June 11, 2026

In keeping with our core values of Serving Others and Valuing People, updated policies are in place to foster a healthy and positive workplace where quality services are offered to people with disabilities.

One of our commitments to employees is to be treated with dignity and respect. Newly updated policies were implemented to support this commitment to you. Policy enhancements are now in place to:

  • strengthen practices should you need to take a leave from your job
  • describe fair and consistent recruitment processes
  • define immigration supports to temporary foreign workers
  • state the Karis position on non-discrimination and
  • set expectations for criminal record checks and declarations

As you review and attest to these new policies in Section E – Human Resources, you will see some amendments that have been driven by legislative changes. New legislation in Saskatchewan has added annual declarations for criminal record checks for regular volunteers, volunteer Board of Directors, and employees. Amendments to the Saskatchewan Employment Act have introduced a new Long-term Illness Leave, criteria for medical documentation relating to illness, and introduces protections for leave entitlements.

On recommendation from our third-party medical adjudicator, Homewood Health, Karis has added two new policies and clarified an additional one. Across the organization, the new Pregnancy Accommodation policy is in place to support employees. Accommodations relating to pregnancy will be considered within the work location, often without the need for involvement of Homewood Health. Additionally, Karis has added a new Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Support policy to outline what employees can expect for resources and services relating to dependency and addiction. The updated policy on medical clearance for ‘return to work’ clarifies what employees can expect as their medical leave ends.

The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Working Group had the opportunity to provide feedback on several policy revisions. This group influenced the writing of the updated non-discrimination policy, recognizing our diverse workforce. Karis is committed to retaining employees and providing support to Temporary Foreign Workers with immigration processes. New policies outline the supports available regarding immigration streams. Also included are the expectations of Temporary Foreign Workers to maintain their eligibility to work in Canada. This includes an outlined requirement to report on the status of their study and work permits and to provide supporting documentation when requested.

Collectively, these new and updated Human Resource policies have been put in place to assist employees to participate and remain part of healthy and positive work environments. Employees can benefit from the additional clarity around expectations when they are on a medical leave and the support available to them should a leave be needed.

New email inboxes have been created to simplify access to information from HR team members in the areas that have been discussed. The following email addresses are a resource to all employees:

You can promote these new email addresses within your team by telling your peers about them, posting them in your work location, or talking about them at team meetings.

If you have questions, do not hesitate to reach out and ask a member of the Human Resource team.

Laura Watson, Director of Recruitment & Retention, Human Resources