Criteria for the NEC Advocacy Award

Nominees will be assessed based on the successful implementation of the following best practices:

• Community Support Resources: Provide settlement and integration resources to newcomer employees to increase awareness of the local services available to them as well as important information about living in Saint John, New Brunswick and Canada

• Community Impact: Provide opportunities for all employees to get involved in the newcomer community in Saint John to gain appreciation for newcomers’ challenges, questions and concerns and to support their settlement and integration in our community.
• Employer Settlement Support:  Give or Take a Workshop; volunteers to get involved in the newcomer community; Join us at one of the many celebrations and cultural events happening in our city. Send a memo to managers and supervisors encouraging reasonable scheduling accommodations for newcomer employees to attend newcomer settlement workshops and access services.
• Use of Plain Language: Use clear language in all work-related documents sent to newcomers who speak English as a second language. Share common employment-related words (especially acronyms) and company-specific terms with newcomer employees.
• Open Door Policy: Develop an open-door policy and communicate it verbally and in writing to newcomers during the onboarding process. Ensure the entire team is aware of the open-door policy and emphasizes its importance and value to newcomer employees.
• Workplace Integration: Provide newcomer employees with information on New Brunswick employment standards, the Canadian workplace, and encourage them to participate in related workshops.

The organization presented with this award recognizes the sizeable impact immigrants have in Saint John. This award will recognize an organization that demonstrates the business and community impact of leveraging and developing newcomer skills. This organization actively encourages and promotes skills development, cross-training opportunities for staff, and welcomes innovation of thought through diversity and professional development opportunities for their staff.

Criteria for the NEC Engagement Award

Nominees will be assessed based on the successful implementation of the following best practices:

• Settlement Resources Referrals: Provide information to newcomer employees on the organizations that provide hands-on support for newcomer settlement and integration and encourage them to make connections and attend workshops.
• Language Learning: Communicate the importance of English and French language instruction with managers and supervisors, who are encouraged to prioritize scheduling requests related to English and French language learning.
• Effective Communication in the Workplace: Help newcomer employees understand communication styles and means of communications that are specific to the workplace (i.e. staff meetings, social events, interaction with management teams, e-mails etc.)
• Employee Training: Employees (non-newcomers as well as newcomers) participate in cultural competency training and other related professional development sessions.
• Community Support Resources: Provide settlement and integration resources to newcomer employees to increase awareness of the local services available to them as well as important information about living in Saint John, New Brunswick and Canada
• Community Impact:  Provide opportunities for all employees to get involved in the newcomer community in Saint John to gain appreciation for newcomers’ challenges, questions and concerns and to support their settlement and integration in our community.
• Employer Settlement Support: Give or Take a Workshop; volunteers to get involved in the newcomer community; Join us at one of the many celebrations and cultural events happening in our city. Send a memo to managers and supervisors encouraging reasonable scheduling accommodations for newcomer employees to attend newcomer settlement workshops and access services.
• Use of Plain Language: Use clear language in all work-related documents sent to newcomers who speak English as a second language. Share common employment-related words (especially acronyms) and company-specific terms with newcomer employees.
• Open Door Policy: Develop an open-door policy and communicate it verbally and in writing to newcomers during the onboarding process. Ensure the entire team is aware of the open-door policy and emphasizes its importance and value to newcomer employees.
• Workplace Integration: Provide newcomer employees with information on New Brunswick employment standards, the Canadian workplace, and encourage them to participate in related workshops.

  Includes everything under NEC Advocacy Award

The organization receiving this award actively participates in community events and promotes inclusivity through their day-to-day operations. This award goes to an organization who embraces the value of diversity in the workplace and serves as an example of a successful organization that promotes inclusivity through hiring a diverse workforce.

Criteria for the NEC Employer of Choice Awards

Nominees will be assessed based on the successful implementation of the following best practices:

• Assignment of an Inclusion Champion: Assign a seasoned employee to check in with each newcomer employee to decode confusing situations, answer questions, and help welcome them to the company.
• Spousal & Family Support: Provide newcomer employees with information on resources available in the community to support spouses in gaining meaningful employment, starting a business, accessing training, volunteering, and interacting with the local community.
• Canadian Multiculturalism Day Celebration:  Celebrate Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27th within the company or by joining existing community events.
• Supervisor Training: Supervisors attend Human Rights Act of New Brunswick workshop, Unconscious Bias, and/or cultural competency training and inform and engage individuals on cultural differences and how to become “culturally dexterous”.
• Settlement Resources Referrals: Provide information to newcomer employees on the organizations that provide hands-on support for newcomer settlement and integration and encourage them to make connections and attend workshops.
• Language Learning: Communicate the importance of English and French language instruction with managers and supervisors, who are encouraged to prioritize scheduling requests related to English and French language learning.
• Effective Communication in the Workplace: Help newcomer employees understand communication styles and means of communications that are specific to the workplace (i.e. staff meetings, social events, interaction with management teams, e-mails etc.)
• Employee Training: Employees (non-newcomers as well as newcomers) participate in cultural competency training and other related professional development sessions.
• Community Support Resources:  Provide settlement and integration resources to newcomer employees to increase awareness of the local services available to them as well as important information about living in Saint John, New Brunswick and Canada
• Community Impact:  Provide opportunities for all employees to get involved in the newcomer community in Saint John to gain appreciation for newcomers’ challenges, questions and concerns and to support their settlement and integration in our community.
• Employer Settlement Support: Give or Take a Workshop; volunteers to get involved in the newcomer community; Join us at one of the many celebrations and cultural events happening in our city. Send a memo to managers and supervisors encouraging reasonable scheduling accommodations for newcomer employees to attend newcomer settlement workshops and access services.
• Use of Plain Language: Use clear language in all work-related documents sent to newcomers who speak English as a second language. Share common employment-related words (especially acronyms) and company-specific terms with newcomer employees.
• Open Door Policy: Develop an open-door policy and communicate it verbally and in writing to newcomers during the onboarding process. Ensure the entire team is aware of the open-door policy and emphasizes its importance and value to newcomer employees.
• Workplace Integration: Provide newcomer employees with information on New Brunswick employment standards, the Canadian workplace, and encourage them to participate in related workshops.

  Includes everything under NEC Engagement Award