Manitoba's Top Employers

5 Arctic Co-operatives Limited @ArcticCoopsLtd JOIN OUR TEAM! Explore career opportuni es within the Arc c Co-opera ves System. You'll find a variety of jobs, flexible schedules and a culture that's people focused. OUR VALUES • Rela onships • Accountability • Development • Diversity • Service & Support If 2020 has taught Manitoba's Top Employers anything it is that co-operation is not just desired, it is essential for suc- cess, especially when it comes to dealing with COVID-19. For Winnipeg based Arctic Co- operatives Limited (a five-time Manitoba Top Employer) that kind of work environment is in its foundation of purpose. In fact, its website states, "We pursue this vision through democratically controlled Co-operative businesses that operate on the values of fairness, equality, self responsibility and mutual self-help. Our Co-operatives believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others." Arctic Co-operatives CEO Rod Wilson says with 32 member Co-operatives across the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut to support, it's a huge task. "These Co-operatives rely on us for a variety of services, primarily the supply of products," says Wilson. "We also provide a host of management and technical services. Everything from human resources, learning and performance support. Technology support, accounting services, and construction of facilities." Since March of this year, this has proved more challenging. "As things started to migrate towards an expansion of the virus, we quickly decided to send our staff home and to introduce them to a work-from-home environment," says Wilson. "We had been working as part of our business continuity plans towards equipping all staff for some potential major crisis," he says. "We never envisioned that it would be what it turned out to be." This meant most of Arctic Co-operatives' 125 employees in Winnipeg were now home-based, except for those necessary for dealing with hands-on activities such as working in the warehouse, the mailroom or at the front of office. Wilson says these employees were outfitted with the proper personal protective equipment. Workspaces were also fitted with extra enhanced protection such as shields. There are also scanning devices to assess whether someone is at risk with a higher than normal body temperature. "We were able to very quickly respond because we had already built the foundation based on our Business Continuity Plan. We had already started to migrate towards mobile technology for a large number of our staff and within the course of about four days we were able to s u c c e s s f u l l y t r a n s i t i o n from a full i n - p e r s o n work environment to most of our staff working from their homes," says Wilson. Wilson says another initiative that was foremost in importance was ensuring all employees would have financial stability, no matter what happened during the pandemic. "From the onset we understood how much strain this would put on people," says Wilson. "That's why we made sure it was one less thing to worry about." But what does this mean for ongoing employee development? Prior to COVID-19, training for employ- ees was usually done in Winnipeg in a typi- cal classroom or workshop environment. Sometimes instructors would also fly north to conduct technical training on site. Ed Keddy, Vice-President of Human Resources, says the pandemic presented an opportunity to adapt. "With the pandemic we've moved towards e-learning, whether through Zoom or Teams, as well as electronic modules," says Keddy. "This was something we were already moving towards with delivery dates of 12 to 18 months down the road, but now we've managed to adopt it within eight months," he adds. Wilson says Arctic Co-operatives and its employees have proved resilient during this challenging time. "The culture that we have developed has equipped us to meet this current challenge," he says. "The values that we promote have been put to the test." Wilson, Keddy and the rest of the Arctic Co-operatives' management team hope they can all celebrate their ability to thrive in a time unlike any other and do it as a group together. If not at Christmas, at least someday soon. Visit us at arctic-coop.com for more info. ARCTIC CO-OPERATIVES LIMITED CO-OPERATION DRIVES RESILIENCE BY NEIL COLIGAN ARCTIC CO-OPERATIVES PHOTO ARCTIC CO-OPERATIVES LOGISTICS CREW MEMBERS.

• Cover