During the fall of 2016, a significant portion of the media was focused on the scandal surrounding the unethical practices of the American bank, Wells Fargo. In summary, the scandal was a result of Wells Fargo CEO, John Stumpf, strongly encouraging employees to sell eight Wells Fargo products to each customer. This mantra, “eight is great,” placed a significant burden onto the working environment of the bank’s employees as these demanding quotas were practically unattainable.¹ Although this work structure may be goal-oriented, it pushed bank tellers to find a way to cut corners in order to avoid criticism from overbearing managers; this resulted in unethical solutions such as opening accounts and credit cards for customers without their knowledge or permission. To work in such a toxic reflects on the corrupt values of Wells Fargo, and it is a poor display of how higher-level executive view their employees.

Wells Fargo went on to receive further criticism by U.S. Senator, Elizabeth Warren, as she pointed out that the fault was not with the bank tellers. Contrarily, Senator Warren argued the blame should be placed higher up Wells Fargo’s hierarchy of power. In retaliation, the bank claimed that it had fired approximately 5 300 people for creating the fake accounts. However, public scrutiny has made it clear that the individuals who should be held responsible and accountable for the fraudulent behaviour are those who established it. Furthermore, under the office of President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Labor had removed a special website that was created as, “a resource for current and former Wells Fargo employees on workplace issues, including whistleblower retaliation complaints.”² The removal of this website leads to even more mistreatment of employees as this enables Wells Fargo to escape the responsibility that they owe to their employees.

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References:

1. McGrath, Maggie. “Wells Fargo Closes Its Troubled 2016 By Whiffing On Fourth Quarter Sales, Earnings.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 13 Jan. 2017. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.
2. Lynch, Sarah N. “As Trump takes office, Wells Fargo website to aid employees vanishes.” Canadian HR Reporter. N.p., 27 Jan. 2017. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.

It is without question that the workspace of a small and dreary cubicle stimulates minimal excitement. This conventional work environment characterized by the ‘nine-to-five grind’ has been refuted and reconstructed by the national telecom, TELUS. The company’s revolutionary and innovative ideology led to the construction of the Telus Garden, located in downtown Vancouver. The design of this recently-built structure embodies the ambitions of the company; it incorporates “the most state-of-the-art workplace technologies, [while] shifting 50% of the employees to working on a mobile basis.” ¹ The Telus Garden is a result of the alternative workplace philosophy that believes in allowing employees to have a flexible work environment. TELUS’s valuation of an employee’s overall wellbeing propelled the company to create the cultural landscape, Work Styles.

Work Styles is part of TELUS’ focus on developing a high-performing team that is intrinsically motivated, and has “increased productivity among employees [. A] recent independent study found employee engagement at 80 per cent, which put Telus in the top one per cent globally.”² From the perspective of the employees, this work program provides freedom to go about their daily lives in a way that suits them. This creates a larger sense of accountability and ownership throughout the workplace, which has led to an increase in productivity and efficiency. Therefore, TELUS’ alternative workplace program has tangible and quantifiable benefits while also reducing the company’s greenhouse gas emissions.³ TELUS is clearly ahead of the trend toward mobility in the workforce, and has reaped significant benefits from allowing employees to work in such a way that would suit their individual needs. TELUS is the first of many companies to recognize the needs of their employees and view them as individuals. This has lead the company to have increased team engagement thus positively impacting the experience of customers.

Telus Garden Offices / office of mcfarlane biggar

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References:

1. “Telus garden.” Office of mcfarlane biggar architects designers. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.
2. Toneguzzi, Mario. “Program creates flexible work environment.” Www.canada.com. N.p., 24 June 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.
3.  McIntosh, Sandy. “Work Styles: a view into TELUS’ flexible work program.” Blog TELUS. N.p., 10 June 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.

Off the corner of West 4^th Avenue and Pine Street in Vancouver’s area of Kitsilano, RYU’s flagship store offers a shopping experience for the well-rounded and fitness-minded individual. One of the newer tech-apparel giants, RYU (Respect Your Universe) differentiates itself by providing spaces in its stores to facilitate activities that RYU apparel is designed for, which in their case, is anything and everything. As described in The Vancouver Sun, “The store has [an] area which trainers can use at no charge to work with their own clients; a retail space [..] that allow for hosting after-hours classes and community meetings; and an outdoor courtyard for complimentary fitness classes.”¹ RYU is more than just a retailer for urban athletic apparel, it provides a gathering space to foster a sense of community.

RYU’s exceptional business model has received the WGSN Futures Award for ‘Best Store,’ ² as well as a feature in “The 16 Best VANCOUVER COMPANIES To Work For,”  recognizing its unique brand. RYU identifies its core values as, “respect, curiosity, bold expression, aliveness and discipline,” ³ and with this in mind, it’s no wonder why the employees see their role as more than just sales associates. They are true members of the community that RYU immerses itself in, as the store’s design allows employees to witness the fitness journey of their customers every step of the way. Therefore, RYU fosters in its employees a sense of influence and meaning within its community, providing a positive and empowering work environment.

The company’s CEO, Marcello Leone, explained that, “[a successful brand] requires an understanding of the customer, and a real culture of what your brand is and what it stands for.” ⁴ It is clear that RYU retains these values to the extent that employees of all levels must share these beliefs.

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http://www.vancitybuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Store-Front-Final.jpg

References

1. “RYU Apparel Makes National Headlines.” CNW. N.p., 16 Aug. 2016. Web. 04 Feb. 2017.
2. “RYU Apparel Wins WGSN Futures Award for ‘Best Store'” RYU Apparel Wins WGSN Futures Award for ’Best Store’. N.p., 1 June 2016. Web. 04 Feb. 2017.
3. “Careers at RYU Apparel Inc.” RYU Apparel. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2017.
4. Aleesha, Harris. “Son of Vancouver fashion boutique makes jump to athletic wear.” Www.vancouversun.com. N.p., 30 Mar. 2015. Web. 04 Feb. 2017.

Ethan Ethier’s blog post discusses the importance of receiving and providing feedback, and this topic piqued my interest as more often than not, people often overlook feedback once they receive it. As Ethan points out, feedback is neglected in the workplace as it can be misinterpreted and offensive. Possible consequences of feedback that is poorly received can be very harmful as tensions can arise, leading to a decrease in productivity and overall employee satisfaction. Additionally, Ethan goes on to discuss the effects of feedback on workers as it leads to further intrinsic motivation. This is beneficial as workers will feel more inclined to improve their performance according to how others evaluate their productivity, and it adds a new perspective of evaluation. If feedback is constructive, workers will consider suggestions that they may have never considered originally, thus leading to further collaboration amongst peer workers.

In my own life, I feel that feedback is imperative to improvement as it highlights tips that I may not have even considered, and I feel like offering and accepting constructive criticism is a very transferrable trait. This is applicable in sports, classes, the workplace, and so many other environments as it primarily results in overall improvement. This past year, I have received feedback from COMM101 and COMM292. This was very helpful as it allowed me to gradually develop my writing throughout the term. I can confidently say that this feedback that I have received from my peers has helped me to improve my connections to class concept within the text that I write. Therefore, through my personal experiences, I can confirm the notion that feedback, both positive and negative, has helped me develop my writing skills, and this can easily be transferred across a variety of fields.