How To Combat The Great Resignation

Happy 2022!!!

During these most unusual of times, let us stop and remember why we all do this work every day. Let us keep the plight of the animals firmly in our view as we continue to do some of the hardest work in the world.

While some of us may be doubling down on doing this work, others may be taking this time to re-assess their work lives, and as evidenced by what the media is calling The Great Resignation, this reassessment is taking place in the non-profit sector as much as in the for-profit sector.

This reassessment, however, provides an opportunity for organizations in our Movement to consider how they do what they do, and put energy and efforts into turning The Great Resignation into The Great Retention Program.

Over the next few blogs I’ll be exploring some of the most foundational components of a healthy human resources program, regardless of organizational size, all of which are built upon the importance of transparent and consistent people practices.

One such practice is having an employee handbook. While all organizations should have some kind of handbook, like most things in life, it should be appropriate based on the circumstances.

If you work for a group in the Movement with three employees, your employee handbook may only be a few pages long and provide some very basic information such as who to call if you’re sick, how often you will get paid, and other basic employment information that may be required in law depending on your legal jurisdiction.

In all cases, however, one of the most fundamental responsibilities that employers have is to do everything possible and reasonable to ensure that the workplace is free from harassment, discrimination, bullying, violence, and other forms of inappropriate conduct. As such, even the smallest organization must have a Respect in the Workplace policy that clearly lays outs the organization’s position on workplace conduct, it must include clear routes of resolution, it should have named designated persons who have been specially trained to work with employees if they are subject to inappropriate workplace conduct, and it should also be supplemented with regular training by a qualified person. For more on this important subject, please view this free 90-minute webinar I facilitated for The Open Sanctuary Project, and read many of the blogs I have written on this topic.

As organizations grow, however, so too should all aspects of their policies and processes, including human resources policies and processes. More robust employee handbooks will include policies such as vacation time and pay, disability protocols, absenteeism, pregnancy and parental leave and other paid leave laws, sick leave, dress code, overtime, and breaks.

Here is a fairly standard list, provided in alphabetical order, of the kinds of policies and statements that can be found in an employee handbook:

  • Advancement

  • Alcohol and Substance Abuse

  • Benefits

    • Life Insurance

    • Medical Insurance

    • Retirement Plan

  • Conduct

  • Company Events

  • Company Property

  • Confidentiality

  • Conflict of Interest

  • Definitions of Employment

  • Donor Relations

  • Dress Code

  • Educational Assistance

  • Electronic Communications

  • Employee Benefits

  • Employee Classifications

  • Employee Files

  • Ethics

  • Expenses

  • Health and Safety

  • Hours of Work and Overtime

  • Housekeeping

  • Intellectual Property

  • Open Door Policy

  • Outside Employment

  • Payroll

  • Performance Reviews

  • Privacy

  • Probationary Period

  • Progressive Discipline

  • Rehire

  • Resignation

  • Respect in the Workplace

    • Anti-Discrimination

    • Anti-Harassment

    • Workplace Investigations

  • Retirement

  • Safety

  • Smoking

  • Social Media

  • Telecommuting

  • Temporary Layoffs

  • Termination of Employment

  • Time Away From Work

    • Absenteeism and Tardiness

    • Bereavement Leave

    • Jury/Witness Duty

    • Medical Leave of Absence

    • Paid Holidays

    • Personal or Sick Days

    • Pregnancy/Parental Leave

    • Vacation

    • Voting

  • Travel

  • Violence in the Workplace

  • Whistleblower Policy

  • Work Life Balance

  • Workplace Conduct


Employee handbooks also tend to include information about the organization such as how it got started, what the mission and vision of the organization is, as well as the guiding principles. It might include information about the board of directors, their roles and responsibilities, and also information about the organization’s leadership.

Employee handbooks are truly an essential tool for ensuring clear communication between employees and the organization. And, in some cases, an employee handbook should also include information that is important to key volunteers.

Employee handbooks create a level of transparency that can help to ensure consistency of application of workplace processes. Everything is in ‘black and white’ – there is no ambiguity.

In subsequent blogs I will be treating some of the human resources matters that I have noted above such as overtime, whether you should be paid to travel, and social media.

If you work for an organization that doesn’t have an employee handbook - go ask for one! This is a fundamental part of any good working relationship.

Always for the Animals,
Krista

This blog is provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal advice or opinions of any kind. No one should act, or refrain from acting, based solely upon the materials provided on this website, any hypertext links or other general information without first seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice.

The intention of this blog is to promote the longevity and engagement level of the activist community within the Animal Advocacy Movement (AAM). The majority of the advice will be geared towards employees within the AAM in Canada and the United States, but may be applicable to other countries.

Krista is the Executive Director of For The Greater Good where she consults with animal protection organizations across North America on matters of organizational development and governance. In addition to holding five degrees and designations in human resources, including a master’s degree in organizational development and leadership, she is pursuing her doctorate focused on the employment experiences of animal rights activists in Canada and the United States. Krista first joined the Animal Advocacy Movement as the VP of Mercy For Animals in Canada where she led twelve undercover investigations into factory farms and slaughterhouses. Krista also served as the President of the Board for Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary for over five years, also now serves on several other Boards including One Protest, The Rancher Advocacy Program, Egg-Truth, and Dairy-Truth. Krista is also a member of Womxn Funders in Animal Rights. Krista is a peer reviewer for the Journal of Critical Animal Studies. Prior to joining the Movement, Krista founded a boutique employment and labour law firm in Toronto where she consulted to employers across Canada and the U.S. for a decade, and before that she spent fifteen years in human resources including as the Vice President of HR for one of the largest software companies in the world.

EmploymentKrista Valerie HiddemaQuit, resignation, animal advocacy, employee, handbook, policy, retention, work, satisfaction, non-profit, organization, growthComment