The importance of office ergonomics is often overlooked until someone experiences discomfort or sustains an injury, such as carpal tunnel or a repetitive strain injury.

By implementing the following simple changes in the setup of your workspace, you can help prevent these injuries from occurring in the first place.

Chair: Adjust the height of your chair so that your feet rest flat on the floor and your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Your forearms should be parallel to the floor while your hands are resting on your keyboard and your wrists should not be bent. Pay attention to your posture and avoid slouching while seated.

Computer Monitor: Your monitor should be positioned at or slightly below eye level. Adjust the brightness of your monitor and take frequent eye breaks to reduce the likelihood of eye strain. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that you follow the 20-20-20 rule for eye breaks: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break, and focus your eyes on something at least 20 feet away.

Desk: Ensure that frequently used items on your desk are placed within easy reach, eliminating the need to stretch unnecessarily. Remove items from under your desk that may be preventing you from having proper foot placement. Move or tie up loose cables that could pose a tripping hazard.

By following these tips, you are taking the first steps to having a safe and comfortable workspace. This will enhance your productivity and help you avoid future pain and discomfort. It can sometimes be difficult to see the value in spending time to set up an ergonomic workspace, but these minor changes could prevent a major injury.


By Debbie Ciccotelli, Director, Strategic Initiatives

Motivation is the force that drives us to do things – the inspiration behind our behaviour and our actions. It is what gets us up in the morning and keeps us going through the day.

I had the pleasure of conversing with a young man recently. He had just completed his basic training and started
work as an airport security guard. The passion this young man had for his new role was evident in his facial expressions, body language and tone of voice as well as the words which he spoke. He told me about his love for aviation and how this job fulfilled this passion. He embraced the recruitment and training process and was so proud to put on his uniform and begin work. His trainer informed me that he had never seen a new employee with such passion, energy and excitement. This young man’s positive mindset, passion and energy will be a source of motivation and energy for others.

Observing someone who is beginning their career with a true awareness of their passion and self- motivation is truly inspiring. It forces you to take a step back and ask yourself – what is my motivation? As time goes by, our motivations will change, therefore it is important we self-assess and identify those things in life that really motivate and inspire us to be the best we can be. Self-motivation is a life skill, which we should build upon and nurture throughout our entire life. It is behind our success in all areas of life and in everything we do.

Motivated and passionate employees are more resilient and energetic about their work, have a stronger sense of wellbeing and provide a positive source of energy for others around them.


By Petra Nash, Executive Assistant

On June 27th, 2019, ASP Security Services and Airfield Access Inc. got together for the 5th annual Client Appreciation Golf Tournament.

The charity chosen this year to sponsor was Reach Out Centre for Kids.

ROCK™ was designated by the Ministry of Child and Youth Services (MCYS) as the child and youth mental health Lead Agency for Halton in August 2014. With programs and services that run out of 11

sites and three main offices, ROCK™ is committed to being inclusive, client-centred and family-centred. With over 40 years of service in Halton, we are dedicated to building strong people, strong families and strong communities. ROCK™ promotes and achieves optimal mental health in kids and families.

The golf tournament was a phenomenal success.

Clients and employees gathered together to help support a good cause. Raffles, putting contests and silent auction items had guests donating to a great cause. The total value raised $2,675!

Thank you to all our clients, sponsors and employees for their continued hard work, and a big thank you also goes out to Reach Out Centre for Kids for the ongoing support they provide to the community.


By Mina Khani, OSR Training Coordinator

When we think of staff motivation, many things may come to to mind: more money, a bigger office, a promotion, or a better quality of life.

The truth is, no matter what we offer, true motivation must come from within. Regardless of how it is characterized, it is important to get the right balance in order to ensure that we have a motivated workforce.

As part of the management team in ASP, we do our best to motivate our employees, by:

  • Recognizing and rewarding employees who are achieving above and beyond.
  • Offering equal employment opportunities to all employees, based on qualifications and performance.
  • Providing a workplace free from discrimination or harassment.

Self-motivation is the force that drives you to do things. It drives you to work towards your goals, put effort into self-development, and achieve personal fulfillment.

For example, a man who goes to work every day just to pay the bills, keep his family off his back, and please his boss is not self- motivated, while a man who needs no external forces to make his way to work every day and finds fulfillment in what he does is self-motivated.

Some tips and skills for self- motivation:

  • Setting high but realistic goals (e.g., SMART goals). (Specific, Measured, Agreed, Realistic, Time-Based).
  • Seeking constant feedback to figure out how to improve.
  • Being committed to personal and/or organizational goals and going “the extra mile” to achieve them.
  • Actively seeking out opportunities and seizing them when they occur.
  • The ability to deal with setbacks and continue in pursuing your goals, despite obstacles (i.e., resilience).

“The Achievements of an Organization are the results of the combined effort of each Individual.” – Vince Lombardi


By Neeru Panjwani, Human Resources

ASP joined hands with Sensitivity Training Canada, a leading provider of sensitivity training that builds respect in the workplace.

Sensitivity Training Canada conducted a training session for all ASP people managers in the OSR division at Toronto Pearson International Airport and all support functions at our head office, including Human Resources, Scheduling, Finance & Accounting and Operations.

Continuing our belief and practice of developing our employees, the training provided an excellent learning opportunity regarding the nuances of building healthy work relationships and achieving healthy resolutions to workplace conflict. The training provided critical information and strategies for building a psychologically safe work environment that supports the mental well-being of employees.

As we work with an ethnically diverse workforce, the session also enabled the managers with tips on cross-cultural sensitivity.

The managers were trained on business- critical skills of building a collaborative work environment and restoring normalcy after a workplace incident.


By Deborah Ciccotelli, Director, Strategic Initiatives

I have been filling in as interim HR Manager for the past month and it has been a great learning experience.

I have also had the pleasure of working with the wonderful Human Resources (HR) team at both the Corporate Office and the Airport.

It is important to recognize that HR is a critical Department within any organization. In addition to the many administrative functions it performs, HR is also there to support and assist managers, as well as serve our employees and ensure that their rights and needs are met.

HR is a complex department; responsibilities vary from recruitment and onboarding to benefits and compensation, to claim and complaint investigation to performance management and organizational effectiveness.

There have been many changes in HR with some recent departures and the arrival of our new HR Generalist, Neeru Panjwani (pictured on the left).

We also welcome HR Consultant Kelly Neri on board, who is assisting the head office team in streamlining workflows and processes between Operations, HR, Resource Planning and Accounting as well as refining our new HRIS system. We hope to be in a position to begin to roll-out some of these process changes within the next week or two.

We held two Sensitivity Training sessions on March 26 and 27th and are planning a Calzonetti Leadership and Coaching session for our Calgary management team on April 23 and 24th.

Over the past month, I have truly been impressed with the passion and dedication of the HR Team and their enthusiasm to participate in the development of new processes, which will significantly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of HR activities and well as communication and information-sharing across departments. This team has been actively involved in these new initiatives while continuing with their extremely heavy workload, during a period where we are not yet fully resourced.

I would like to personally thank Sarah Jessop, Neeru Panjwani, Sushana Lindo, Sean Gallagher, Susana Borosic and Petra Nash for their dedication and commitment to the organization and for their patience and support in assisting and educating me in HR processes and activities, which has made my interim role as HR Manager memorable.


By Paul Parkinson, Director, Finance

The Ontario government is making changes to its OHIP+ Children and Youth Pharmacare program.

The changes affect OHIP-insured children and youth who are 24 years of age and younger.

What’s changing?
Children and youth with drug coverage through a private health benefits plan will access prescribed medicines through their private plan, as they did prior to the launch of OHIP+. Those with significant out-of-pocket costs, despite having a private plan, may apply for additional financial support through the Trillium Drug Program.

What’s not changing?
Children and youth with no drug coverage through a private plan will remain eligible for OHIP+. They will continue to receive drug benefits without co-payments or deductibles.

If you have any questions, please review the Ontario government’s amendment at http://health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/dr ugs/opdp_eo/notices/exec_office_20190227. pdf.


By Susana Borosic, Recruiter

Spring is a time for new beginnings. Many take this time to think about elements of their life they want to improve, remove, or introduce for a well-rounded, healthy, and happy life.

Whether you are looking to start a gym membership, change your diet, reconnect with friends, read more, or simply maintain a positive mood, you can do it, and every day can be the day you begin your journey.

There are many things you can do to get started, but at the very basic, most fundamental stage, begin by maintaining calm and balance in your state of mind.

Life is full of stressful scenarios that are bound to happen. Our generation and our culture evolve around insurance for the “what-ifs” of the future. Beyond the monthly payment you make on your car, life, and mortgage, let it go. Don’t let the anxiety- inducing scenarios of what might happen, ruin your present state of mind.

When in temporary stressful situations during traffic or long drive-through lines at Tim Hortons, take a second before you get angry or react to those around you. When driving and someone is driving aggressively around you, change lanes and forget about it. The moment you let yourself feel anger, you allow situations to have power over you. If you’re in a long line-up and you’re in a rush, take a moment to think about yourself and your day before reacting. Remember that you could own your day by waking up early, making breakfast at home, or think about downloading the Tim Horton’s app for quicker pick-up to avoid lines in the future.

Stay centred before reacting. Only you have control over your thinking and emotions. You deserve to have a good day and it’s up to you!


Dy Paul Parkinson, Director, Finance

Do you have a discrepancy on your paystub?

To help us streamline and resolve your concerns quickly, we ask that you provide a clear response to what may be the problem, and to follow these steps before reacting:

  • Review your paystub closely.
  • Employees will often claim that they weren’t paid Holiday Pay from a statutory vacation. This is usually the first line on the paystub labelled “Holiday Pay.”
  • Change in a pay rate will result in more than one line on the paystub, reflecting the hours to be paid at the specified rate.
  • Feel you have missing hours? Check your employee portal and compare the number of worked hours vs. the total hours on the paystub. If there is a difference, please bring the difference up with your immediate supervisor by completing a payroll discrepancy form.

As good practice, be sure to check your employee portal often and bring to your Supervisor’s attention any differences right away so no adjustment is required after payroll is complete.

We process over 1,000 paycheques per pay! By reviewing the paystub closely and checking the employee portal often, together we can reduce the number of issues and ensure a quicker response to concerns that do come up.


By Darren Scott, Resource Coordinator

It is critical that all employees of ASP punch in and out for each shift. Failure to do so may affect your pay.

Punching in and out is simple using the InTime Scheduling App. Review the instructions below and if you encounter any difficulties, please contact your Supervisor or the Resource Planning Department.

  1. Download the InTime Scheduling App. The app is free and available on the App and Play Store.
  2. Open App and Login using the following Employee Credentials:  
  • Company: ASPINC
  • Username: your email address
  • Password: provided by the Resource Planning Department
  • Server: intime3
  1. Punch in at the beginning and end of your shift within the area specified on the app.

The InTime App has many other features:

  • View assignments and schedules
  • Submit leave requests
  • Sign up for additional shifts
  • Receive notifications of schedule changes