A Healthy Workplace is Good for Your Health - Leaders Letters February 2008

Leaders Letters A leadership Resource

Edition 8. February 2008

A Healthy Workplace is Good for Your Health

By Kristen Jenkins, reprinted from the Canadian-health-network.ca

Do you have a good job, one that's satisfying and not too stressful, where your boss and coworkers treat you with respect?

4. Feel that the people you work with, including managers, are trustworthy.

5. Feel reasonably secure in your job.

If you answered yes, consider yourself lucky.

That's because a good job – where there is open communication, a sense of trust and fairness and a well defined workload – can contribute to your good health.

A healthy work environment relies on healthy, positive relationships among everyone who works there, notes Dr. Martin Shain, a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, at the University of Toronto.

6. Believe that your employer takes every reasonable precaution to protect the health and safety of employees and that he or she has a genuine concern for the well-being of employees.

7. Feel that you are part of a common purpose.

Seven key ingredients of a healthy workplace

Stepping Out to Cancun

Dr. Martin Shain outlines that a healthy, safe place of employment is one in which you:

Eleven teams from Social Services and Seniors are “Stepping Out to Cancun” as a part of the PEI Active Living Alliance’s Workplace Wellness Challenge.

1. Have a clear understanding of your role and responsibilities and perceive that your skills match the job.

2. Have a say in your job and how you do it and feel that the work demands placed upon you are reasonable and fair.

3. Feel respected and valued for your contribution and being rewarded, with praise and recognition, for work well done.

The overall goal for each team is 4,480,000 steps, or the number of steps it would take to walk from PEI to Cancun Mexico. For teams in the challenge, keep up the good work!

The Challenge is just one way to add fun, healthy activity to your day. Remember, even a small increase in activity each day can boost your energy and improve your health.

Hopkirk Speaks About Positive Workplaces Gerry Hopkirk met with the Seniors Leaders Group on Nov. 21st to discuss ways create a positive workplace environment.

Gerry gave 21 specific ways that you as a manager could help to create a positive work environment. Some of these included: • • • • • •

Build trust, Develop a common vision with staff, Allow staff to assume leadership roles, Resolve conflict positively, Build on strengths and, Use humor positively.

Deputy’s Message

By Sharon Cameron, Deputy Minister

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all managers within the department for their hard work towards completing PDP’s these past few months.

As we saw from Gerry Hopkirk’s presentation, as well as the article from Kristen Jenkins, staff must have feedback and a firm sense of their role within the department if they are to have a positive work environment.

Within our Department we often help those who are under-represented or who are dealing with unfortunate circumstances. This can be stressful work, so it is important that we do all that we can to help build a positive work environment for staff and managers. The PDP is just one way to help do this.

Gerry also provided the group with evidence that showed employees have lower job satisfaction and higher feelings of exhaustion when their job has a narrow focus or is repetitive.

On the other side of the coin, people who work in teams, and who are provided frequent feedback from others, have better job satisfaction, lower turnover rates and the highest performance ratings from managers.

March Theme: Mental Health Awareness Suggestions: If you have any suggestions on possible themes for upcoming months, please let us know.

Contact Vernon MacIntyre at: vsmacintyre@ihis.org

PDP Reminder Human Resources reminds all managers that the department’s goal is to have a performance review completed for each employee in the department annually.

The PDP is an excellent chance to meet with staff, to provide feedback on their performance, and to receive feedback on ways the staff members feel the department can improve.

In April, an audit of the PDP completion rate will be performed by HR. Results will be released to managers. A second audit will be completed in October to ensure compliance with the PDP policy and assess effectiveness.

Please be sure to return your completed PDP’s and evaluations to HR as soon as possible.