A healthy workplace integrates employee health practices, organizational culture, and physical environment. It is important because employees spend half their waking hours at work, impacting health. Healthy workplaces see benefits like improved employee health, engagement, and productivity as well as lower absenteeism and costs. Carleton University's (CU) healthy workplace committee aims to create comprehensive programs through events, resources, and support. So far they have hosted workshops and challenges seeing positive responses. Upcoming plans include a health expo and walking program. Communication efforts promote the initiative throughout CU. The committee works to understand employee needs and implement an effective health plan.

1. Benefits of a
healthy workplace

2. 2
Overview
• What is a healthy workplace?
• Comprehensive workplace health
• Putting it into practice

3. Healthy workplace defined
• A healthy workplace integrates the following three
elements to achieve optimal health of its people and its
business:
– Health and lifestyle practices (availability of resources and support
of employees’ efforts to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle
practices)
– Organizational culture (attitudes, values and beliefs demonstrated
in the workplace on a daily basis that impact the well-being of
employees)
– Physical work environment
Source: The definition of a healthy workplace is consistent with
models promoted by Health Canada, the National Quality Institute,
the Ontario Healthy Workplace Coalition, and the Forum on the
Advancement of Healthy Workplaces

4. Why is a healthy workplace important?
• 16 million adult Canadians spend half of their waking
hours at work — the environments in which people
live, learn, work and play have a significant impact on
health (Public Health Agency of Canada)
• Healthy employees have higher morale, are more
productive, and report higher levels of job satisfaction
(Public Health Agency of Canada)
• Absenteeism costs are in excess of 15 billion dollars a
year in Canada (Buffet Taylor Report 2003)

5. Benefits to employees
• Improved fitness, health, and lifestyle
• Improved work/life balance
• Improved morale and engagement
• Improved team spirit and job satisfaction
• Reduced stress and incidences of injury
• Enhanced relationships with co-workers
Source: Public Health Agency of Canada

6. Benefits within the workplace
• Reduced absenteeism and turnover
• Reduced benefits claims
• Enhanced recruitment and retention
• Enhanced reputation
Source: Public Health Agency of Canada

7. The evidence: benefits within the workplace
• Healthier employees:
– In the first six months of Toronto’s “Metro Fit” program,
municipal employees saw marked improvements in their health
and resilience and reported 3.5 fewer sick days
– MDS Nordion employees enjoyed similar health benefits and were
sick less often than in previous years (fewer than 4 days per year
compared with the Canadian average of 7.4 days per year)
• Continuity in the workplace:
– BC Hydro employees enrolled in the fitness program had a
turnover rate of 3.5% compared to the company average of 10.3%

8. The evidence: benefits to employees
• Increasing physical activity to at least 30 minutes per
day at least 5 days per week lowers the risk of
developing coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2
diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer by
30 – 50% (National Association of Physical Activity and Health)
• Within 48 hours of stopping smoking, chances of
having a heart attack start to decrease
– within 1 year, risk of suffering a smoking-related heart attack is cut
in half
– within 10 years, risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half
– Within 15 years, the risk of dying from a heart attack is equal to a
person who never smoked (Health Canada)

9. The evidence: benefits to employees (cont’d)
• Workplace stair-climbing interventions: Climbing
two flights of stairs per day can lead to a 2.7 kg (5.9
lbs) weight loss over one year
• Six flights a day can lead to an 8.2 kg (18 lbs) weight
loss over one year
Source: Public Health Agency of Canada

10. Comprehensive workplace health

11. Comprehensive workplace health
• Effective workplace health programs are
comprehensive in nature and scope:
– Planned using relevant data such as a survey or needs assessment
– Participation from all levels of the institution
– Addresses employee health
– Addresses the broader work environment and culture
– Evaluated and adapted to meet changing nature of work force and
needs of employees
Source: Conference Board of Canada

12. We can all play a role
• Leadership commitment
• Support by managers and supervisors of committee
members
• Inclusive committee — diverse group of members from
all across campus
• Departmental workplace champions
• Lead by example
• Encourage co-workers and colleagues to participate

13. Current healthy workplace practices at CU
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Membership to Athletics
• Comprehensive benefits plan
• Learning and development program
• Career development fund for professional growth
• On-site Health and Counselling Services
• Paid leave during annual Christmas holiday shutdown
• Free tuition for employees, their dependents and spouses

14. Current healthy workplace practices at CU
(cont’d)
• Maternity leave with 95% salary top up and parental leave
• Special leave opportunities (medical/dental/legal
appointments; personal or self-funded leave plans; and
more)
• Recognition initiatives with annual Employee Appreciation
Day, and awards program
• Guaranteed housing loan up to $20,000 payable over 20
years
• Career opportunities, meaningful work, safe environment,
and more

15. Putting it into practice

16. 16
Healthy Workplace Committee
• 12 members, including:
– Ed Kane (Chair)
– Stephen Belanger (Physical Plant)
– Thomas Garvey (School of Industrial Design)
– Marija Gojmerac (School for Studies in Art and Culture — FASS)
– Irvin Hill (Equity Services)
– Bruce Marshall (Athletics)
– Maria McClintock (University Communications)
– Laura Newton Miller (MacOdrum Library)
– Maureen Murdock (Health and Counselling Services)
– Valerie Pereboom (Office of the Dean of Public Affairs)
– Christa Pigeon (Info Carleton)
– Carolina Willsher (Human Resources)

17. Healthy Workplace Committee (cont’d)
• Meet once a month (three meetings held to date)
• Creating a solid foundation to build on:
– Terms of Reference
– Logo/identity exercise
– Mission and vision
– Setting goals and objectives
• Looking ahead:
– Decision to follow National Quality Institute Healthy Workplace
Progressive Excellence Program
– Survey of employees

18. Programs/events hosted to date
• April 21: Office Yoga workshop
– Registration maxed out, 29 on waiting list
• May 6: The Secrets to Successful Budgeting workshop
– Registration maxed out, 4 on waiting list
• May 19: Get Active Your Way workshop
– 8 participants
• May 28: Everyday in May walk (Congress tour)
– 12 participants and positive feedback
• Everyday in May Physical Activity Challenge
– 168 activity logs returned
– Tremendous response (testimonials and photos online)
• Commuter Challenge
– 40 participants saved 582kg of GHG

19. Upcoming events
• Health Expo at Summer Fest featuring:
– Nutrition Headquarters
• Ask the dietician
• Sample healthy food items from Aramark
– Massage therapy
– Great-West Life
– Family Services Ottawa (EFAP provider)
– Literature table
– Sunscreen and sun facts
Programs/events hosted to date
• Workplace walking program
• Health and Wellness Expo (October)

20. Communication actions to date
• Announcement in March issue of Carleton Now
• Committee photo in May issue of Carleton Now
• Story in June issue of Carleton Now
• Profile in ThisWeek@FASS e-newsletter
• Website live June 4
• Email announcement/memo from President Runte
• Announcements in Today@Carleton
• Main CU web page photo with link to story in CN
Upcoming
• Article in Fitness Now

21. What’s next?
 Commitment from senior management
 Establish healthy workplace committee
 Understand needs of employees
 Create a health plan to address those needs
 Implement the plan (education, events, resources)
 Evaluate and refine
We need to provide the means for employees to
make healthy lifestyle choices — and make those
choices easy ones

22. Questions, comments and feedback
are most welcome!