GRI Index 2021

GRI Standard Disclosure 2021 Response
GRI 100: UNIVERSAL STANDARDS SERIES
General Disclosure
GRI 102: General Disclosures
Organizational Profile
102-1 – Name of the organization LifeLabs LP
102-2 – Activities, brands, products, and services About Us 
102-3 – Location of headquarters Contact Us (Offices and Main Labs)
102-4 – Location of operations Proudly serving British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan
102-5 – Ownership and legal form About Us 
102-6 – Markets served Proudly serving communities in British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, LifeLabs has experience in serving long-term care facilities every year, in addition to serving patients daily through our 400+ patient service centres, homecare and mobile visits. We have developed partnerships and reference testing for hospitals, and support thousand of health care providers. 
102-7 – Scale of the organization

400 patient service centres providing service across Canada
19 LifeLabs laboratories
Performed over 117 million laboratory tests and 29 million patient visits in 2021

102-8 – Total number of employees by employment contract (permanent and temporary) by gender and region

LifeLabs has 7498 employees in 2021

Total number of employees by employment contract (permanent and temporary) by gender:
Female: permanent = 4962, temporary = 748
Male: permanent = 1509, temporary = 279

Total number of employees by employment contract (permanent and temporary) by region:
Permanent: AB = 8, BC = 2009, ON = 4297, SK = 157
Temporary: AB = 1, BC = 545, ON = 478, SK = 3

Total number of employees by employment type (full-time and part-time) by gender:
Female: full-time = 2623, part-time = 2161, casual = 178, temporary = 748
Male: full-time = 829, part-time = 578, casual = 102, temporary = 279

102-9 – Supply chain LifeLabs has a complex supply chain involving relationships with numerous suppliers, manufacturers and distributors in areas such as laboratory equipment, consumables, business services, goods for our operations and more.  We leverage the expertise of our Quality & Regulatory Assurance, Employee Health & Safety and Environmental  departments on all major procurements for assessments of risks in these areas. 
102-10 – Significant changes to the organization and its supply chain There were no significant material changes in Procurement in 2021 as an organization.
102-13 – Membership of associations

LifeLabs has memberships with the following associations:

  • Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Sciences
  • BC Business Council
  • Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
  • Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
  • Ontario Association of Medical Laboratories
  • Toronto Board of Trade
  • Burnaby Board of Trade
  • LifeSciences BC
  • Ontario Chamber of Commerce
  • Digital Health Canada
  • C.D. Howe
Ethics & Integrity
102-16 – Values, principles, standards, and norms of behavior

Our vision, purpose, and strategy are centered around our customers, who provide a compass for how we deliver our services, how we’ll innovate for tomorrow, and how we add value to the Canadian health care system. Our vision of “empowering a healthier you” infuses our work with meaning and guides our purpose “to make diagnostic insights accessible so that our customers are empowered to make choices to live their best lives.

Our purpose is enabled by our four strategic priorities:

  1. Remembering our commitment to quality and access by providing results our customers can trust
  2. Delivering personalized solutions that empower customers to help them conveniently manage their health needs
  3. Innovate to provide digital services throughout the health care journey
  4. Knowing we cannot achieve this alone, rely on partnership to turn insights into improved health outcomes.

Finally, our strategy is anchored by our values of Customer-centered, Caring, Teamwork, and Agile, which reflect LifeLabs’ culture and our incredible team members. We will continue to draw on these values, while recognizing diversity of thought and allowing people to bring their authentic selves to work each day because we know that we’re Stronger Together.

102-17 – Mechanisms for advice and concerns about ethics

LifeLabs is committed to conducting business with unfailing honesty and integrity and upholding its core values through misuse, fraud, or compliance with our Code of conduct, applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies.

Since April 2018, LifeLabs has maintained a Whistleblower program to enable those to report any concerns around issues of compliance with Code of Conduct, applicable laws, rules, regulations and our policies. The program is intended to encourage and enable employees to report any serious concerns in good faith without fear of harassment or retaliation, or when the concern has not been adequately addressed through existing processes. This reporting tool, provided by a third party provider – ClearView Connects, provides a confidential and anonymous forum to report serious concerns via telephone, a dedicated website, or by mail.

Governance
102-18 – Governance structure About Us: Leadership
102-19 – Delegating authority The responsibility for reporting on sustainability has been delegated to the Director of Employee Health and Safety & Environmental Sustainability.
102-22 – Composition of the highest governance body and its committees

LifeLabs’ highest governance body is comprised of employees who are the director level and higher

Non-Executive: 87%
Executive: 13%
Independent directors: 19%

Average Tenure: 10 years

Male: 53%
Female: 47%

With regards to the LifeLabs board, there are 11 members:
Male board members: 8, 73%
Female board members: 3, 27%

Independent board members: 7, 64%
Non-Independent board members: 4, 36%

Executive employees serving on the board: 1 , 9%

102-23 – Chair of the highest government body The Chair of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer of LifeLabs are separate roles.
102-24 – Nominating and selecting the highest governance body LifeLabs is controlled by a sole shareholder (the “Shareholder”) and the Board is comprised of directors appointed by the Shareholder.
102-25 – conflicts of interest The Shareholder requires prospective Board members to complete a Conflict of Interest declaration prior to appointment to the Board.
Stakeholder Engagement
102-40 – List of stakeholder groups  
In 2021, we engaged internal stakeholders for our ESG approach to confirm alignment within the organization on how this will be managed going forward (Employee Health and Safety & Environmental Sustainability; Legal/Privacy; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Total Rewards; Procurement; IT/Security; Community/Communications; Quality). These stakeholders prioritized key aspects using a modified materiality assessment to determine goals metrics and targets for key aspects. This was approved by the executive leadership team (ELT) and reported on regularly through quarterly dashboard and annual report.
102-41 – Collective bargaining agreements

Non-Union Employees: 5636 (75.16%)
Union Employees: 1863 (24.84%)

102-42 – Identifying and selecting stakeholders We do not have a formal process for stakeholder engagement however, we are in the process of developing a plan to work toward amplifying our disclosure on stakeholder engagement in our future reports.
Reporting Practice
102-48 – Restatements of information Every effort is made to ensure that we report accurate data, and our processes are designed to support this. In cases where we become aware of updates to data from previous years, we consider providing updated data if the changes result in a discrepancy that is material to our reporting.
102-50 – Reporting period This report covers data and progress from the calendar year 2021, unless otherwise stated, from our operations.
102-51 – Date of most recent report GRI Report
102-52 – Reporting cycle LifeLabs LP continues to report on an annual basis.
102-53 – Contact point for questions regarding the report Contact Us
102-54 – Claims of reporting in accordance with the GRI Standards Our 2021 report has been prepared in reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and includes a GRI Content Index focused on topics that the organization is actively engaged in supporting. As we grow our sustainability initiatives, so too will the depth of our reporting.
102-55 – GRI Content Index This page acts as the LifeLabs GRI Content Index for 2021; indices from previous years can be found on the following page: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) – LifeLabs.
GRI 200: Economic Performance Standard Series
Market Presence
GRI 202: Market Presence 
202-1 – Ratios of standard entry level wage by gender compared to local minimum wage Wages at LifeLabs are not defined based on gender and comply with all provincial legislation related to pay. Our pay is established based on our internal job evaluation system, which groups similar roles based on the skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions, and the external market for each position. This system ensures that pay decisions are free from any deliberate or systemic gender bias.
202-2 – Proportion of senior management hired from the local community For roles which are regionally or provincially focused, LifeLabs hires qualified candidates from the local community. For roles with company-wide (national) accountability, the most qualified candidate is selected. In most cases, the candidate is not asked to relocate.
Indirect Economic Impacts
GRI 203: Indirect Economic Impacts 
203-1 – Infrastructure investments and services supported

At the beginning of 2021, LifeLabs’ Employee Giving Program (EGP) aligned with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy. Through the EGP, LifeLabs and team members have collectively donated $40,000+ to charities that promote and advance diversity, equity and inclusion. LifeLabs’ Employee Giving Program recognizes all employees’ giving efforts by matching 50% of their fundraising efforts to a maximum of $200. In addition, LifeLabs will donate $200 to organizations where employees volunteer (minimum 40 hours annually).

Procurement Practices
GRI 204: Procurement Practices 
204-1 – Proportion of spending on local suppliers

Of the total spend in 2021, 91.3% were local (Canadian headquarters or Canadian pay to). All suppliers include products, services, professional medical services (doctors), insurance, employee benefits, utilities and real estate. Regulatory payments are not included.

In 2021, LifeLabs engaged with Masters-level students and our suppliers to research and begin developing a sustainable procurement policy and practices, showing our commitment to sustainable procurement and the direction LifeLabs is headed in the coming years with respect to value-based procurement.

Anti-corruption
GRI 205: Anti-corruption 
205-2 – Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures The LifeLabs Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest Policy and Whistleblower Policy applies to all LifeLabs officers and employees. It also extends to other parties acting on behalf of LifeLabs such as consultants, the Board of Directors, or other representatives of LifeLabs. A review of LifeLabs Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest Policy and Whistleblower Policy is included in the orientation plan for all new employees.
GRI 300 ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS SERIES
Energy
GRI 302: Energy
302-1 – Energy consumption within the organization

We collect our actual energy consumption data through utility bills and track it using a third party computer software, which converts the consumption to greenhouse gas emissions – measured in carbon dioxide equivalents using the GHG Protocol methodology.

13,528,679 kWh of electricity was consumed in 2021 at LifeLabs’ four main laboratories (Burnaby, Surrey, Toronto, Mississauga).

13,783 GJ of natural gas and 5,269 litres of diesel were consumed in 2021 at LifeLabs’ four main laboratories (Burnaby, Surrey, Toronto, Mississauga).

302-5 – Reductions in energy requirements of products and services

Across our four main laboratories in 2021, there was a 7% decrease in natural gas consumption and a 1% increase in electricity consumption, compared to 2020. We monitor and report on our consumption and emissions on a monthly basis, and actively look for opportunities to decrease LifeLabs’ overall emissions. We have been tracking our greenhouse gas emissions and collecting utility data for these 4 locations since 2017, and compare on a year-to-year basis to account for changes in our operations such as the addition of new analyzers, equipment, and/or energy reduction initiatives. See 302-1 for additional detail.

Resource Management

Water & Effluent 
GRI 303: Water & Effluent 
303-1 – Interactions with water as a shared resource

Water management at LifeLabs is an important issue because laboratory testing and equipment require large volumes of water. Water is withdrawn from the municipal water systems at all our locations, and the majority of the water is consumed by lab operations. Non contaminated wastewater is discharged through the municipal sanitary sewers. Any contaminated waste water as a result of our operations is either collected and disposed of via a chemical waste hauler, or treated using an ozone treatment system before entering the municipal sanitary sewer. We follow local guidelines for our wastewater and test the water on a monthly basis to ensure compliance.

Additionally, we complete risk assessments on all instruments and equipment prior to use in the laboratory to ensure we know the appropriate waste stream and disposal method.

LifeLabs is committed to reducing our consumption of natural resources, including water, and reducing the amount of pollution generated by our operations, as per our environmental policy.

Environmental Policy

303-2 – Management of water discharge-related impacts In addition to comments in 303-1, LifeLabs is committed to having all effluent align with municipal regulations. Wastewater is collected from our major labs and analyzed for due diligence purposes and compared to municipal guidelines. LifeLabs had no regulatory violations, orders or fines for wastewater discharge issues in 2021.
303-3- Water Withdrawal  
In 2021, our main laboratories (Burnaby, Surrey, Toronto, Mississauga) withdrew 53,411,956 litres of water from third-party municipal sources. Withdrawals did not occur from areas in which are water stressed.
303-4 – Water Discharge  
In 2021, our main laboratories (Burnaby, Surrey, Toronto, Mississauga) discharged 53,411,956 litres of water into third-party municipal sources. Discharges did not occur from areas in which are water stressed. Water quality is measured on a monthly basis and continues to meet all provincial, regional, and federal requirements.
303-5- Water Consumption Although water is used in LifeLabs operations it is estimated that water withdrawn is equal to water discharged. We consider water used in cafeterias and by staff as negligible.
Emissions
GRI 305: Emissions
305-1 – Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions

We have been tracking our greenhouse gas emissions and collecting corresponding data for our four main laboratories and national operations for which we also have operational control.

In 2021, LifeLabs had the following Scope 1 (direct) CO2e emissions:

Courier and mobile services vehicles nationally
Vehicles mileage: 22,416,466 km
Vehicles CO2e: 5324 tonnes

Main laboratories (Burnaby, Surrey, Mississauga, Toronto)
Fuel (NG) CO2e: 311.6 tonnes
Diesel CO2e: 14.2 tonnes

Our reported CO2e emissions are based on the most current and up to date emission factors and may change annually. We are continuously improving our GHG emission tracking and data management; we aim to track and include additional emissions sources as the data becomes available, which may mean collecting and including data from previous years. This method will allow us to most accurately view our emissions trends and set company-wide emissions goals.

305-2 Indirect (Scope 2) GHG Emissions

We have been tracking our greenhouse gas emissions and collecting corresponding data for our four main laboratories and national operations for which we also have operational control.

In 2021, LifeLabs had the following Scope 2 (indirect) CO2e emissions:

Main laboratories (Burnaby, Surrey, Mississauga, Toronto)
Electricity CO2e: 361.1 tonnes

305-3 – Other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions

In 2021, LifeLabs had the following Scope 3 (indirect, other) CO2e emissions:

Business Travel:
Air mileage: 510,571 km
Air CO2e: 47.3 tonnes

Main laboratories (Burnaby, Surrey, Mississauga, Toronto):
Water CO2e: 10.6 tonnes
Non-hazardous waste CO2e: -1123.1 tonnes
Hazardous waste CO2e: 1705.3 tonnes
Total waste (haz+nonhaz) CO2e: 582.2 tonnes

Waste
GRI 306: Waste 
306-1 – Water discharge by quality and destination

Water is withdrawn from the municipal water systems at all our locations. At our main labs the majority of the water is consumed by lab operations, and our wastewater is discharged through the municipal sanitary sewers. It is estimated that water withdrawn is equal to water discharged. Water is currently not reused by LifeLabs, and is instead sent for treatment through the municipal system.

In 2021, our four main laboratories in Burnaby and Surrey in BC, and Mississauga and Toronto in ON discharged 53,411,956 litres of water to municipal sources for treatment. Water mixed with chemical waste during lab operations is either treated using our ozone treatment system before entering the municipal sanitary sewer for further treatment downstream, or it is collected onsite for third party waste haulage. We follow local guidelines for our wastewater and test the water to ensure compliance with local and municipal regulations.

306-2 – Waste by type and disposal method

The primary activities that generate waste at LifeLabs are the activities associated with biological laboratory diagnostics, resulting in large volumes of chemical and biohazardous waste. At our major laboratories with ozone treatment systems, (Burnaby in BC, and Mississauga and Toronto in ON), we treat wastewater mixed with sodium azide via an ozone treatment system to minimize our chemical waste; an estimated 5.59 M litres per year is treated, about 10% of our total discharged water.

In 2021, 744.32 tonnes of biohazardous waste was produced by LifeLabs. Our biohazardous waste is collected for third party waste haulage and is first treated with autoclave technology offsite, and then disposed of via landfill (BC,MB,SK) or waste-to-energy incineration (ON). In 2021, 116.36 tonnes of chemical waste produced by LifeLabs. Our chemical waste is collected for third party waste haulage and is first treated using various methods based on material type (e.g. incineration, aqueous treatment) and then finally disposed of in landfill.

Our non-hazardous waste disposal methods vary by material type and is tracked for our 4 major labs (2 in BC, 2 in ON), in 2021:

  • 112 tonnes of cardboard was recycled (open loop)
  • 25.2 tonnes of organics was composted
  • 268 tonnes of garbage was landfilled
  • 141 tonnes of paper was shredded and recycled (closed loop)
  • 1.19 tonnes of soft plastic was recycled (open loop)
  • 0.442 tonnes of Styrofoam was recycled (open loop)
  • 114 tonnes of mixed recycling was recycled (open loop)
  • 1.34 tonnes of toner cartridges were recycled (open loop)
  • 5.96 tonnes of WEEE was recycled (closed loop).

The waste disposal method for each of the above was confirmed by the associated third party waste hauler (contractor) who manages the transportation from LifeLabs site and the disposal of waste off-site. The volumes of waste are provided by each third party contractor through monthly invoices and reports. Data is monitored on a monthly basis for trends, discrepancies, and anomalies.

To limit the waste generated at LifeLabs, we diligently work with our suppliers and internal teams to reduce the amount of waste, both up and downstream. Where possible, waste is reused, reduced, recycled, or donated to limit the amount landfilled.

306-3 – Significant spills

In 2021, LifeLabs had no significant spills.

306-4 – Waste Diverted

LifeLabs generated a total of 1,529 tonnes of waste (both hazardous and non-hazardous) in 2021 at our four main laboratories (Burnaby, Surrey, Mississauga, Toronto). Data has been compiled from waste summaries provided by vendors and through invoices.

Total weight of diverted non-hazardous waste: 400.7 tonnes, approximately 26% of total waste generated.
Below is the volumes of diverted, non-hazardous waste, by material type:

  • Corrugated Box (cardboard): 111,742 kg
  • Organics: 25,162 kg
  • Paper: 141,231 kg
  • Plastic (Bags and Other Film): 1,192 kg
  • Plastic (Polystyrene, Styrofoam): 442 kg
  • Recyclables (Mixed): 113,546 kg
  • Toner Cartridges: 1,338 kg
  • WEEE (IT Equipment): 5,959 kg

The waste disposal method for each of the above was confirmed by the waste disposal contactor, who manages the transportation from site and disposal of waste off-site. The volumes of waste is provided by each contractor through monthly invoices and reports.

Recycle: 375.5 tonnes
Compost: 25.16 tonnes

306-5 – Waste directed to disposal

LifeLabs generated a total of 1,529 tonnes of waste (both hazardous and non-hazardous) in 2021 at our four main laboratories (Burnaby, Surrey, Mississauga, Toronto). Data has been compiled from waste summaries provided by vendors and through invoices.

The total weight of non-diverted waste was 1,129 tonnes, approximately 74% of the total waste generated. Below is the volumes of non-diverted waste, by material type:
Chemical, hazardous waste: 116,361 kg
Biohazardous waste: 744,320 kg
Garbage/Landfill: 268,279 kg

All hazardous waste is managed according to regulatory standards, and is either incinerated with energy recovery or landfilled. All waste is managed off-site with third party vendors. Chemical waste is treated, using different methods based on material type (e.g. incineration, aqueous treatment) and then finally disposed of in landfill. Our biohazardous waste is first treated with autoclave technology, it is then disposed of via landfill (BC,MB,SK) or waste-to-energy incineration (ON).

Landfilled chemical hazardous waste: 116.4 tonnes
Landfilled biohazardous : 744.3 tonnes
Landfilled non-hazardous waste: 268.3 tonnes

Majority of the waste that LifeLabs produces is from the analysis of laboratory samples for diagnostic purposes, resulting in a large volume of chemical and biohazardous waste (see next section) as well as plastic chemical containers and cartridges. The downstream impacts of the organization’s non-hazardous waste stream are mitigated through source elimination, reuse, separation, recycling, and energy recovery where possible.

Environmental Compliance
GRI 307: Environmental Compliance 
307-1 – Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations LifeLabs commits to fully complying with all applicable environmental regulations at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. We did not receive any fines or orders for environmental non-compliance in 2021.
Supplier Environmental Assessment 
GRI 308: Supplier Environmental Assessment 
308-1 – New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria LifeLabs does not report specific numbers or percentages related to environmental screening, however our procurement processes do include specific environmental criteria against which all major equipment and consumable purchases are assessed.
GRI 400 SOCIAL STANDARDS SERIES
Labour Management Relations
GRI 402: Labour Management Relations
402-1 – Minimum notice periods regarding operational changes LifeLabs complies with relevant local and national laws and any applicable contractual requirements regarding providing notice of significant operational changes.
Occupational Health & Safety
GRI 403: Occupational Health & Safety
403-1 – Workers representation in formal joint management-worker health and safety committees

Occupational health and safety management system elements have been implemented that meet the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations of BC, SK, and ON. The occupational health and safety management system applies to all LifeLabs employees, to employees conducting work at workplaces not under our control, and to contractors who come on site at our workplaces. LifeLabs has an internal Environment, Health & Safety Team of professionals to responsible for the management system elements. The occupational health and safety system is not based on a formal management system standard.

The occupational health and safety management system elements applies to all employees across the organization within our own workplaces e.g. our offices, laboratories and patient service centres; to employees who perform work at workplaces not under our control e.g. Mobile Lab Patient Technicians who perform phlebotomy at Long Term Care homes, couriers who pick up specimens from hospitals and physician offices; and to workers who are not employees but perform work at our worksites e.g. facility contractors and laboratory equipment service technicians.

403-2 – Hazard identification, risk assessment, and incident investigation

LifeLabs conducts risk assessments to review current and newly proposed projects, processes, and equipment. The processes are broken down step by step to identify hazards, assess the severity and frequency of risks, and identify controls to reduce unacceptable health and safety risks. The hierarchy of controls is followed to reduce risks and develop control recommendations. Depending on the processes being evaluated, risk assessments take the form of a 5×5 matrix of severity and frequency, and by assessing risk using Failure Mode Effects Analysis using a 3×10 matrix to assess severity, frequency, and detection of potential failure modes. Risk assessment teams are assembled and – depending on the nature of the process or project being assessed, will include subject matter experts from operations, the Occupational Health and Safety team, and other support functions like Quality and Regulatory affairs, Medical Sciences, Facilities, Privacy, and IT. Recommendations and additional controls are implemented when needs are identified to further reduce health and safety risks.

LifeLabs has an online system for reporting of workplace hazards (and incidents). The online hazard reporting system is accessible through a link from the homepage of the LifeLabs intranet. Supervisors investigate and implement corrective actions for the hazard reports they receive. Another way for workers to report hazards is through the monthly inspections that are conducted at the worksites. Monthly inspections are conducted by Employee Health and Safety Reps or Joint Health and Safety Committee members, and hazards and deficiencies are documented and corrective actions are implemented to eliminate or control the risks from the hazards. Workers are encouraged to report hazards as the organization promotes hazard reporting as a way address hazards before the hazard can injure someone. Workers have the right to refuse work they believe to be unsafe and the organization has a procedure and form for workers to report unsafe work, for supervisors to investigate, for employee health and safety representatives or Joint Health and Safety Committee members to participate in the investigation, and to involve provincial health and safety regulatory officers if required. Workers are protected against reprisals as part of the provincial Workers Compensation Act and a statement that reprisals are prohibited is specified within LifeLabs procedures.

Work related incidents are reported through the same online reporting system as above. The incidents are investigated by supervisors to identify root cause and corrective actions to prevent re-occurrence. Investigations are documented on the online system. Hazards, incidents, and audit results are reviewed by the Health and Safety team and relevant information is shared back with the organization in the form of reminders, alerts, safety talks, and the monthly metric reports.

403-3 – Occupational health services LifeLabs has an internal Employee Health and Safety & Environmental Sustainability (EHS&ES) team made of safety professionals that provide advice and guidance to the organization to reduce health and safety risks. The EHS&ES team reviews and undertakes continual improvement of the health and safety programs and procedures for health and safety training, chemical and biological safety, ergonomic hazards, equipment & electrical safety, personal protective equipment, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, facilitation and training of Joint Health and Safety Committees and Employee Health and Safety representatives, Violence Prevention, inspections, risk assessments, hazard and incident reporting, and emergency response and preparedness. Employees can reach the EHS&ES team through a general email address, or through their Employee Health and Safety or Joint Health and Safety Committee representative at their site. Employees and contractors receive training which involves all of the above programs, procedures, and policies.
403-4 – Worker participation, consultation, and communication on
occupational health and safety

Workers participate in the occupational health and safety management system through their participation as Health and Safety representatives (HSRs) and through the Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs). While all employees are represented by their site’s HSR(s), some locations may be required to form a JHSC together with management depending on the size of the location based on provincial regulation; the JHSC meeting frequency is determined by provincial requirements, either monthly or quarterly at a minimum.

An HSR is a volunteer position and is open to all workers who do not exercise managerial duties. They work with the employer to identify and solve health and safety concerns at the worksite. They promote awareness and interest in health and safety, and form an important part of the internal responsibility system by creating mutual accountability for health and safety. HSRs also provide support for the three basic rights: the right to know, the
right to participate, and the right to refuse unsafe work. Both the Employee Health and Safety representatives and joint health and safety committees at LifeLabs adhere to their respective provincial regulatory requirements; the responsibilities include:

  • Represent the Employee Health and Safety of all employees, and encourage employee participation in improving workplace incidents and improving overall workplace health and safety.
  • Identify occupational hazards, and make recommendations to improve the workplace
  • Review and comment on the effectiveness of the EHS Program SOPs and Training at least annually, or participate in stakeholder feedback when changes are occurring
  • Make recommendations to improve the EHS Program using the LifeLabs EHS Recommendation Form
  • Receive employees’ Employee Health and Safety concerns and suggestions and recommend solutions, escalating locally to Management or EHS directly, if necessary
  • Conduct EHS Audits/Inspections on a monthly basis
  • Investigate work refusals as required
  • Investigate workplace incidents as required.
  • Be present at the beginning of workplace health and safety testing.

The JHSCs are an advisory committee and provide recommendations to health and safety in the workplace to the Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability (EHS&ES) team, which is the decision-making authority regarding health and safety within LifeLabs. Throughout the year. we encourage all JHSC members to provide feedback for improving the programs. Workers can email the health and safety team to ask questions and suggest improvements to the program. The safety program also has a document/form that workers can complete to send feedback to the EHS&ES team.

LifeLabs has two “Employee Councils” (one in BC and one in ON) with the mandate to work in partnership with employees across the business, organizational leaders and Human Resources with the goal of contributing to make LifeLabs a great place to work. This is done by:

  • Facilitating dialogue between employees and management
  • Encouraging employees to express their ideas and opinions
  • Openly communicating with respect and professionalism
  • Creating opportunities for all employees to provide input into initiatives that impact the organization
  • Employee Health and Safety is an important topic for Employee Council

  • Occupational health and safety information is accessed and communicated through a number of mechanisms
  • Online learning management system includes health and safety modules
  • Safety programs are housed online in ‘Paradigm’, which is a controlled online document database
  • Health and Safety has its own webpages of information accessible on the company’s intranet pages
  • The Safety Data Sheet database is accessible online from any LifeLabs computer
  • Health and Safety articles are shared through the award winning Leaders Digest which provides information to leaders at all levels, through the OneWeekly which is a weekly company newsletter, and through direct emails to staff and to Health and Safety representatives and Joint Health and Safety Committee members
  • Annual health and safety training sessions are held for the health and safety representatives and joint health and safety committee members to attend across BC, SK and ON
403 -4 continued

Occupational health and safety information is accessed and communicated through a number of mechanisms:

  • Online learning management system includes health and safety modules
  • Safety programs are housed online in ‘Paradigm’, which is a controlled online document database
  • Health and Safety has its own webpages of information accessible on the company’s intranet pages
  • The Safety Data Sheet database is accessible online from any LifeLabs computer
  • Health and Safety articles are shared through the award winning Leaders Digest which provides information to leaders at all levels, through the OneWeekly which is a weekly company newsletter, and through direct emails to staff and to Health and Safety representatives and Joint Health and Safety Committee members
  • Annual health and safety training sessions are held for the health and safety representatives and joint health and safety committee members to attend across BC, SK and ON
  • Each site is required to have a physical EHS Communication board with visibility for all employees. It contains the Environment, Employee Health and Safety, and Accessibility Policies; health and safety regulations and information; the completed EHS monthly checklists; any work orders or notices; safety reminders; relevant hazard or incident alerts; and newsletters.

In addition to our health and safety committees, LifeLabs has two “Employee Councils” (one in BC and one in ON) with the mandate to work in partnership with employees across the business, organizational leaders and Human Resources with the goal of contributing to make LifeLabs a great place to work. This is done by:

  • Facilitating dialogue between employees and management
  • Encouraging employees to express their ideas and opinions
  • Openly communicating with respect and professionalism
  • Creating opportunities for all employees to provide input into initiatives that impact the organization Employee Health and Safety is an important topic for Employee Council.
403-5 – Worker training on occupational health and safety Workers complete online education modules on the health and safety programs and read through the health and safety standard operating procedures applicable to their roles.  Each business unit includes health and safety orientation for new employees relevant to their business function. Training is delivered through a combination of online training and in-person training depending on the site and business unit. Depending on the training program and a worker’s role, training is taken at the beginning of employment and some courses are set up to be taken as refreshers. Online courses have knowledge check questions and competency quizzes that must be completed to ensure knowledge transfer.
403-6 – Promotion of worker health

Benefits are an important part of our employees’ Total Rewards package at LifeLabs. Our offering is competitive with the industry, and can include Extended Health Care, Out-of-Country, Dental Care, Basic Life and AD&D, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Critical Illness, Optional Life & AD&D, and covers over 85% of employees (full-time and regular part-time employees).

We have a robust wellness program that includes a wealth of resources and programs that are built around three pillars to address the total well-being of our employees (financial, physical, and emotional). Here are some examples of the offerings under each pillar:

  • Financial – industry-leading retirement investments that are managed by trusted experts, access to financial advice/supports in a confidential setting, and preferred pricing on a variety of services and goods from our ‘perks’ vendors
  • Physical – competitive benefits, plus exclusive access to a variety of services with special discount offers to help employees manage their current health status, and also take a proactive approach to their health and well-being with services around fitness, lifestyle, nutrition and more
  • Emotional – supports to help our employees manage their mental health and wellness, achieve a sense of work-life balance, or get recognized by their team at work and in the community.

These services and programs are easily accessed by employees directly from our vendor platforms, and are heavily promoted through our regular communications channels so they are aware of what’s available.

403-7 – Prevention and mitigation of occupational health and safety impacts directly linked by business relationships Health and safety risks, expectations, and requirements are built directly into the procurement process as we work with different business partners. We work as a multi-stakeholder, multi-discipline team to make purchasing decisions. New business services and equipment are reviewed for health, safety, and environmental risks as part of the selection process; we evaluate under a variety of criteria, including but not limited to: hazardous and non-hazardous waste, water and byproducts, air emissions and air quality, energy, sustainability, environment, social, and governance.
403-8 – Workers covered by an occupational health and safety management system Occupational health and safety management system elements have been implemented that meet the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations of BC, SK, and ON. The occupational health and safety system is not based on a formal management system standard. The health and safety system elements applies to all LifeLabs employees and to contractors who’s workplace is controlled by the organization.
403-9 – Work related injuries

In 2021, LifeLabs employees has had 0 fatalities and 0 cases of high-consequence work related injuries.

The recordable work-related injury rate for 2021 was 2.84 and there were 147 recordable work-related injuries. The injury rate is based on the OSHA incident rate formula based on 200,000 hours worked. In 2021 there were 10,336,804 worked hours.

In contrast to the provincial Workers Compensation Boards calculation of hours based on total payroll and average pay per hour which would overestimate the number of hours where employees are at risk of injury (e.g. by including the entire payroll which includes vacation pay, statutory holiday pay, sick pay, leaves), our hours worked methodology for calculating hours refines the hours worked to include those hours where an employee is at risk of injury and conducting work for the organization (e.g. worked hours, training hours, education hours).

Top three injury types were slips/trips/falls (25%), ergonomics (23%) and needle sticks (17%).

403-10 – Work-related ill health

In 2021, LifeLabs has had 0 fatalities and 0 cases of recordable work-related ill health.

Work-related hazards related to ill-health come from interacting with patients who may have communicable diseases and with the lab specimens provided by these patients. Risk assessments for patients and for lab samples have been conducted. Controls to reduce risk if illness included use of biosafety cabinets, safety engineered medical devices, shielding, training and SOPs, workstation layout, and personal protective equipment.

Training 
GRI 404: Training 
404-1 – Average hours of training per year per employee

As of December 2021, the average hours of training per employee in 2021 was 25 hours. This includes online and in-person training hours tracked in our company-wide learning management system.

Leaders completed additional leadership development training hours for an average of 8 hours per people leader (~430 people leaders as of Dec 2021).

404-2 – Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs

LifeLabs provides employees with assistance in upgrading employee skills, through the My Performance Management Process. It provides a framework to support our employees and leaders in defining and prioritizing work for the year including strategic and development goals. It helps clarify expectations, provide regular opportunities to discuss progress with employees, share feedback for improving and accelerating employee performance and identify and address barriers to success through ongoing development.

In 2021, the organization prepared to launch LifeLabs LinkedIn Learning Corner for 2022, allowing employees and leaders to access resources that enable their personal and professional development. This program will provide a personalized learning experience in 7 different languages with a digital library of over 16,000 courses in a range of topics that suit their interests.

In the event of a career ending resulting from retirement or termination of employment, LifeLabs may offer continued employability programs, based on eligibility:

  • Senior Leadership Learning Sessions
  • Leading Through COVID facilitated sessions by Morneau Shepell
  • Leading @ LifeLabs, a leadership development program for managers, supervisors, and individual contributors
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) facilitated sessions
  • MyPerformance online learning program on performance management at LifeLabs.
  • Competency training and assessments
  • Customer Experience Transformation Program for Client Services
  • LearningLabs online webinars from industry experts
  • College of American Pathologists online learning

LifeLabs may also offer the following programs to support the management of career ending:

  • Career Transition Program by Optimum Talent would be offered to employees who meet the eligibility requirements. This program is designed to support assistance with career planning, job search, resume preparation, interview coaching, networking strategies, and starting a new job.
404-3 – Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews

Percentage of employees at year-end, who received a regular performance/career development review by gender and employee category*:

Female: 4736, 76%
Male: 1478, 24%
Full-Time: 3375, 54%
Part-Time, Regular: 1770, 28%
PT Regular: 794, 13%
Casual: 270, 4%
Temporary : 5 , 0.08%

*Employees would not receive a review if they are: on leave during the year and not worked for 3 months, a new hire of less than 3 months, a temp worker, or a union employee

Diversity and Equal Opportunity
GRI 405: Diversity and Equal Opportunity
405-1 – Diversity of governance bodies and employees

Percentage of individuals within the organization’s governance bodies (ELT) by number & percentage:
Female: 5, 62%
Male: 3, 38%

Number & percentage of employees in a leadership role (director level and above):
Female: 25, 47%
Male: 28, 53%

Number & percentage of employees by gender
Female: 5710, 76%
Male: 1788, 24%

Human Rights Assessment 
GRI 412: Human Rights Assessment 
412 -2 – Employee training on human rights policies or procedures

In 2021, LifeLabs had 92% completion rate for the Employee Health and Safety Policies sign-off (accessibility policy, environment policy, Employee Health and Safety policy, respect in the workplace, and workplace violence policy); and a 94% completion rate for the Ethical Framework Policies sign-off (code of conduct, confidentiality policy, conflict of interest, cyber security & IT acceptable use policy, facility physical security policy, fraud policy, and whistleblower policy).

LifeLabs cannot accurately track the number of hours spent by employees in specific training sections of our online training platform, MyDevelopment

Local Communities 
GRI 413: Local Communities 
413-1 – Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs

Caring is one of our core values at LifeLabs, and it is important to our organization and employees that we care for the health and wellbeing not only of our team members and patients, but for the communities they are part of here in Canada, and abroad.
i. In June 2021, LifeLabs and its employees made a $20,000 donation to the Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS) as part of our commitment to reconciliation.
ii. Through our Employee Giving Program, and with an additional corporate donation of $10,000, LifeLabs and its employees donated $20,000 to help support the fight against COVID-19 in India in partnership with The Red Cross.
iii. In November 2021, LifeLabs and its employees made a $25,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross for flood relief efforts in the province of BC.

Supplier Social Assessment
GRI 414: Supplier Social Assessment
414-1 – New suppliers that were screened using social criteria LifeLabs does not report specific numbers or percentages related to social screening, however our procurement processes do include specific social criteria against which suppliers are assessed.
Customer Health & Safety
GRI 416: Customer Health & Safety
416-2 – Incidents of non-compliance concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services No warnings, penalties, or fines were issued concerning the health and safety impacts of our products and services
Marketing and Labeling
GRI 417: Marketing and Labeling
417-1 – Requirements for product and service information and labelling LifeLabs offers services and does not manufacture or distribute products. Therefore this is not relevant to our organization.
Socioeconomic Compliance
GRI 419: Socioeconomic Compliance
419-1 – Non compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area In 2021 we did not pay any fines related to non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area.