset, camera, keyboard and mouse. Employees are responsible for their own chairs, desks (e.g., sit, stand) and whatever else they might need to work from home. Arete will not pay for the costs for internet or maintenance on personal equipment that might be used at home. Any company issued equipment is for the use of Arete employees only. All supplied equipment must be used in the same manner as is used in the office. It is the employee’s responsibility to take care of the equipment. If the equipment must come back to the office for any reason, the employee will clean and sanitize it before bringing it into the office. The employee is responsible for maintaining the remote workspace in a safe condition, free from hazards and other dangers to the employee and their equipment.

Remote Work Information Security Policy

Arete employees working from home must continue to protect the confidentiality of our company’s information. This is more challenging in the home environment because other people in the household (e.g., family, roommates, guests, visitors, service people, etc.) may be able to physically access the information, unlike at the office.

Employees are reminded that all Arete information is considered confidential and must not be disclosed to anyone except for Arete business purposes.

Physical and information security when working from home is just as important as it is in the office. Employees must ensure that confidential information is not exposed to other people in the home. This includes:

• The computer provided to them by Arete belongs to Arete and cannot be used by anyone other than the employee and must only be used for legitimate Arete business.
• Employees must lock their screen (i.e., clicking the keyboard shortcut of Windows key + L) whenever they are away from their computer or power the computer down.
• Employees must not connect their personal equipment to an Arete computer (e.g., printer, external disk drives, thumb drives) without permission.
• Employees cannot share their work passwords with anybody, including the password to unlock their screen, and passwords must be locked away when not in use.
• The workspace where the employee is working must be secure. Any documents, notes, portable electronic media or anything containing Arete information must be stored under lock and key when the employee is not present to ensure that other members of the household cannot see them.
• When using the computer, the employee must ensure that other members of their household cannot see their computer screen or overhear calls.
• Employees must not send or move information from the work computer to another computer or device in their home.
• Working remotely places additional strain on Arete systems, and may also strain the employee’s home network, so it is important to avoid non-essential activities. Employees working from home agree that:
  • Employees must not use the computer to download or stream music, video or other content except for Arete activities.
  • Employees must not make personal or non-essential business telephone calls over their computer.
  • Employees will provide a fast internet connection with enough capacity to make their work effective.
• Employees must ensure that Arete work is the highest priority. Other members of the household, who are using the same home internet connection, could cause a slowdown of the employee’s work, reduce call quality or even cause dropped calls. Other family activities such as downloading or streaming audio and video, online gaming, etc. may need to be limited or stopped in order to ensure a good connection to the Arete office.

General Expectations

• Employees are expected to be available and communicative during scheduled work hours.
• Arete work rules and other policies continue to apply to offsite work locations.
• Consumption of alcohol or drugs during work hours is never acceptable.
• Employees should seek a quiet and distraction-free working space, to the extent possible.
• Employees should follow the Virtual Meeting Guidelines.
• While distractions are often unavoidable, try to keep them to a minimum.
• Keep yourself muted during video or audio conferencing unless you are speaking.
• Avoid multi-tasking. Give your full attention to the meeting as if you were face-to- face.
• Employees are generally required to have their camera on for virtual meetings and training, and are expected to self-manage and communicate exceptions when necessary.

While gentle reminders may be necessary from time to time in some circumstances, continued violations of these expectations and/or other Arete policies could result in disciplinary action in accordance with Section 3.10, revoking an employee’s ability to work remotely (in locations with an Arete office) or termination of employment.

Office Supplies

Office supplies will be provided by the company as needed. Examples of office supplies include pens, scratchpads, file folders, highlighters, paper clips, etc.

Liability

The employee’s remote workspace will be considered an extension of the company’s workspace. Employees are obligated to comply with all company rules, policies and procedures when working outside of the office. Arete is not responsible or liable for loss or destruction occurring at the employee’s remote workspace. This includes, but is not limited to, theft, fire or natural disaster. All employees are responsible for ensuring they have the required insurance requirements for their remote workspace.

Power Outages

Should an employee experience a power outage while working remotely, they are expected to contact their local electricity provider for expected wait times. Should the power outage be estimated for an hour or longer, employees are expected to reach out to their leader to advise and discuss options.

The company recognizes that employees may seek to use ChatGPT, Bard, Bing or other generative artificial intelligence (AI) large language model (LLM) services provided by third parties to conduct business or perform work-related tasks. Employees are authorized to use LLMs solely for work-related purposes, including but not limited to:

• Create and analyse code;
• Translate languages;
• Respond to customer or client calls;
• Summarize messages and emails;
• Create images and presentations;
• Generate text and images;
• Analyse and explain lengthy, dense or technical materials;
• Perform calculations;
• Answer technical questions;
• Perform research.

The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines to ensure that employees’ use of LLMs is ethical, lawful and compliant with all applicable laws, regulations, professional standards and other company HR policies and codes of conduct.

1. Employees must not input confidential or sensitive company data or information into a third party AI service or program.
2. Employees must comply with all copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret and other applicable intellectual properties when using LLMs, including among other things, by not using LLMs to generate content that infringes upon the intellectual property rights of others. Employees must also get express permission before incorporating any property that is or may be subject to copyright, patent or other protection under intellectual property laws into their own work product.
3. Employees must be aware that hidden and inadvertent biases embedded in LLM data, algorithms and design may result in the generation of content that is discriminatory and/or offensive to individuals of certain races, religions, nationalities, genders, ages, disabilities or other personal characteristics or circumstances that human rights laws protect from discrimination and harassment. Employees must be sensitive to these risks and use LLMs responsibly and ethically in compliance with human rights and other applicable laws, as well as company anti-discrimination policies and codes of conduct.
4. Employees must be aware that LLMs may store sensitive data and information, which could present a security or hacking risk. Employees must follow all company data security protocols.
5. Be aware of the risk that LLMs may generate inaccurate or unreliable information. Accordingly, employees must exercise caution when relying on LLM generated content and ensure that they review and edit all AI generated content for accuracy before incorporating the content into their work product, relying on the content to make important business decisions, or otherwise utilizing the content.
6. Employees must ensure that content produced for external use or sharing via an LLM is labelled or footnoted to clearly indicate that it contains LLM information. This footnote or reference must be saved in the final source document for future reference.

Employees who are unsure whether a particular use of an LLM constitutes infringement or may violate company policy must ask their supervisor or the company HR department for guidance.