January 2018Issue 17

Inside SilveraFor the people of Silvera for Seniors

e know that conflict is a natural part of all relationships – personal and in the workplace.

Managing and resolving conflict pro-ductively is best for all involved.

With this in mind, beginning in September 2017, Silvera held Trans-forming Conflict training workshops.

“Silvera is establishing common language and tools so we can resolve conflict better, develop and sustain more positive professional rela-tionships, and serve our residents better,” says learning and develop-ment manager Krista Tweed.

“Our learning will continue to grow as we all continue to practise.”

Part one of the two-part training series attracted more than 240 employees across all service levels, departments and communities. Participants had the opportunity to identify their approaches to conflict and learn special awareness and communication techniques to transform conflict into constructive solutions.

Course recap

One tool employees learned about and practised is an awareness wheel. It is a step-by-step guide for what to say when conflict arises and you want to work towards solutions.

240 employees take Transforming Conflict training

W Here are things you can say:

1. I sense [something you hear or see related to the situation].

2. I think [fact-based observations about the situation].

3. I feel [emotional responses to the situation].

4. I want [to resolve the situation].

5. I can [appreciate different points of view or other aspects of the situation].

6. I will [do specific things and ask you to do specific things to improve the situation].

What’s next?

Over the next few months, all employees will gain access to three short tutorials, and part two of the workshop will be held later in 2018. These will focus on deepening under-standing and increasing skill levels.

When having vibrant conflict-resolu-tion conversations, keep the HOUSE acronym top of mind.

Inside SilveraPage 2

t is a balance that all of us try to find: how much money do we need for current spending

and how much can we save for the future.

A great tool to help us prepare for retirement is a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). One of the benefits of RRSPs is that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) allows tax-payers to defer income tax on RRSP contributions.

It is important to know that Silvera helps make RRSP saving easier by offering a regular payroll deduction service. This can help you save reg-ularly for your retirement with less impact on your take-home pay.

One of the advantages of using the payroll deduction service is that you don’t have to pay income tax on the contribution amount until you

Benefacts: Use payroll deduction for your RRSP

Situation Impacts on your take-home pay Results

You make no RRSP contribution Tax on $1,000 is deducted from your pay cheque.

Your take-home pay is $800.

No RRSP savings are made.

You make a contribution of $100 per pay period independently without using the Silvera payroll deduction service

Tax on $1,000 is deducted from your pay cheque.

Your take-home pay is $800 and, after you file your next tax return, the CRA will refund $20 of the $100 RRSP contribution.

You have $100 in your RRSP account.

Income tax on the $100 will be deferred beginning after you file your next tax return.

You make a contribution of $100 per pay period using the Silvera payroll deduction plan

Tax on $900 is deducted from each pay cheque.

Your take-home pay is $720.

You have $100 in your RRSP account.

Tax on the $100 is deferred immediately.

I withdraw money from your RRSP account in the future.

(If you don’t use the payroll deduc-tion service when making RRSP contributions, you will need to first pay income tax on the amount of the contribution and then apply for a tax deduction on your next income tax return.)

To use this service, contact your HR business partner to get an enrolment form from our inde-pendent RRSP service provider, Manulife. Once you have opened an RRSP account with Manulife, you then authorize Silvera’s payroll team to deduct a specified amount from your pay and have it depos-

ited directly into the account.

Whichever method you choose, it is best to begin contributing to your RRSP as early in your life as possible. This is because you will have more time to build up your savings, and it is possible also that your savings and investments will have more time to compound and increase in value. Talk with Manulife or your financial advisor to learn more about this.

If you are interested in participating in the Silvera Group RRSP, please contact your Human Resources business partner for a copy of the Manulife RRSP enrolment package. Silvera provides the payroll deduc-tion service only and is not con-nected to your RRSP account in any other way. You coordinate directly with Manulife and decide how you want to invest.

Illustration based on income of $1,000 and an income tax rate of 20 per cent

$$$

Inside Silvera Page 3

esults are in from the AON Employee Opinion Survey we completed last fall, and

meetings with employees to com-municate details of the feedback and focus areas for improvement are set to begin in February. Employees will have access to AON’s summary report then.

Overall employee engagement came in at 70 per cent in this survey – up significantly from 61 per cent the year before. We have more people who are moderately engaged and highly engaged, and fewer people

AON survey results are in, here’s what to expect rating themselves as actively disen-gaged or passively engaged.

It is gratifying to see that engage-ment is up year over year – a tremendous accomplishment. People across Silvera worked hard to listen to feedback from the 2016 survey and find meaningful ways to make improvements that matter to employees.

The percentage of employees who filled out the survey also jumped – from 61 per cent in 2016 to 80 per cent in 2017.

R The more employees who fill out the survey, the better we know what we are doing well and what we need to do better at.

Silvera’s results compare favourably with the average engagement rate of other Canadian organizations that AON surveys – 65 per cent.

As is the case every year, all responses are 100-per-cent confidential and anonymous. Silvera doesn’t receive individual answers, only combined results. The responses go directly to AON, the company that organizes and compiles the survey.

Inside SilveraPage 4

ilvera works hard to be an employer of choice, and we believe that our employee

team is the heart of the organiza-tion. We know that our success on behalf of residents could not happen without you.

It is important to acknowledge this, and we have a number of programs

Employees reach long-service milestones in 2017 to do so, including work anniver-sary thank-yous, values-based-ap-preciation monthly draws, service of excellence awards and long-ser-vice appreciation.

Our annual long-service awards program formally recognizes employees for every five years of continuous service.

S Please join your colleagues in cele-brating the following employees who have sustained their careers with Silvera and reached milestones in 2017 from five to 30 years of service.

30 years:

Mirella Frank

25 years:Linda Cormier

20 years:Leanne Triplett

Teresita Tungpalan

15 years:Bella Caguiat

Lidia Lazar

Wiliebell Mangosing

Elsa Mengstu

Altagracia Rugama

Elena Stef

Roselyn Villasor

10 years:Lualhati Araza

Barb Danis

Linda Estolas

Vanesa Lawson

Dwayne Merrett

Shafuni Sheikh_Said

Jessica Sinclair

Jeannie Trach

Elsie Will

5 years:Dawn Alexander

Portia Berdon

Fred Burrill

Esperanza Cabiling

Christina Dalisay

Priscilla Dwomoh

Melgrace Estayo

Josie Garana

Lillian Goopio

Safia Hussein

Vivian Javier

Bavani Jayaweera

Michelle Johnston

Paul Kane

Ecaterina Mihaila

Twilia Miller

Normita Obsanga

Florlyn Ordono

Sarah Price

Terry Ramirez Reyes

Emily Wang

Kidist Woldu

Long-service Awards in 2017

Inside Silvera Page 5

t’s important that we all be a part of practices that are good for the environment. Recy-

cling is one of them, and Silvera will soon be introducing a new recycling program in all communities.

Recently, The City of Calgary started an initiative to help reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills – the Organic Collection Program. Silvera will be part of this program in the coming months.

The program requires all multi-res-idential buildings, including Silvera communities, to separate food and yard waste from garbage for com-posting or diversion.

Watch for an individual kitchen catcher, compostable bags and an information pamphlet on how to use them that will be distributed to resi-dents the first half of 2018.

The initiative will require residents to separate their organic waste (such as food waste) and regular recyclables (such as plastic bottles and metal cans) from their garbage. (Residents

New organic collection program coming soon will still need to throw out items that cannot be recycled or composted.)

Use this table as a guide to help residents decide what to throw

Stay tuned for upcoming information sessions from The City of Calgary in your community.

I away, recycle or put in their organic kitchen catcher (Note: not all of these apply to residents living in support-ive living communities.)

Inside SilveraPage 6

n Friday, December 8, Silvera’s Shawnessy Community celebrated

its 25th birthday.

Residents recognized the special milestone by creating a poem and collage expressing how they feel about living in their Silvera home. The piece was framed and presented at the party, along with two large birthday cakes the resi-dents and employees got to enjoy together.

The celebration continued with residents dancing to live music. So much fun was had by all that the party continued into the early evening.

Shawnessy community manager, Jason Baker explains, “I felt like that uncle who takes all the kids out, feeds them a ton of cake and then spoils their supper – which I think I did very well in this case!”

“It was touching to listen to resi-dents talk about all the reasons why they love living here.”

Thank you to our Shawnessy staff for making this event a great success. Residents truly appreciated it and are looking forward to the next event.

Shawnessy Community celebrates 25 years

O

Inside Silvera Page 7

estview Community hosted Silvera’s first art shows and silent

auctions in November and January as part of a unique Active Aging program – Opening Minds through Art (OMA).

The OMA program

OMA uses a person-centred approach to support the pairing of older adults with younger people to create art pieces. OMA enables older adults to assume new roles as artists and teachers and leave a legacy of beautiful artwork.

The programs ran for two months each and partnered Westview resi-dents with Mount Royal University (MRU) nursing students.

“Part of OMA’s goal is to give younger adults a new way to under-stand and appreciate the strengths

Opening Minds through Art shows a success in older adults,” says active aging assistant Christine Payne. “It is wonderful to see the nursing students develop relationships with our residents. We are so impressed with their level of engagement and appreciate their participation.”

Art shows and silent auctions

The showings and silent auctions featured many pieces of art, includ-ing bubble wrap paintings, ink blot paintings, leaf and tissue collages, and pouring-medium series.

Wine and cheese were served while the guests, including friends and family of the students and residents, mingled, bid on the artwork and danced.

The program worked for many. y One participant’s daughter says: “Growing up, our dad was not particularly artistic or expressive.

W My family and I have noticed a positive change in him, including his eagerness to chat – not to mention the beautiful art he has created. We are so proud of our dad and grateful for this program.”

y Ary explains: “I love how you can put your own imagination and fanta-sies on paper and then see them dis-played for your friends and family to see.” Third-year MRU nursing student Chantel says of Ary: “He gets his inspiration from his past. He was a baker, so he paints from memories of his career.”

y Bob says: “I really enjoy working with the students who helped me. They have taken the time to get to know and understand me, and that feels good.”

Silvera plans additional OMA programs and art shows in other com-munities in 2018.

Inside SilveraPage 8

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ilvera employees are often recognized for their work on behalf of residents. This

letter is one recent example.

Dear Silvera,

In 2017, our parents moved into your Silvera community.

We would like to let you know that Silvera has changed our parents’ lives (and their family’s).

After reading about this organization, I realize how much Silvera is needed and should be recognized for its con-

Residents’ family offers appreciationtribution to seniors’ lives, especially those with low income.

I would like to thank you for all the help you have given us to assist our parents with what I can only say is not only the most important and timely change in their lives... but has actually “saved” their lives.

I do not believe I have to go into detail of their life before Silvera, but to let you know it is a significant upgrade to their lifestyle.

We do not worry as much as we did, and we are happy that they are not alone and are encouraged to visit and be with others.

My family would like to thank you ALL for the amazing people you have working for you, including:

• Nancy Mitchell

• Sarah Murphy

• Yves Ruest

• Kerri Hillman

With great gratitude,

[Signed by residents’ daughter]

S