Two Moves Ahead - Chess and HR

Author: Serena Pawluk

TWO MOVES AHEAD – CHESS AND HR

It’s January. A fresh month, in a fresh year. Optimism skyrocketing. New goals being set. New Year’s resolutions being thrown around amongst friends on social media platforms for all to see. The pride. The joy. The determination.

Then “it” creeps up.

What starts out as a very faint pastel, develops into a hint, intensifies, and eventually transforms into Cloverdale Paint tint #426F8F – aka Blue Monday. The most depressing day of the year. But why? Let’s jump in our fictional “DeLorean” and go back to the previous December to explore how many individuals end up here.

Each year, the holiday season brings feelings of warmth, joy, love in the air. We find ourselves embracing the spirit of the holidays. We all seek to find that perfect gift for that someone dear to our heart. Some may have shopped online, clicking “next” over and over again (like the stereotypical single person seeking out their soulmate swiping right on a dating app) until that perfect gift idea finds itself in the “cart”. Some went to the mall, wandering store to store in search of their prized gift. Whether we are in-person smiling back at a festive cashier, or nose deep into a page on Amazon; when it comes time to pay, many of us turn to that one source - the “provider” - capable of offering means to obtain that special gift. That provider has a name. Have you guessed it yet? You get a gold star and a solid pat on the back if your answer is *insert drum roll here*… “The Credit Card”. 

A GAME OF CHESS - CHECK

Shopping with a credit card can be compared to a game of chess. The first move seems simple and harmless, but if you are not careful, before you know it, your king will be in danger or even, checkmated. What you do now will affect you later. In an article written by CBC Senior writer, Pete Evans, he writes “At the turn of the millennium, Canadians owed a total of $13.2 billion on the credit cards. By February 2020, that figure ballooned to $90.6 billion”. [i] Getting a handle on credit card debt is important but may seem difficult to achieve. Once an individual has fallen victim to the sweet, alluring calls of the ease of use of “The Credit Card”, it can be difficult to pull back out of debt. This is when it becomes necessary to be proactive: open Google, research debt relief companies, and make a phone call to a resource that offers debt relief counselling. So, what should you look for in a debt education and counselling service provider? For starters, they should have the newest, shiniest, MOST INNOVATIVE and PROVEN tools. Tools that will help mold, shape, and revolutionize the corporate wellness HR Packages.

THE CHESS GRANDMASTER

In this scenario, your opponent, “Debt”, is a Chess Master. As a HR Professional, your role is already comparable to a chess master. But better. You are a Chess Grand master. Always a step or two ahead in your industry ensuring you find and offer your employees exceptional employee/corporate wellness programs. Such programs are important for the employer as they help in improving recruitment, increasing retention, and reducing absenteeism. They are also essential for the employee in not just maintaining mental health but improving it. Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, so many employees’ mental health has been hit hard on a global scale. Providing meaningful wellness programs for them is paramount. Legal, Identity theft, and debt issues are an important matter that affects both the employee and the employer. The demand is growing for affordable access to all but finding a “one size fits all” program that handles all three of these is difficult. It may seem impossible, but it isn’t.

GAME PIECES - THE KNIGHT

Like every good “fairy tale”, there is always a prince charming offering that “happily ever after” or a knight in shining armor offering that feeling of safety, protection, and security. The Knight is also an important piece in chess over and across other pieces to protect the King (in this case, the employees). Without further ado, let’s go on a quest together to find our Knight.

There is a substantial benefit in joining forces with the right “Knight” that will provide employees of corporations (families & individuals) access to legal, ID theft restoration / monitoring, AND credit counseling / education resources. Protecting your employees and their families by seeking advice from professionals in these areas can mean all the difference. A broad corporate and employee wellness program can be pivotal.

Let’s face it. Lawyers are involved in our stages of life. [ii] When we plan a wedding, there are contracts and documents to read (DJ’s, caterers, travel agent). When we have children, an estate planning kit is in order. Those children unavoidably become teenagers with a driver’s license. Setting in place the right corporate wellness provider can extend peace of mind for employees. Knowing that if their teenager was ever pulled over, they have access to contact a professional they can rely on. These same children may get bullied at school. Lawyers can help ensure the child’s rights are protected.

When it comes to Identity Theft, we no longer live in a world of “if” it will happen, but rather, “when”. Hackers are industrious; capable of finding innovative ways to seek and locate your personal information; sniffing out every opportunity to hijack your data. [iii] The good news: “when” the hacker is successful in stealing our identity, your employees have access to a Private Investigator AND a lawyer to help combat this disaster.

Let’s return to the topic of debt (and for this article, also known as our “opponent”).

When there is a corporate wellness group benefits plan in place with the combination of legal and Identity theft protection, employees gain exclusive access to one-on-one education to help them understand their credit rating and actions that are likely to have an impact on their credit score. [iv] Additionally, the provider law firm can offer legal consultation on the laws surrounding credit scores and lending as well as draft letters on the employee’s behalf and review documents up to fifteen pages for them. They also receive the help of our Identity theft specialists when someone steals their identity. We are now equipped with enough information that we can now setup our final move.

ENDGAME

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.