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Borger Group of Companies Introduces Respect in the WorkplaceTM
President of Borger Group of Companies, Bill Borger; Superintendent, Terry Apuzza; and Foreman, Salah Hammoud and crew in Cityscape in North Calgary. Left to right: Gordon Moore, Tarek Thayra, Jamil Elrafih, Salah Hammoud, Austin Mackay, Terry Apuzza, Mohamad Jabr, Ghassan Darwiche, Bill Borger and Darren Hart.
Calgary’s Borger Group of Companies is proud to be the first Canadian construction company to roll out Respect in the Workplace™ certification for all of its employees. Respect in the Workplace™ (RIW) provides organizations with harassment, bullying and discrimination solution for workplaces. The focus is about making good people better and empowering the bystander. “We recognize that in order to attract the best people we need to strive towards having the best working environment,” says Bill Borger Jr., president of the Borger Group of Companies. He is optimistic that this program will be beneficial to Borger’s already family-oriented culture. “Everyone does the same mandatory program before entering a job site or our office; I did the program before asking the team to do it,” he continues. Almost 60 per cent of working Canadians have experienced or witnessed workplace harassment, according to a survey released by Queen’s School of Business at Queen’s University and the construction industry often gets a bad rap in this regard. Contrary to construction industry stereotypes about aggressive behaviour, Borger has tried to create a culture built on a foundation of respect, safety and shared accountability. “One of the best ways to deal with workplace culture issues such as bullying and harassment is to find ways to prevent it in the first place. What often stands in the way is the confidence to deal with these issues head on, particularly for 20 • September 2013 BUSINESS IN CALGARY | www.businessincalgary.com
front-line workers and supervisors. In many businesses the typical response is to turn a blind eye, which never makes things better. Preventative programs like Borger’s are a good opportunity to start the conversation about the behaviours that align with your core values and expectations,” says Debby Carreau, president of Inspired HR. Carreau adds, “Borger is committed to having an environment that is free from discrimination, harassment and workplace bullying. RIW enables Borger and all of their business unit’s employees to fully embrace what is right, and to know what to do and feel safe to act when they see or experience something that is wrong.” The online component of the program takes 90 minutes and is part of the orientation for new team members and is also part of the annual spring orientation. In addition to the online training and certification the culture of respect is brought to life through supplemental programs, contests and communication programs. Respect in the Workplace™ is part of Borger’s ongoing safety program – a comprehensive program modelled on the standards of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation in conjunction with the Alberta construction Safety Association Audit program to ensure they not only meet, but strive to exceed all safety legislation and best practices. “Every year we survey Borger’s employee engagement and focus heavily on the workplace culture, respect and
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