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The Accessible Employment Policy outlines Birchwood’s commitment to the Accessibility Standard for Employment under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act. Birchwood policies, practices and measures reflect principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.
Birchwood aims to remove barriers in our workplace. If a barrier cannot be removed, the company seeks to provide reasonable accommodations to affected team members.
The following policy statements, organizational practices and measures are intended to meet the requirements of Manitoba’s Accessibility Standard for Employment.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to the Manitoba Human Rights prohibited grounds of discrimination of disability, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
Through the Birchwood recruitment process, upon request, Birchwood informs all applicants that reasonable accommodation is available to applicants with disabilities. If a request for accommodation is received, Human Resources will consult with the applicant to determine the appropriate accommodation and commits to putting the accommodation in place when reasonable.
Examples of accommodation are ISL interpreters, specially printed materials, and allocation to accessible buildings. During Birchwood’s new hire onboarding process (MVP), new hires are informed of Birchwood’s policy and workplace accommodations to new hires. New team members can also find more information on Birchwood’s practices in the Team Member Handbook, located in the Human Resources system – HR4.
Team Members are informed about accommodation measures, policies, and practices. Birchwood also provides updates to team members when this information changes.
The company aims to meet the communication needs of our team members by providing workplace information and communications in ways that are easy to access for everyone. If accommodation is requested by a team member with a temporary or permanent disability, Birchwood will:
Team members can find information on the Accommodation policy during onboarding with Birchwood through training sessions and written documents housed in the Human Resources System – HR4, which is accessible from computers, tablets, and smartphones.
Managers and the human resources team can be reached to answer questions and discuss any accommodation requests or provide the information in different ways. They will consult with the team members regarding what accessible format or support is the most appropriate for them.
Upon request, Birchwood can make this information available in different sources and formats and offer further support to meet team members’ needs.
Birchwood provides reasonable accommodation by developing and documenting individualized accommodation plans for team members with disabilities who request them.
On the occasion that a team member is returning to work due to a sickness or injury, the company will also provide temporary or permanent accommodation based on Birchwood’s Return-to-Work Policy.
3.1 Practices and Measures:
The individualized accommodation plan includes the following:
Team members will participate and cooperate in the accommodation process by:
Managers will review the accommodation plan yearly or when needed due to a change in the workplace, or job duties, if requested by the team member or if/when the accommodation is no longer needed.
3.2 Process to Request an individualized accommodation plan
3.3 Reasons for Denying a Request
Birchwood may deny a team member’s request for an individualized accommodation plan in the following circumstances:
3.4 Maintaining privacy
Information regarding accommodation plans will be available as required for the purposes of the Accessibility Standard for Employment unless otherwise agreed to by the team member.
Birchwood’s training program and methods for career development are accessible to all team members. If a barrier is identified, the company will attempt to remove or make the necessary accommodation.
Birchwood’s human resources management practices take into consideration the following:
Team leaders meet with team members annually to discuss performance, goals, and any challenges. Accommodation plans and requests for new accommodation can be discussed at this time, but Birchwood welcomes team members and team leaders to have those discussions when necessary. Emergency plans and accommodation plans are reviewed yearly.
When a team member is not keeping up with the responsibilities and expectations for the role, their team leader will have coaching conversations with the team member to specifically address the issue(s), as per Birchwood’s progressive discipline policy. Prior to imposing disciplinary measures, Birchwood considers whether there is a connection between concerns about job performance and workplace barriers.
Birchwood practices and measures aim to ensure that workplace accommodations do not negatively affect access to career development.
Birchwood’s return-to-work policy ensures reasonable accommodation for team members who are at work or absent due to a disability or health condition. Birchwood will make efforts to modify team members’ duties and work schedules based on their functional abilities. The company’s aim is to increase duties safely to help team members reach their full potential.
Birchwood’s Human Resources Team works closely with the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) Adjudicators and Case Managers to bring team members back to work as soon as possible in a safe, collaborative and supported manner. Birchwood also works with the Benefit Provider to accommodate and bring back to work any team members who are on medical leave due to sickness or injuries unrelated to work.
More details on the Return-to-Work process can be found in Birchwood’s Return-to-Work Policy.
Birchwood prides itself on being a Safework Certified company. This means that yearly, all of Birchwood’s locations go through emergencies and fire drills. The company also has location-specific emergency and fire plans that are updated yearly. All team members acknowledge such plans and are trained in how to proceed in an emergency or fire.
To ensure the safety of team members who have a disability or have temporary accommodations that might impede their reaction during an emergency, Birchwood has, when needed or requested, developed individualized emergency plans. The company ensures workplace emergency response information is specific to each team member’s needs and the physical nature of the team member’s workspace.
Birchwood teams regularly discuss general accessibility and identify barriers during Workplace Safety and Health meetings. The (office manager), who acts as fire marshal, ensures communication with these team members during the emergency by (cellphone or two-way radios). The person acting as fire marshal notifies the fire department about the number and location of team members who remain in the building.
Once Birchwood learns a team member requires assistance during a workplace emergency, the company offers the team member individual workplace emergency response information as soon as possible.
Birchwood reviews the workplace emergency response information provided to a team member each time:
If a team member who receives workplace emergency response information requires the assistance of another person during an emergency, Birchwood will obtain consent from the team member on who will assist and will inform that person on how to assist.
Birchwood provides training on how to accommodate team members with a disability to staff with the following responsibilities to Human Resources and Managers.
Birchwood managers go through an online training course, where Return to Work, Accommodations and Accessibility Act are discussed.
Training content includes:
Training is provided during the onboarding process (up to 1 month after the hire date) through the Human Resources System (HR4). A refresher is also provided to Managers at the Managing for High-Performance course.
All records regarding Birchwood’s policies and training courses are recorded on HR4. Birchwood’s policies and training are always available on HR4 for team members to retake or consult. Birchwood’s Accessibility Policy is available on the website for public access. This policy is also available upon request, and the company will provide it in a format that is accessible to the user. The Human Resources department is available to consult in any matters regarding accessibility and accommodation. Birchwood provides all policies within a reasonable timeframe, and in a format that meets the needs of individuals with a disability, at no additional cost.
Birchwood protects the privacy and confidentiality of team members’ personal information and personal health information. The company only collects, uses, and discloses information as required for the purposes of the Accessibility Standard for Employment and the Return to Work Policy unless otherwise agreed to by the team member.
Reception: 204-832-1676
3965 Portage Avenue Unit #35D
Winnipeg, MB, R3K 2H7