NEWS FROM THE FIELD
Protection Shutdown mode, which turns
the engine off if engine temperature, drive-train
fluid temperature or engine oil pres-sure
go out of normal operating range.
Several additional enhancements have
been made throughout the product line,
including:
• Electrical system features that were
previously optional – including a battery
disconnect switch and jumpstart
terminal – have been made standard on
all N Series backhoes.
• The drivetrain has been updated for
improved roading and gradeability,
as well as more pushing power under
load and greater acceleration around
the job site.
• The machines also feature new externally
adjustable Extendahoe wear pads
that allow for easier maintenance
and serviceability while keeping tight
tolerances, reducing strain and wear
on components.
Business owners will face
an employee retention
crisis in the New Year,
warns Hays Canada
The recruiting agency’s eighth annual sala-ry
guide, released on Nov. 30, paints an un-favourable
picture of the Canadian labour
force – overworked and underpaid as a re-sult
of contingent staff hires and negligi-ble
pay raises – despite a year of growth for
businesses across the country.
For the construction industry, a skills
shortage and aging workforce present oth-er
challenges, says Soley Soucie, Eastern
Canada division director at Hays.
A skills shortage in Canada, reported by
three quarters of survey respondents, has
resulted in stressed staff and increased in-efficiencies,
errors or accidents. Failure to
keep up with demands and expectations
at a corporate level – and offer readjust-ments
to secure new talent – risk stretched
budgets and impacted morale for construc-tion
businesses, says Soucie.
The solution? Staff succession planning –
information most businesses already have,
says Soucie. Construction businesses need
to plan for the up-and-comers who shadow
and learn from top staff in order to better
prepare for departures.
In a hot market with an abundance of op-portunity,
skilled workers have limited tol-erance
for job dissatisfaction. Hays found
90 per cent of survey respondents would
jump at a more competitive job offer.
For construction businesses, it’s com-mon
to lose labour prematurely. When
projects near completion, most employees
look for other opportunities. Soucie recom-mends
open communication of the compa-ny’s
strategic plans and of projects coming
down the pipeline.
To avoid a revolving door of workers,
businesses need to engage employees early
on in their career.
Do you have something to share? Send your industry news to jharris@lesterpublications.com
12 Think BIG | Quarter 1 2018 | saskheavy.ca