Progress update as of Aug 3rd, 2020

Posted: August 3, 2020

 

• Staffing updates: we understand there is interest in this area, but in order to protect the confidentiality of past and current employees, we cannot discuss specifics. We have made some personnel changes within the company to address concerns brought forth by employees during The Neutral Zone assessment. 

 

• We are working with The Neutral Zone on training programs as outlined in our action plan for owners, management and staff and hope to start as soon as the schedule allows. Rest assured, we are moving as quickly as possible and this is a top priority. This is not a one-time solution and will be an ongoing process.

 

• As per feedback from our staff, we are working with Covid-compliant contractors on a remodel of staff break rooms for the production side as well as the Street Kitchen . These will be gender-inclusive and positive spaces for employees and this will be part of our work with Ren Navarro of Beer.Diversity.

 

• We are very excited to build-out a charity initiative: we’ve identified a variety of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ charities in Canada. We will make an immediate monetary donation and work towards long-term funding and support.  More info to come as we move through this week.

 

• We have conducted two rounds of interviews and proceeded to the offer stage of a People and Culture position in a role that will focus on staff support; this is in addition to external human resources, which is a long-term commitment. We will engage different organizations for different areas of need. We acknowledge that the internal position cannot address all issues and we will engage external human resources issues to help fulfil any gaps.

 

• As per a recent BC wide survey of pay structure comparing other BC breweries, data shows we are one of the highest-paying craft breweries in the province, but we want to do better. Our immediate goal is to be the first BC craft brewery to be certified via Living Wage for Families and we are confident the compensation and benefit structure at Parallel 49 supports that.  We will be working this week to identify any gaps to ensure this goal is reached in the immediate future.

We understand that some may feel frustrated that we are not moving fast enough. Our problems will not be solved overnight, but every day we are working to support our staff, implement positive changes, and continue to offer products that reflect the passion and skill of our hardworking team. We will be updating our progress as fast as possible. Until then, feel free to reach out to us at community@parallel49brewing.com with feedback.