Healthy Workplaces
An Integrated, Comprehensive Approach
to Total (mental, physical and psychosocial)
Health and Wellness at Work
ICOH 2009 – Capetown, SA March 2009
P.K. Abeytunga, MSc., PhD
Vice-President and Director General

Pressure to do More with Less
In today’s globally
competitive world,
organizations are
under pressure to:
maximize productivity
minimize costs
increase customer satisfaction
and improve overall performance.
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

What does this mean?
People at work are required
to do more with less.
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Employee Dissatisfaction
Where are we headed?
Job stress Worker depression
pleased workers Job satisfaction
Chronic stress, low morale and employee
dissatisfaction are major concerns.

Impact on the Organization
The health and well-being of employees
can impact
the survival and success of the organization.
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Impact on the Organization
Injuries presenteeism
illnesses low morale and
dissatisfaction
high stress levels
chronic absenteeism
.
…can have a devastating effect
on the productivity and performance
of an organization
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Quality of Working Life
Critical to organizational
excellence
As the quality of working
life improves, so does
the productivity and
performance of the
organization
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

A Healthy Workplace
Healthy employees working in a
healthy environment
contribute to the success of the organization
where the quality of working life is a priority

Elements of a
Healthy Workplace
Safe and healthy
environment
Employees are motivated
Job security
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

A Healthy Workplace
Having the means and resources
Proper job design & schedules
Fair compensation
Working at a reasonable pace
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

A Healthy Workplace
Working effectively with Work/life balance
colleagues and managers
Open communication
Learning opportunities

The Comprehensive Approach
Occupational health
and safety practices
Well-being initiatives
Job design
Organizational systems
HR management practices
The culture of the workplace
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Key Factors
A work environment and management regime
based on values and principles
Leadership commitment to the comprehensive
approach
A workplace culture that recognizes and
promotes the whole person in which quality of
working life is a priority
Open communication, dialogue
and transparency

A Healthy Workplace is:
High performing
A rewarding place to work
Integral to achieving
organizational excellence
An investment
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga

A Win-Win Proposition
Healthy workplaces benefit
Workers and their families
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga

A Win-Win Proposition
Healthy workplaces benefit
Employers
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga

A Win-Win Proposition
Healthy workplaces benefit
Government and society at large
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

A Win-Win Proposition
Healthy workplaces benefit
Communities
Healthy Workplaces
P.K. Abeytunga
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Canadian Centre for Occupational
Health and Safety
CCOHS promotes the
total well-being —
physical, psychosocial
and mental health —
of working people.

Advancing & Supporting Healthy Workplaces
Information & knowledge transfer
Training & education
Cost-effective tools to improve performance
Management systems & solutions to support
health and safety programs
Support to collaborating partner
organization programs

Visit CCOHS on the web at www.ccohs.ca

Thank You
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
905-572-2981
www.ccohs.ca

Healthy Workplaces:
An Integrated, Comprehensive Approach
Healthy Workplaces
(mental, physical and psychosocial) to Health P.K. Abeytunga
abey@ccohs.ca
and Wellness at Work
T he Cha ng ing World of Work
We are seeing dramatic changes in organizations and how they do business.
These changes include:
• Work methods, processes, equipment and technologies
• Workplace structure job content
• Work environments
In today’s globally competitive world, organizations in both private and public sectors are
under pressure to maximize productivity, minimize costs, increase client satisfaction, and
improve overall performance. The current economic crisis and its impact on workplaces
have further intensified this pressure. Consequently, people at work are required to do
more with less.
Health and Well Being at Work: An Evolving Notion
While the scope of traditional occupational health and safety issues is expanding, the
incidence and range of a variety of concerns beyond traditional occupational health and
safety are increasing and new concerns are emerging. As the world of work is changing,
the notion of workplace health and well being is also undergoing a transition.
Imp a ct o n Workers
Coupled with increasing job uncertainty, there are reports that job stress is up from 10
years ago, job satisfaction is down, workers are less pleased and are more likely to say
they are depressed. The need to do more work with fewer resources leads to workload
problems such as overwork and unreasonable deadlines. People cannot balance the
demands of work with responsibilities at home. Chronic stress, low morale and employee
dissatisfaction have become major concerns.
Imp a ct o n the Organization
Just as work and the work environment drastically influence the health and well being
(physical, psychosocial and mental) of employees, there are growing concerns regarding
the profound impact that the health and well being of employees can have on the
survival and success of the organization. Employee consequences related to health and
well being, such as injuries, illnesses (minor and more serious), high stress levels, chronic
absenteeism, presenteeism, low morale and dissatisfaction, can have a devastating effect
on the productivity and overall performance of the organization.
T he Qua lity of Working Life
The quality of working life is being recognized as a critical element of organizational
excellence. As the quality of working life improves, so too does the productivity and
performance of the organization.
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Healthy Workplaces

A He a lt hy Workplace
A healthy workplace is one where healthy employees working in a healthy environment
contribute to the success of the organization. In a healthy workplace, the environment is
safe and healthy. There is compliance with health and safety legislation, and due diligence
is exercised. Employees are motivated, with meaningful and challenging work to do and
the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge. The quality of working life is made a
priority. Employees also enjoy job security.
In a healthy workplace, workers have the means and resources to get work done. Their
job is properly designed and scheduled appropriately. They receive fair compensation in
terms of salary and benefits in exchange for working at a reasonable pace.
A healthy workplace is also about working effectively with colleagues and managers,
using open communication and dialogue. There is mutual respect for individuals and their
unique circumstances, as well as supports in place for work/life balance. It also encour-
ages learning opportunities to advance personal career aspirations.
T he Co mp rehensive Approach
This approach to a healthy workplace encompasses many elements, including:
• occupational health and safety practices;
• well being initiatives;
• job design;
• organizational systems;
• HR management practices, and the culture of the workplace.
Key factors in this approach include a work environment and management regime based
on values and principles, and a commitment of leadership. A workplace culture that rec-
ognizes and promotes the whole person in whom quality of working life is a priority, plus
open communication, dialogue, and transparency, are also critical.
Inv e st ing in Healthy Workplaces Pays Off
A healthy workplace is an investment, not only in the health and well being of
employees, but also in the long term health and success of the organization. It becomes
a high performing workplace, a rewarding place to work, and integral to achieving
organization excellence.
Healthy workplaces are a win-win proposition that benefits all. Workers and their families
benefit, not only from improved physical and mental health and quality of life, but also
from improved working conditions and decent jobs that offer dignity, respect, personal
development and economic security.
Employers benefit from health, adaptable and productive workforces, reduced benefit
costs, the ability to attract and retain high quality workers and achieve increased
productivity, organizational strength and competitiveness.
Government and society at large benefit through productivity growth, increased
competitiveness, reduced health care costs.
Communities benefit from the improvement in the health of their citizens
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Healthy Workplaces