REMINDER: No Smoking Permitted on Campus

/in , , ,

Recently there have been complaints of staff smoking in the courtyard smoking area. As a reminder, smoking in the courtyard has been restricted to residents ONLY since spring of 2024 [link]. Staff and visitors are not be permitted to smoke in this area.

In addition, staff and visitors are NOT PERMITTED to smoke in their vehicle while parked anywhere on the Menno Place campus.

Menno Place is a smoke-free campus. In keeping with Fraser Health’s smoke-free policy, and in response to feedback from our listening sessions with families, the courtyard smoking hut is reserved for residents only.

Smoking is not permitted in any building, on the campus, in cars in the parking lots, or within three meters of any door, window, or air intake in compliance with the City of Abbotsford Smoking Regulation Bylaw No. 1694-2017. You can find the updated Menno Place No Smoking policy on Sharepoint, using the link in the navigation of the staff site.

If you currently smoke and would like help to quit resources are available here: https://mennoplacestaff.com/smoke-free-campus-changes-for-staff-smoking/

MEMO: 2025 Vacation Requests Due by Apr 15

/in , , , ,

To: All Menno Home, Apartments and Hospital Staff
From: Menno Home, Apartments and Hospital Staffing
Date: April 8, 2025
Re: 2025 Vacation

Please double-check your booked vacation for 2025.

If you have vacation left to book, please do so by April 15, 2025. If vacation is not booked, Staffing will book it for you on April 16th. You are allowed to leave 37.5 hours outstanding until Aug 1st. If you have outstanding vacation after Aug 1st, Staffing will book it for you.

If you have a negative balance, please let us know which day(s) you would like to cancel.

Any cancellation of vacation days must be in writing. Please send your cancellation to your manager and to the appropriate staffing office.

There will be no exceptions after these dates. We appreciate your cooperation.

Thank-you,
Staffing Team

MEMO: April 19 & 20 FULL for Time Off Requests

/in , , , ,

To: All Menno Hospital, Menno Home & Menno Apartments Staff
From: Staffing Teams
Date: April 6, 2025
Re: Time Off Requests for April 19 & 20

To All Staff at Menno Hospital, Menno Home, and Menno Apartments,

As of April 6, 2025 please note that APRIL 19 & APRIL 20 have now exceeded staffing limits. The staffing offices will no longer accept time off requests for these dates.

Respectfully,
Menno Hospital & Menno Home & Apartments Staffing Teams

MEMO Re: Long Weekend Sick Calls – Easter

/in , , , ,

To: All Menno Place Staff
From: Jessy Manhas
Date: April 7, 2025
Re: Long weekend Announcement Regarding Sick Calls

Dear Team,

In the past, we have noticed a pattern of increased sick calls over the long weekend, followed by staff working on the statutory holiday the next day. All staff scheduled to work during the long weekend are expected to report to their shifts as usual.

Due to this recurring pattern, we will require proof of illness/doctor’s note as per the Collective Agreement from anyone who calls in sick on April 17 or April 19. Additionally, if you call in sick on April 17 or April or 19 and then come to work on the statutory holidays April 18 and/or April 20 and 21, an investigation will be initiated by your Manager with a Shop Steward and a doctor’s note is mandatory. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action and a risk of no sick time pay.

We appreciate your understanding and dedication to our residents’ care. Adhering to these guidelines will help ensure smooth operations throughout the long weekend.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your department manager.

Sincerely,

Jessy Manhas
Manager of People & Culture
604-851-1346

Canada Pension Plan Info Session – Wed April 23rd

/in , , ,

RBC is hosting an Info Session on CPP/OAS Benefits by Service Canada

Interested in getting information on pensions and benefits available from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) programs? Learn about retirement income, survivor income, disability benefits, eligibility, and the application process.

Public pensions – Canada.ca

This is not a Menno Place event. It’s a community session that may be of interest to our staff. If this is during your working hours you must receive permission from your supervisor to attend.

Date:    Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025
Time:   2:00 pm – 3:30 pm PST
Location:   Online. Live Info Session.

Click here to Register Today

This is RBC’s first info session of 2025 in joint partnership with Service Canada. This info session will offer a customized presentation speaking about Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) Programs offered to Canadians.

  • Service Canada programs and benefits, and how to access them.
  • Provide information and assistance to Canadians and support awareness and access.
  • RBC Group Advantage – Financial Planning priorities.

Brenda Giesbrecht, Citizen Services Specialists, Service Canada Community Outreach and Liaison Services, will be our special guest speaker and offering information on pensions and benefits available from Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) programs and benefits.

Have a question? A Slido link will be provided so you can ask your questions during the Info Session.

 

Effective Immediately: Staff & Visitors, No longer required to wear masks

/in , , ,

Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer, has officially declared the end of the 2024-2025 respiratory illness season. Staff and visitors are no longer required to wear a mask in resident spaces.

Staff are no longer required to wear a medical mask in resident care spaces and places where residents gather. Masking may be required on a case-by-case basis if deemed necessary on the basis of a point of care risk assessment, as per Menno Place’s infection prevention and control policy.

Visitors are welcome in all buildings on our campus. They are asked to refrain from visiting if they are sick. Visitors must still sanitize their hands for residents and staff safety.

Thank you all for your commitment to our residents and their safety.

New Maintenance and Housekeeping & Laundry Systems Lauch April 1

/in , , ,

As we continue to transition out of TheWorxHub, the new systems for maintenance and housekeeping and laundry will go live on April 1, 2025. The teams working within these systems will receive training ahead of time.

Starting April 1st all staff can access the new request systems through the Support Services Requestor. (You can find this link in the iLinks tab at the top of  mennoplacestaff.com .)

Instructions on how to use each system are linked below. If you have any questions please contact your manager.

How to Make a Maintenance Request  

How to make a Housekeeping & Laundry Request

Retirement Announcement – Debbie Block

/in , , ,

To: All Menno Place Staff
From: Linda Weatherly, Manager of Therapeutic Recreation and Volunteer Services
Re: Retirement – Debbie Block, Recreation Aide, Menno Home E2

 

Happy Retirement Debbie!

Debbie Block has worked for Menno Home for the past 8 years. She has spent the last few years with the residents on E2 Home. As the Recreation Aide, Debbie brought joy, love, compassion and FUN to all of her residents on E2. She enjoyed the programs as much as the residents did. The residents will miss the laughs that Debbie created with her great sense of humor and absolute passion for her job.

Debbie is always planning ahead. She’s the most organized person you could meet. She never missed a thing!

On behalf of the Recreation Team, we will miss our teammate and are sad to see her leave. On the flip side, we are extremely happy for her as she heads into retirement. Debbie’s last day on campus will be Monday, March 31.

Wishing you all the best Debbie! Cheers to everyday being a Saturday now!

Staff Scheduling Software – Training Coming Soon

/in , , ,

As you know, we completed a pilot project to find a scheduling software program that would allow us to work more collaboratively on our campus. The intent of this project was to focus on employee wellness and select a software program that would allow staff to report sick time sooner, fill open shifts faster, and reduce the need for units to work short.

Our search is complete, and we have selected ComVida as our scheduling software provider.

Over the last four months we have worked with ComVida to ensure that they have our scheduling information, employee list, contact information and correct roles and locations. The database is now ready and training on how to use the software will be announced soon.

Thank you to all of the employees who took part in the pilot project to test different systems. Your time, experience, and feedback were vital as we made this decision. We could not have done it without you.

Stay tuned for further information on downloading the ComVida App and for timelines for the new system to go live.