Sure, this isn’t the first homebrew security system we’ve seen, but as long as there are nosey little sisters in the world, there will be a need for this sort of project. Based on the Arduino, the NoKES (NintendO Keyless Entry System) allows the user to set an entry code, which will then have to be entered via the retro-hip NES controller in order to unlock the door. The deadbolt itself is moved by a CD tray, and if you enter the wrong code, attempt to disable the device, or just stop by and knock on the door you’ll get your picture taken. Sounds like just the thing to keep those valuable comic books and He-Man action figures out of harm’s way while you’re off earning your Copyright Activity Badge. Hit the read link for step-by-step instructions, and be sure to check out the demo video after the break.

Continue reading NES controller, CD-ROM reconstituted as security system

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TORONTO, Oct. 2 /CNW/ - The authors of the annual list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers have released their 2009 winners and this year’s results are remarkable. “Even amid the market uncertainties we’ve seen over the past year,” says Managing Editor Richard Yerema, “forward-thinking employers are redoubling their efforts to improve working conditions for employees who help them weather these economic storms.” The result is an exceptional list (shown below) of employers that lead their industries in attracting and retaining top talent.\

Now in its 9th year, the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition recognizes employers that are industry leaders at attracting and retaining employees. The competition is organized by Mediacorp Canada Inc., the nation’s largest publisher of employment-related periodicals and online directories.

To develop this year’s Top 100 list, Mediacorp examined the recruitment histories of over 75,000 employers across Canada that it tracks for its popular job search site, Eluta.ca. From this initial group, Mediacorp invited 10,000 of the fastest-growing employers, plus 6,000 other companies and organizations in industries that Mediacorp editors wanted to examine more closely, to apply for this year’s competition. Employers were asked to complete an extensive application process that included a detailed review of their operations and HR practices. Over 2,000 employers started this year’s application process.

In reviewing each employer’s application, Yerema and his editorial team reviewed eight key areas: (1) Physical Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement. These criteria have remained consistent throughout the nine years of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.

The editors’ internal grades for each of these eight areas - with supporting reasons - are now published on Mediacorp’s popular job search site, Eluta.ca. “Publishing detailed reasons for selection,” says Publisher Anthony Meehan, “is a distinguishing feature of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition. Besides providing transparency, it allows other employers to discover what these special organizations are doing - and to emulate these best practices.”

In choosing the finalists, Yerema and the editorial team considered how each employer compared to others in its industry and region. This year’s list includes large and small employers from a range of industries, offering varying benefits and working conditions. What is common to all winners is that each is an industry leader: from architectural firms to community housing agencies, the employers chosen this year are leaders in their industry in attracting and retaining quality employees.

“This year was the most competitive since starting the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project almost a decade ago,” says Yerema. “We received a record number of applications from employers and our benchmarks for the areas we consider have increased in all industries and regions. These employers are leading the nation.”

2009 WINNERS - CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS

• Adobe Systems Canada Inc., Ottawa ON
• Aecon Group Inc., Toronto ON
• Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc., Boyle AB
• AMAPCEO, Toronto ON BD Canada Inc.,
• Oakville ON Bayer Inc.,
• Toronto ON Blake,
• Cassels & Graydon LLP, Toronto ON
• Boeing Canada Technology Ltd., Winnipeg MB
• Business Development Bank of Canada, Montréal QC
• CAE Inc., Saint-Laurent QC
• CH2M HILL Canada Ltd., Toronto ON
• Canada Post Corp., Ottawa ON
• Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., Calgary AB
• Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Ottawa ON
• Canadian Tire Financial Services Ltd., Welland ON
• Carswell, div. Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd., Toronto ON
• Cascades Inc., Kingsey Falls QC
• Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Toronto ON
• Cementation Canada Inc., North Bay ON
• Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto ON
• Ceridian Canada Ltd., Winnipeg MB
• Certified General Accountants Assoc. Canada, Burnaby BC
• Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Chatham-Kent ON
• College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario, Toronto ON
• Compass Group Canada, Mississauga ON
• DeltaWare Systems Inc., Charlottetown PE
• Durham Regional Police Service, Whitby ON
• EPCOR Utilities Inc., Edmonton AB
• Enbridge Inc., Calgary AB
• Export Development Canada, Ottawa ON
• FSC Architects & Engineers, Yellowknife NT
• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Toronto ON
• Farm Credit Canada, Regina SK
• Gamma-Dynacare Medical Laboratories Inc., Brampton ON
• George Brown College, Toronto ON
• Golder Associates Ltd., Burnaby BC
• The Great Little Box Company Ltd., Vancouver BC
• HSBC Bank Canada, Vancouver BC
• The Halifax Herald Ltd., Halifax NS
• Hamilton Health Sciences Corp., Hamilton ON
• Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Co., Mississauga ON
• Hill & Knowlton Canada, Toronto ON
• HOK/Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Toronto ON
• Honeywell Ltd., Mississauga ON
• IKEA Canada LP, Burlington ON
• Jacques Whitford Ltd., Dartmouth NS
• KPMG LLP, Toronto ON
• Kodak Graphic Communications Canada Co., Burnaby BC
• L’Oréal Canada Inc., Montréal QC
• Laurentide Controls Ltd., Kirkland QC
• Manitoba Liquor Control Commission, Winnipeg MB
• Mars Canada Inc., Bolton ON
• Marsh Canada Ltd., Toronto ON
• McGill University, Montréal QC
• Meridian Credit Union, St. Catharines ON
• Monsanto Canada Inc., Winnipeg MB
• NB Power Holding Corp., Fredericton NB
• National Energy Board, Calgary AB
• New Flyer Industries Canada, Winnipeg MB
• Next Level Games Inc., Vancouver BC
• Nycomed Canada Inc., Oakville ON
• OPSEU Pension Trust, Toronto ON
• Office of the Auditor General of Canada, Ottawa ON
• Ontario Power Generation Inc., Toronto ON
• Ontario Public Service, Toronto ON
• PCL Construction Group Inc., Edmonton AB
• Patient News Publishing Inc., Haliburton ON
• PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Toronto ON
• Procter & Gamble Inc., Toronto ON
• Research In Motion Ltd., Waterloo ON
• RBC/Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto ON
• Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa ON
• Russell Investments Canada Ltd., Toronto ON
• SAS Institute Canada, Inc., Toronto ON
• Sapient Canada, Inc., Toronto ON
• SaskEnergy Inc., Regina SK
• SaskTel, Regina SK
• Saskatchewan Gaming Corp., Regina SK
• Saskatchewan Government Insurance, Regina SK
• Shell Canada Ltd., Calgary AB
• Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC
• Sophos Inc., Vancouver BC
• Spruceland Millworks Inc., Acheson AB
• Stikeman Elliott LLP, Toronto ON
• Suncor Energy Inc., Calgary AB
• TD Bank Financial Group, Toronto ON
• Tamm Communications Inc., Toronto ON
• Toronto Community Housing Corp., Toronto ON
• Toronto Hydro Corp., Toronto ON
• Toronto International Film Festival Group, Toronto ON
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc., Cambridge ON
• Trican Well Service Ltd., Calgary AB
• University Health Network, Toronto ON
• University of Alberta, Edmonton AB
• Upside Software Inc., Edmonton AB
• City of Vancouver, Vancouver BC
• Wardrop Engineering Inc., Winnipeg MB
• County of Wellington, Guelph ON
• WorkSafeBC, Vancouver BC
• Yellow Pages Group, Verdun QC

The Alberta Job Centre posts about how employer branding can benefit the recruiting process. When the competition for talent in tight, what can an employer do to set themselves apart from everyone else looking to hire?

Here are five benefits of developing a strong employer brand:

1. A strong employer brand can help your organization stand out. With the shift to fragmented workforces of small and mid-sized businesses, it can be challenging to recruit and retain employees, if you don’t have a consistent employer brand.
2. Positioning your employer brand helps you attract and retain people who “fit”. With four generations in the workplace and a wide variance in employee motivations, a compelling employer brand can help you identify, attract and retain the right people.
3. A great employer brand can help you stand out, even when you don’t have the resources to offer traditional benefits or salaries. Many people prefer to work for employers aligned with their values. A great employer brand can help you become an employer of choice.
4. A distinct employer brand can streamline recruitment. By being clear about your organization’s values, goals and culture, you can avoid interviewing people who are out of sync with your organization. And you can increase applications from people who “fit”.
5. Great people seek out great brands. The best potential employees may not be the ones applying to random job postings. Great people seek out great employers who represent opportunities to fulfill their goals, achieve their dreams and live their values. By building a great employer brand, you can compel great hires to seek you out – rather than waiting for a job opening to come up.

Benefits of employer branding | AlbertaJobcentre.ca

(Toronto, ON, September 9, 2008) – Canadian employers expect a positive hiring climate for the October to December period of 2008 according to the latest results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, the most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world.

The survey of more than 1,700 Canadian employers reveals that 20 per cent expect to increase their payrolls in the next three months while seven per cent of employers anticipate cutbacks, for a Net Employment Outlook of 13 per cent. Of those polled, 70 per cent expect no change and three per cent are unsure of their staffing intentions for the upcoming quarter.

With seasonal variations removed from the survey data, the Net Employment Outlook is 14 per cent. This is a one percentage point increase from the previous quarter, indicating hopeful hiring intentions for the final quarter of 2008.

“This quarter’s Net Employment Outlook suggests that Canadian employers anticipate a steady hiring pace for the upcoming quarter” says Byrne Luft, Vice President, Marketing for Manpower Canada. “Employers are indicating that they will continue to increase their payrolls, but at a slightly slower rate than last year at this time.”

“The hiring climates in Western and Atlantic Canada are ahead of the national forecast,” adds Luft. Employers in Western Canada report an active hiring climate with a Net Employment Outlook of 25 per cent. In Atlantic Canada employers project a steady quarter with a Net Employment Outlook of 16 per cent. Employers in Quebec expect a weaker, yet still moderate fourth quarter projecting a hiring pace of nine per cent. Ontario employers report a modest quarter, projecting a Net Employment Outlook of eight per cent.

Strengthened by robust projections in Western Canada, employers in the Mining sector project a solid hiring pace with a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of 28 per cent. In the Public Administration and Construction sectors employers expect healthy hiring climates both reporting seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlooks of 22 per cent. Employers in the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate as well as employers in the Transportation and Public Utilities sectors expect upbeat markets for job seekers reporting Net Employment Outlooks of 20 and 17 per cent, respectively.

Mining

Reporting a five percentage point increase from the previous quarter, employers in the Mining sector project a solid fourth quarter with a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of 28 per cent. When compared to the fourth quarter of 2007, the Outlook has decreased by ten percentage points.

Public Administration

Employers in the Public Administration sector anticipate a steady hiring climate with a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of 22 per cent. Hiring projections have increased by eight percentage points from the previous quarter. However, this quarter’s forecast remains the same as last year’s fourth quarter.

Construction

Reporting a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of 22 per cent, employers in the Construction sector project an active staffing period for the final quarter of 2008. The Outlook has increased 11 percentage points from the previous quarter but has decreased six percentage points since the same time last year.

Finance, Insurance and Real Estate

With a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of 20 per cent, employers in the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate sector anticipate a favourable hiring pace. This quarter’s forecast is six percentage points stronger than the Outlook reported in third quarter. However, the Outlook is four percentage points weaker when compared to the same time last year.

Transportation and Public Utilities

In the Transportation and Public Utilities sector employers predict a positive hiring climate for the upcoming October to December period, reporting a Net Employment Outlook of 17 per cent once seasonal variations are removed from the data – two percentage points weaker than the previous quarter when the seasonally adjusted outlook was 19 per cent. When compared to the fourth quarter of 2007, the Net Employment Outlook improves by two percentage points.

Services

Employers in the Services sector also expect a positive hiring climate for the final quarter of 2008, reporting a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of 17 per cent. This is on par with the Outlook reported last quarter and is a slight decrease from the same time last year when the seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook was 20 per cent.

Wholesale and Retail Trade

In the Wholesale and Retail Trade sector employers report a Net Employment Outlook of 15 per cent once seasonally adjustments are made. This is a five percentage point increase from the previous quarter. However, this sector has experienced a ten percentage point decrease from the same time last year. Despite these fluctuations employers expect an upbeat quarter for the October to December period of 2008.

Manufacturing – Durable Goods

Employers in the Manufacturing – Durable Goods sector report a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of 13 per cent, indicating a respectable hiring climate. This is a seven percentage point increase from the previous quarter when the seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook was six per cent and is a one percentage point increase from the same time last year.

Manufacturing – Non-Durable Goods

Reporting a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of ten per cent, employers in the Manufacturing – Non-Durable Goods sector employers anticipate a hopeful hiring climate for the upcoming quarter. This is a ten percentage point increase from the previous quarter when the sector experienced a flat hiring climate. It is, however, a slight decrease from the same time last year when the Net Employment Outlook was 11 per cent.

Education

Employers in the Education sector expect a mild hiring climate for the upcoming quarter, reporting a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of four per cent. Employer optimism is declining when compared to the previous quarter, when the Net Employment Outlook was eight per cent, and also by nine percentage points from the same time last year.

Why have an employee handbook?

• Establishes the conditions of employment present at the time of hire for example: hours of work, vacation entitlement, sick day payment, retirement age, etc.
• Acts a reference tool for information about the employee benefit plan, payroll, overtime, pay increases etc.
• Use as part of the orientation process to familiarize employee with the employer and the work location.
• Communication tool to pass along organizational history, culture, and chain of command.
• Familiarization with the organization–who does what, identify appropriate avenues for information.
• Reduces litigation because it clearly outlines what is expected from the employee - i.e. code of conduct, dress, language, smoking.
• Establishes rules and regulations (however, it should include a disclaimer that discipline may be issued for behavior not included in the list — list is not all encompassing)

Essentials of a Good Employee Handbook

1. A disclaimer at the beginning of the handbook limits litigation concerning policies and procedures, hours of work, payment, benefits, etc. A good disclaimer will reserve the right of the employer to make changes to the content.
2. A statement of the employer’s commitment to equal opportunity and to providing a harassment-free workplace.
3. Introduction to the organization.
4. Mission statement of the organization.
5. Recruitment practices:
• how jobs are posted
• how positions are filled.
6. Job evaluation methods.
7. Salary Administration Practices:
• merit increases
• performance reviews
8. Working Conditions:
• hours of work
• attendance
• overtime
• training
• retirement
9. Computer/Internet access policy
10. Code of conduct
11. Special Services:
• staff meals
• security
• health & safety
• staff lounge
• smoking room
• parking
12. Human Resources.
13. Complaint/Grievance Procedures.
14. Pay delivery and other payroll services (deductions):
• Savings Plans
• Charitable Donations
• T4
15. Indirect benefits:
• Group Insurance Benefits
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Pension Plan
• Vacation Sick Leave provisions
16. Leaves of Absence:
• Maternity/Parental Leave
• Jury Duty
• Bereavement Leave
• Personal Leave
17. Guidelines for termination of employment.
18. What to do if you cannot report to work.
19. Acknowledgment of receipt of the book by the employee.
20. Statement that the employer may have to treat some employees differently to ensure equal treatment.
21. Personal Information:
• how to update your file
• release of information on your file
• written request required to review your records

Pitfalls in creating an employee handbook:

1. Information is written in language too difficult to understand.
2. Carelessly chosen wording which creates an employment contract.
3. Failure to state information will be updated from time to time (Management can reserve the right to do this).
4. Inconsistency between sections of the handbook.
5. Over promising or setting unachievable standards.
6. Too much information — less is more. It should be short simple English.
7. Hardback copy makes updating extremely expensive and difficult.
8. Too boring, no theme or sense of fun. Employee will not read.