How To Claim Hrdf For Team Building


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This week’s topic is how to use Human Resources Department Funds (HRDF) for team building. It’s easy to assume that all of the money in your department goes towards paying employees, supporting them with benefits, and organizing events, but it doesn’t! Some things can be done with these funds.
Team-building is an excellent way to use HRDF. Not only do such activities promote communication and understanding within teams, but they also increase trust and motivation. When people work together more effectively, higher productivity follows.
Here are some ways you can use HRDF to organize group activities or competitions, run special programs, reward good performance, and/or recognize and celebrate achievements. All of these strategies improve employee morale and teamwork while boosting overall effectiveness.
There are many types of groups that can be organized using HRDF. Here we will discuss what to look out for when choosing which type of activity is best for your organization.
Pick a location
This is one of the biggest expenses in organizing event-paying attention to where you hold your team meeting or activity. You do not want to find yourself having to spend money to get back what you paid because there was no place to have the meeting!
It’s important to know the basics like whether or not this will be free, how many people can attend, and if there are resources available (like food or childcare).
These questions should already have some answers, but just to make sure don’t hesitate to check out the local institutions, see what events they are hosting, and if anything looks interesting, give it a try!
This article will go into more detail about the different types of group activities that HR professionals offer as “team building exercises.
Find sponsors
Sponsors are always a great way to reward someone for their hard work! Finding appropriate team-building events or activities that offer an incentive is your first step in claiming this benefit.
Most employers have additional benefits available to them, so do some research and see if any of these apply to you.
You can read more about the Health and Welfare Benefits (HWB) program here. The HWB program covers cost-effective day trips, recreational activities, and/or tours at local attractions.
This article will talk about what is needed to claim the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDf).
The second part of the HRDf program requires you to be able to verify that you’ve attended the event as well as show proof that it was sponsored by the sponsor.
These documents don’t need to be certified copies, but they should be official. This includes emails, receipts, contracts, etc. that prove both attendance and sponsorship.
Get approval
As mentioned earlier, this is not a free perk so you will have to ask for permission before trying to use it! The best way to do this is via an informal meeting or group chat with people in your department or organization.
You can also send an email asking if any team-building events could benefit your department and then follow up with information about the event you had planned and how it could be adapted to fit their needs.
This way, no one feels like you’re being too pushy or promotional, but everyone knows what benefits the event will bring to them and their colleagues.
And if they agree? Awesome! If they don’t? You still got paid! Win-win.
Plan your event
The Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) was established in 2001 as an annual program under the Department of Labour’s Workplace Relationships and Employment Standards Act 2000. It offers eligible employers and employees the opportunity to undertake approved workplace relationship programs at no cost to them.
The programs must be conducted during non-work hours and are usually one night per week, with three nights being the most common schedule.
Most organizations need to do at least six months of work to qualify for funding so you have some time to find the perfect fit before applying.
You can apply at any time throughout the year, but it is recommended that you apply between April and August to ensure full coverage of the program.
Register your event
The next step in claiming recognition is to register your group with Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF). This process is very straightforward and can be done via their website or through their office local to you.
Once this has been completed, an administrator will review your registration and determine if it meets the requirements of HRDF.
Fund your event
This is one of the more expensive types of grants, but an extremely worthwhile investment. An HRDF grant can be used to pay for anything related to team building, including the cost of the venue, facilitator fees, conference space, etc.
Typically organizations will offer discounts or rewards to individuals who participate in their company’s annual group fitness training program. By registering participants in these programs, companies can get tax credits and employee benefits!
Several reputable organizations help manage this process for you. The Health & Wellness Association of America (HWAA) puts together free events every year, so everyone is welcome to attend without spending money!
By hosting your event, you will also have access to all of the resources and equipment needed.
Hold your event
This is one of the most important things you can do as an organizer of team-building events. You would not hold a race or conference without facilities, so why would you hold a team-building event without adequate resources?
You should make sure that you have enough space to accommodate all of the teams. It’s very difficult to connect with other people if there isn’t anywhere to go or anything to do.
Make sure that you can provide refreshments, snacks, and drinks because many people’s hands start to get shaky when they drink water. Many people don’t like drinking water due to acidity, but having a few bottles won’t hurt anyone!
Holding the event at a restaurant or hotel can help limit the cost, too. Even holding it in someone else’s house or hosting it online can be helpful since you aren’t spending money on expensive decorations or supplies.
Don’t forget about transportation! If people need to get somewhere, let them know well ahead of time so that they can prepare. People may need to take public transport which can sometimes be more affordable.
Take videos and photos
Taking pictures in between meetings, during breaks, or after work is done can make a big difference when trying to claim this perk.
HR professionals cannot deny the value of team-building events, but taking photographs or making videos can easily be forgotten at these gatherings.
By capturing memories as teams works together, share those memories later!
Photos and videos help remind people of what they shared at the event and motivate them to reminisce more about it.
These days, most smartphones have good enough cameras to capture some great content. If you can take advantage of free mobile data, you could upload and edit the images and videos yourself and then send them off via email or social media.
Making group pictures and recording conversations and events can also aid in keeping jobs strong by showing how much your colleagues care about each other.