Lifeworks - Workplaces

A healthy workplace is a great investment!

Welcome to the workplace health section of this website. Lifeworks understands the importance of making your workplaces healthier and more productive. The workplace health section has been created to assist you in building a healthier workplace. Visit us regularly for your business health needs. We can provide for both large and small businesses, at little or no cost to you, a variety of resources and support services for your business.

Lifeworks has adopted the Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion (CWHP) approach. CWHP is not a particular program, it is a philosophy, theory and practice of health promotion that is intended and designed to be incorporated into the strategic business plans of corporations whose governors, owners and managers care about the well-being of their employees. CWHP is a proven way to build healthy workplaces. It is defined as an approach to protecting and enhancing the health of employees that relies and builds upon the efforts of employers to create a supportive management under and upon the efforts of employees to care for their own well-being.

If you are someone who influences employee health and are looking for local resources to help your workplace move forward with healthy workplace initiatives, the workplace section of this website is for you. Resources available are highlighted below.

If you or your committee is looking for free consultative support regarding healthy workplace, contact Bernadette Hymus, Workplace Health Coordinator at (613) 966-5513 ext. 233.

Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion Resources:

Introduction to Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion Info-pack

This Info-pack provides an overview of comprehensive workplace health promotion, examines steps for helping workplaces take effective action, shares practical ideas and strategies to consider, and outlines available resources.

The Case for Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion: Making “Cents” of a Good Idea

This document provides the rationale for investing in comprehensive workplace health promotion as well as critical success factors.

Influencing the Organizational Environment to Create Healthy Workplaces Info-pack

This Info-pack focuses on one element of the Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion approach – the organizational environment.

Our Workplace Newsletter: Health! Get it working for you

LifeWorks workplace newsletter entitled Health! Get it working for you, is designed for workplaces in Hastings and Prince Edward counties. It covers a variety of health topics including the three main messages of LifeWorks: be active, eat well, and be smoke-free.

Click on the dates below to view a copy of the newsletter:

If you would like to be added to the mailing list, contact the newsletter editor at (613) 966-5513 ext. 233.

Workplace Networking Meetings

The goal of the networking meeting is to allow representatives to share ideas, success stories, and strategies for creating healthy workplaces. Members are also encouraged to bring forth questions and challenges they are addressing in their workplace, for discussion and brainstorming by group members.

There is one opportunity a year to participate. The two hour breakfast meeting includes a brief educational component, a chance to update each other on wellness activities and some time for open discussion on selected topics.

For more information or to find out the date of the next meeting, call Bernadette Hymus, Workplace Health Coordinator at (613) 966- 5513 ext. 233.

Hastings and Prince Edward Healthy Workplace Challenge 2009

This annual challenge is designed to encourage employees to increase their awareness and activity levels in a comprehensive manner which includes physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and social aspects. Workplaces will work together to receive recognition for being one of Hastings and Prince Edward’s Healthy Workplaces.

This year’s challenge will run from October 5th to November 1st. The theme is “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Work . . . Feeling Great about Life!”. During the Healthy Workplace Challenge, your employees will enjoy the benefits of becoming more informed and active, while they complete various tasks on a wellness activity card. To make things more interesting, consider offering a prize; all those who participate could be eligible. Run your challenge for the whole month, or for a week.

Please register your workplace (by September 25th) by contacting Strength Tek tracy@strengthtek.com. When you register, you will receive a free toolkit that includes all the material required to run the program. The toolkit has been designed to limit the time commitment for the individual championing the program.

To learn more about the Hastings and Prince Edward Healthy Workplace Challenge, please call Bernadette Hymus, Workplace Health Coordinator at 966-5513 ext. 233.

Canada's Healthy Workplace Month

Each October, LifeWorks supports Canada's Healthy Workplace Month (CHWM) which encourages Canadian organizations to promote the benefits of workplace health. Throughout the Month, the CHWM website serves as the central hub. Organizations can track their results against other workplaces, visit the Resource Well for helpful information and links, and share their success stories and event photos to show what they’ve done to create a healthier workplace.

The official website for Canada's Healthy Workplace Month includes activities for you and your workplace to participate in during the month and access to valuable information and resources year-round.

Workplace Workshop

An annual workshop is held in the fall for all those interested in building a healthy workplace. The goal of the workshop is to enhance the capacity within local workplaces to build healthier workplaces.

Keynote speakers and workshop facilitators in the past include:

2008

Marion Balla, M.A., President, Adlerian Counselling & Consulting Group.

Leading and Managing Change, October 15

Vera Asanin,President and CEO, Your Workplace Magazine.

Managing & Leading Multiple Generations, October 15

Sandy Cotton, PhD., Your Workplace Magazine.

Ten Principles That Form a Healthy Workplace, October 15

2007

Nancy van Boxmeer, B.Sc., M.Ed., Vanbo Consulting

Raice…Toward a Healthy Workplace!, October 24

2005

Dr. John Yardley, Ph.D., Workplace Health Research Laboratory, Brock University

Creating Healthy Organizations, October 26

For more information or to find out the date of the next workshop, contact Bernadette Hymus, Workplace Health Coordinator at 613-966-5513 ext. 233.

Eat Smart! Workplaces

An Eat Smart! workplace supports health and healthy environments by providing employees with a dining venue that has safe food handling, healthier food choices and a smoke-free environment. Research shows that health promotion programs can have a positive impact on a workplace’s bottom line with potential benefits including reduced absenteeism, health care costs, and related costs from lost productivity.

Congratulations to the following 2009-2010 recipients of the Eat Smart! Award of Excellence: Brown's Fine Food at Procter & Gamble Inc., and Sears Canada Inc., in Belleville. Workplaces with cafeterias will receive an information pacjage and application for the 2010-2011 period in late summer. Look below for related links on the Eat Smart! workplace program.

For more information or to nominate your workplace cafeteria, please call:

Stacey Kimura, Public Health Dietitian at 613-966-5513 ext. 303

If long distance, call toll-free at 1-800-267-2803 ext. 303

Joanna Mestre, Health Promoter at 613-966-5513 ext. 317

If long distance, call toll-free at 1-800-267-2803 ext. 317

The provincial Eat Smart! website also includes information about the workpace program.