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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 10 ,2 01 9 | 8 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca facebook.com/waterloochronicle @wlchronicle WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira nparreira@metroland.com Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar hdunbar@starmetrolandmedia.com Sales Lead/Advertising Representative Michelle Stevens ext. 795062 Advertising Representatives Cassandra Dellow ext. 795066 Zach Peters ext. 795068 Jan Bodanka ext. 795072 Delia Medina ext. 795065 Regional Editor Mike Wilson Reporters Adam Jackson Bill Jackson Namish Modi CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 630 Riverbend Dr. Kitchener, ON N2B 2G1 Phone: 519-886-2830 Fax: 519-579-2029 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000 OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA EDITORIAL The stakes will now be even higher when it comes to distracted driving in Ontario, as strengthened laws took effect on New Year's Day. The changes include licence suspensions, increased demerit points and a higher minimum financial penal- ty that can be charged to those guilty of distracted driving. We fully support the inflated fines and penalties now in place for distracted driving, which continues to be a challenge on Ontario's roads almost a decade after the initial legislation banning handheld devices was passed. Recent Canadian Auto Association research shows that one in three Ontario drivers admits to engaging in distracted driving as a result of using a mobile de- vice. According to the Ontario Ministry of Transporta- tion, one person is injured in a distracted driving col- lision every 30 minutes. This new legislation is the first increase since Sep- tember 2015 when demerit points were added to dis- tracted driving convictions. The increased fines and penalties are some of the strongest in the country, and we expect they will further aid law enforcement in their continued effort to make road conditions safer for everyone. Ontario drivers can now expect the following fines and penalties if caught driving distracted: • The minimum financial penalty has increased from $490 to $615. • A first conviction for distracted driving now re- sults in a three-day licence suspension, three demerit points and a minimum financial penalty of $615. • A second conviction will result in a financial pen- alty of up to $2,000 (previously up to $1,000), six demer- it points and a seven-day licence suspension. • For third (or more) convictions, drivers will face a financial penalty of up to $3,000 (previously up to $1,000), six demerit points and a 30-day licence suspen- sion. Hopefully these new rules will encourage motorists to remain focused on the road and keep devices far from reach when operating their vehicles. ARE YOU A DISTRACTED DRIVER? THE STAKES ARE EVEN HIGHER If you are looking for a pay raise or a meaningful job, the best way for you to achieve this goal in 2019 may be through changing employers. A recent Bank of England report [Oct 2018] found that being a loyal employee hinders your career advancement and monetary worth. The report found that the median annual pay growth for workers who moved to new employers exceeded the pay of those who stayed with their em- ployers. The difference is a massive four percentage points higher for people who changed employers since 1994. The fact that some em- ployees change for a high- er wage or a promotion should have a knock-on ef- fect and wake up the em- ployer that more people may leave. Any company that cares about their long-term growth and em- ployee well-being should start to be proactive and promote from within and increase wages beyond the inflation rate. If they don't, they risk losing more quality employees. Employee resignations also awaken tentative em- ployees. Too often we get comfortable in life and let our content situation get the better of us. When a co- worker leaves, people start to see the positive as- pects of change. Employ- ees start to see the oppor- tunity for internal advan- cement or they realize that to advance their ca- reer they need to move as well. Change becomes a positive recharge - it be- comes a moment of redis- covering your self worth. When I counsel em- ployees, I ask them why they are looking for a change. Those who have been with their employer for 10-plus years always answer with one of these four statements: there are no new challenges, their employer doesn't appreci- ate their work, their ca- reer advancement has stalled and, finally, they are being underpaid in comparison to their peers. My advice is always the same: be proactive, don't be afraid of change and be- lieve in your self worth and accumulated skill set. I tell them that people who change employees every seven to 10 years are more fulfilled and earn more than lifers. So, for 2019, do yourself a favour and retake con- trol of your career. John Francis is presi- dent of Theonera Inc., a fixed-fee recruitment firm based in Waterloo. He can be reached at john@theon- era.com or 519-579-6671. WANT A RAISE? A BETTER JOB IN 2019? CHANGE EMPLOYERS THE BEST WAY TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER AND EARNING POTENTIAL IS TO CHANGE EMPLOYERS, WRITES JOHN FRANCIS JOHN FRANCIS Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA