2023 Courtenay Annual Report

Organizational Well-Being and Sustainability

Human Resources Team Building on the policy work of 2022 and 2023, the Human Resources (HR) team has been working on training and development programs that include Mental Health Awareness and strategies, Critical Incident Stress Management and leadership. In 2023, City staff were provided the opportunity to participate in an experiential workshop. The Village Workshop Series, led by a Cultural Safety Practitioner, explored in-depth the effects of Residential Schools and Canada's Policy of Assimilation. This emotion-evoking workshop enhanced staff's understanding of colonial histories on a deep emotional level. Further training in development includes reconciliation, diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion. Job hiring practices will be aligned with our new Communication Strategy and ensure that communications reflect best practices in inclusion and align with the City’s Strategic Priorities. Health and Safety In 2023 the City worked on improving the mental health resiliency of staff. A key part of those improvements was Critical Incident Stress Management training and the creation of a peer support team among City staff. These initiatives resulted in a 46% decrease in workplace violence reports in 2023 compared with 2022. The City continues to have a robust Occupational Health and Safety program and holds a WorkSafeBC Certificate of Recognition. While there were fewer injuries among City staff in 2023 than 2022, there were more injuries resulting in medical treatment and time lost from work. The graph below illustrates City's injury frequency and lost-time injuries from 2013 to 2023, compared to the average lost-time injuries for industry (municipalities).

Recruitment activities continue to increase, with staff finding recruitment efficiencies with existing resources. Recruitment Activities

Local government recruitment activity increases are consistent with the BC Labour Market Outlook 2022-2032 Forecast, as the public sector is anticipated to experience an approximate 30% replacement rate, and an additional 9% growth rate in the predicted period.

Critical Incident Stress Management Training

The City of Courtenay maintains an ongoing commitment to promoting the wellbeing and health of employees. Work-related, critical or traumatic incidents have the potential to cause significant physical, cognitive and psychological impact. It is recognized that early and appropriate intervention following traumatic incidents can minimize the long-term impact of these events and assist employees in their recovery. Critical Incident Stress Managment (CISM) training was completed by a handful of City of Courtenay staff in March. These individuals were trained to assist employees experiencing a crisis. By holding an in-person meeting to help minimize impact/trauma, normalizing reactions and assisting in getting further professional help (if required). CISM is a comprehensive crisis intervention system. It may be applied to individuals, small functional groups, large groups, families, organizations, and even communities.

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City of Courtenay | 2023 Annual Report