Being an Employee at Wolfedale

Whether you’re just entering the workforce or you’re a seasoned professional, it’s important to be a responsible employee at any organization. From what our own employees say, being a member of the employee group at Wolfedale is an achievement and a source of pride. But given that there is also a high expectation for performance, it can be a challenge as well. So what does it take to be a great employee at Wolfedale?


Wolfedale has a set of core values that represent the culture and expectations of being a member of our company. One of these core values is Work Ethic . From my perspective, I can honestly say that I have not personally known another company whose employees work harder (or longer) than Wolfedale’s. Overtime, weekend work, and off-shift shutdowns under tight deadlines and all manner of weather conditions are a normal part of the electrical industry and if working under these conditions isn’t to your liking (mentally or physically), then working at Wolfedale won’t be either.


We’ve all heard it before – there is no “I” in “Team” – and this is especially true in the electrical industry. Teamwork is the cornerstone of this company and always has been. No one person can do this type of work on their own and someone is always needed to work with you for many reasons, not the least of which is safety. As I had mentioned in my previous blog in October 2011, safety is not just “lip service” at Wolfedale, it’s something that we live and breathe. Everyone takes it seriously. If there’s an employee who doesn’t get the need for safety and being part of the larger team, they realize very quickly that this won’t be tolerated.


When you’ve been in the working world for awhile, you come to realize that you don’t know what you don’t know. In our ever changing world today, you will be left behind if you don’t keep growing and changing with it. Wolfedale employees are encouraged to develop their skills, keep growing and keep reaching for new goals! Not everyone is destined to be a foreman or a manager, but everyone is encouraged to better themselves, enhance their skills and become a more educated and informed employee than the year before.


Apprenticeship – now here’s a hot topic! Yes, Wolfedale hires apprentices, BUT obtaining an apprenticeship is difficult and is governed by ratios set by the Ontario government. Once you’ve obtained your apprenticeship, keeping it is solely governed by your own self-discipline and work ethic. Apprenticeships are in high demand and anyone who has been searching can tell you just how difficult it is to secure one. Wolfedale receives many unsolicited phone calls and resumes every week and in an average year (and as our ratios allow), Wolfedale will hire about 10 apprentices – that’s it. It’s tough competition for these placements, so we want to see that the individuals who apply have the right stuff to represent Wolfedale professionally.


Finally, here are some other tips which are important to being a good employee, no matter where you work:
•                                                                                                                                                                                              Learn to do your job and do it well. Whether you feel it’s menial and tedious, or tough and demanding, learn how to do the job right, regardless of how difficult you think it might be. If you don't know how to do something, go ask and find out; don't make excuses for why you didn't do your job.
•                                                                                                                                                                                              Keep a clean job history. Show up every day and do a good job. The best tip? Arrive 15 minutes early – always.
•                                                                                                                                                                                              Stay late, even if it is only 15 or 20 minutes. People notice who runs for the door at quitting time. One of the best uses of extra time is to organize your work space for the next day. Take a moment to put away paperwork and tools, clean up your work area and locate things you'll need tomorrow.
•                                                                                                                                                                                              Behave professionally. It’s a business, not a social club. People talk, and workers know the difference between a person who is fun to work with and a person who is trying to look busy. Fun means having a good personality, a joke or two, a focus on the task at hand and a smile. Don’t waste your time and that of others by being frequently away from your tasks or interfering with other people’s work by constantly chit-chatting.
•                                                                                                                                                                                              Most importantly, have a great outlook!! Bad attitudes bring everyone down. A great employee helps make work great for everyone else by having a good approach to their job and accepting whatever type of work that needs to be done. And remember that “many hands make light work”. Ask your co-workers what you can do to help them in their work, and they will remember that when you need a hand with yours.


Remember that it’s not just WIIFM (What’s In It For Me), but what’s in it for the Team. Those are the people that make it here at Wolfedale. And with an average employee tenure of 10+ years of service, that’s the stuff that we have that makes Wolfedale a great place to work!

Allyson Rea
Human Resources Manager
area@dialonewolfedale.com
Dial One Wolfedale Electric
Giving You the Power!

Electrical Service Repairs

After working in the Electrical Service sector for 30 yrs., I thought nothing else could surprise me until I was asked by the Marketing Rep., if I could write a blog about the most common electrical repairs requested by our customers. “Write a blog”, I asked? “I know nothing about writing a blog however I will certainly give it a shot.” I answered.

There are actually two categories in which repairs would fall into; Commercial Electrical – most common building/maintenance electrical repairs and secondly, Industrial Electrical – main distribution electrical/downstream distribution electrical/electrical maintenance and electrical equipment repairs.

Electrical lighting repairs – quite simply requiring lamp and ballast replacements; when lights would go out or start to provide insufficient light (due to ageing) they would require service repair. Outside lighting is often overlooked in the summer due to longer daylight hours, then winter comes and of course an influx of service calls for lighting repairs to light up and make safe for employees during the long winter hours.

Electrical breaker failure (tripped breaker) – far more extensive a tripped breaker could mean any number of problems. This reminds me of a service call I received (several years ago). The call was a breaker tripping periodically. Upon looking into the call checking the status/failure of the breaker, (electrical circuit which feeds a section of workstations) found nothing that would indicate the problem was in the breaker itself. Requiring further investigation I knew that the workstations in question needed to be sourced and inspected. Knowing that there could be any number of electrical wires/devices to look at within the workstations causing the breaker to trip, I had to crawl around on my hands and knees inspecting each station and all electrical outlets within, for any electrical deficiency. Ah.., yes, and there it was, a familiar burning smell, my nose lead me to find a heater tucked away out of sight under a desk. Cold feet; a frequent complaint in the winter requiring, the need for small personal heaters being plugged in to power bars and outlets. Unfortunately, these little heaters inevitably always would overload a breaker. A solution would be to provide an extra/separate electric circuit for these small incidentals.

Electrical Equipment Repairs – Varying degrees of electrical deficiencies and incidentals made for any number of daily electrical service calls. Most would indicate a lack of maintenance some indicating abuse or lack training on equipment and other just plain old fatigue/ageing of parts. In most cases electrical machine equipment repairs and of course the electrical distribution equipment providing power to the machine can be reduced with regular electrical planned maintenance. Like your car all electrical equipment should receive proper/regular maintenance. Increase the longevity of your electrical equipment with regular electrical maintenance power outages/equipment shutdowns can be reduced and eliminated as well as the costs of repairs being reduced by 30% all by completing any required repairs found by regular electrical maintenance. Frayed wires, damaged outlets, fatigued breakers and devices are all quick easy repairs that can be made during an electrical planned maintenance program avoiding the need to costly service calls.

Plan for your regular electrical maintenance today and save on costly service calls. Any type of electrical planned maintenance program for any facility (commercial electrical or industrial electrical) can be designed to your specific needs including; lighting maintenance (inside and outside) emergency lighting maintenance, machine maintenance, distribution equipment maintenance (main switchgear and downstream devices).

Electrical repairs should not be taken lightly, nor should they be serviced by anyone other than a licensed electrician. Remember electricity can kill, don’t play with someone’s life-hire a professional licensed electrician.
Dial One Wolfedale Electric Gives You the Power to plan your maintenance and reduce your service calls. Call now and avoid your next needless service call or electrical catastrophe.

Peter Dufour
Automation Manager/Project Manager
pdufour@dialonewolfedale.com
905-564-5677 ext 220
Dial One Wolfedale Electric
Giving You the Power

Winter Energy-Savings Tips

Every winter and holiday season, we crusade to save and cut back the fat on various expenditures (any attempt at a plan or effort is better than nothing at all). In doing so, we encounter challenges and setbacks that deter us from making the most of our efforts. At Wolfedale Electric we make every effort as a team to save energy all year long. The Wolfedale team, Gives You the Power; to conserve energy, and you don't have to be electrically inclined to follow these simple tips:

• Daylight hours may be shorter, however when you don’t really need them, turn off your lights! Better yet Wolfedale (Electrical service contractor) can provide a simple inexpensive solution (specific to your needs) of the installation of a lighting sensor that can do the job for you.
• Use the sun’s natural heat! On bright sunny days, keep your window blinds open. Wolfedale Electric (Innovative electrical design/build and commercial contractor) has a solution for the installation of energy efficient window blinds. Once again a solution that will do the job for you, when you can’t.
• Turn lights off in low traffic and service areas when they are closed or unoccupied. Although turning lights on and off in these infrequently used areas is not always practical, Wolfedale can provide the solution; of the installation of lighting sensors allowing this to be an efficiently managed area.
• Keep the heat in! On cloudy days and in the evening, close your window blinds. The days and evenings vary with degrees of sunlight and temperatures, opening and closing blinds is not always the most practical solution for all businesses. Dial One Wolfedale Electric (a commercial and industrial electrical contractor) has the right solution; the installation of energy efficient window blinds.
• When coming and going, enter and exit the building quickly to avoid heat loss as well as cold air entering (chilling the employees). Where shipping and receiving dock doors are kept open on a regular basis; Wolfedale has the solution for you!
• When office equipment (non-network, printers, copiers and computer/monitors) are not in use, turn them off!
• Turning off all electrical motors and air supply to industrial and production equipment when idle.
• Re-locate or adjust any office furniture that may obstruct the flow of heat from air vents.

Wolfedale Electric has the energy efficient electrical solution for any of your electrical requirements. Dial One Wolfedale Electric Gives You the Power! Make it count, start saving now!