Healthy Workplace Bulletin February 2015
March is Nutrition Month: Eating 9 to 5!
March is Nutrition Month: Eating 9 to 5! ...1
Rushed mornings, no time for a lunch break, food-filled meetings, workplace celebrations and end of day dinner struggles; workday challenges can make it difficult to eat well. Eating well at work can boost concentration, productivity, vitality, and overall health (Dietitians of Canada, 2015).
Quit Smoking Upcoming STOP Sessions ...2
Dietitians of Canada wants to inspire Canadians to eat better at work and make other positive changes for a healthier workplace and nutrition environment.
Workplace Quit Smoking Initiative Shout Out ...2
To kick-start your workplace into bringing healthy eating to the forefront, consider making it a focus of your March health and wellness promotions and activities. Here are just a few ideas:
Inside this issue:
Driven to Quit ...3 Healthy Workplace Policy Project ...3
Contact workplace@hamilton.ca to receive electronic fact sheets with tips and links to apps and websites with fantastic healthy eating information to share with employees. The materials will be emailed to you in mid-February.
Arrange for a Community Food Advisor (CFA) to present on any of the following topics: eating well when eating out, healthy snacks at work, healthy eating the low sodium way, keeping caffeine intake in check. These presentations can include hands-on activities and/or cooking demonstrations. CFA services are free, but you will be asked to cover the cost of food and possibly the cost of parking. To book a presentation or for more information, call 905-546-2424 x5020 or email cfa@hamilton.ca.
Provide opportunities for employees to suggest changes to the workplace environment that will promote healthy eating. Be sure to acknowledge all suggestions and follow through on those that fit within your workplace.
Transform Stairs: A New Healthy Stairwell Project Update ...4 Wellness Champion Model Resources Available ...4 Contact Information
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Q u i t S m o k i n g — U p c o m i n g S TO P S e s s i o n s Hamilton Public Health Services is offering two upcoming STOP sessions for those looking to quit smoking. Please share this information with your employees or co-workers. The STOP program delivers research-based, cost-free smoking cessation workshops in local communities. Eligible participants will: Attend an educational session Receive a five-week course of nicotine patches Workshops will be held on: February 19, 2015 at 10:00am and 1:30pm And March 10, 2015 at 10:00am and 1:30pm To learn more, see if you qualify, and to register, contact: Tobacco Hotline at 905-540-5566 ext. 1. *Confidentiality assured. For more detailed information on the STOP program, please call 416-535-8501 x 34455 or email stop.study@camh.ca
Wo r k p l a c e Q u i t S m o k i n g I n i t i a t i v e S h o u t O u t We’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate the community service workplaces that are currently participating in our Workplace Quit & Win contest. The draw for the $500 grand prize will be held on February 23, 2015. Good luck to all staff taking part in the contest and congratulations on your quit attempts!
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Driven to Quit The Canadian Cancer Society’s Driven to Quit contest is back - Quit smoking for your chance to win a new car! Stop smoking or tobacco use for the month of March for your chance to win a 2015 Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, or Scion tC or one of seven prizes of $1,000. It’s easy to get started! Register by February 28, 2015. Quit smoking by March 1, 2015 and remain tobacco-free for the month. Remain tobacco-free for the month of March. For an extra chance to win, register a buddy who will support you as you quit - it increases your chances of quitting successfully AND doubles your chances of winning! To register go to www.driventoquit.ca. If you are interested in Driven to Quit promotional materials to hang in your workplace please contact workplace@hamilton.ca .
Healthy Workplace Policy Project We want to hear from you! In our next Healthy Workplace Bulletin, Hamilton Public Health Services will be inviting you to participate in a survey to get your input on the barriers to healthy workplace policy implementation. We hope you will be able to participate. Survey results will be used to inform resources and services we will offer in the future regarding workplace health and wellness policy development and implementation.
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Tr a n s f o r m S t a i r s : A N e w H e a l t h y S t a i r w e l l P r o j e c t U p d a t e Three workplaces in Hamilton are participating in our Transform Stairs: A New Healthy Stairwell project. Here is how each of them has committed to increasing employee physical activity through stair use so far: ArcelorMittal Dofasco – Point of decision prompts and other promotional posters displayed on digital screens, stair riser stickers, employee pledge challenge, and email blasts encouraging stair use and discouraging prolonged sitting. Hamilton Police Service – Employee stair climbing challenge, point of decision prompts and infographics on prolonged sitting, email blasts encouraging stair use, and "get caught taking the stairs" prizes. Hamilton Health Sciences – Step Up and Shine employee stair climbing challenge, point of decision prompts, infographics on the risks of sitting too long, stair riser stickers, and ‘site hype’ week to launch their campaign. Congratulations to each of our pilot workplaces on transforming your stairs! These workplaces will be part of a case study submission by Hamilton Public Health Services to the Center for Active Design in New York City. The Transform Stairs Coordinator’s Package is available to workplaces interested in implementing a healthy stairwell strategy. For more information please contact workplace@hamilton.ca.
We l l n e s s C h a m p i o n M o d e l R e s o u r c e s Av a i l a b l e Are you interested in having employees promote workplace health and wellness initiatives to their co-workers as part of a comprehensive approach to workplace health promotion? Hamilton Public Health Services has a resource that may interest you - Workplace Health Promotion: A Toolkit for Implementing the Wellness Champion Model. The Wellness Champion Model seeks out employee volunteers to take on the role of communicating employee wellness opportunities as well as workplace policies regarding employee health to their co-workers. Wellness Champions are recruited, trained and supported by their employer and Hamilton Public Health Services. Please send enquires about the Wellness Champion workplace resources to workplace@hamilton.ca. Page 4
For more information, contact a Workplace Health Promotion Specialist with the City of Hamilton Public Health Services: Phone: 905-546-2424 x3065 or x3634 Email: workplace@hamilton.ca
Having previously signed up to receive electronic communications from the City of Hamilton Public Health Services Workplace Health Promotion Program, we are pleased to share with you the latest edition of the Healthy Workplace Bulletin. If you wish to be removed from the distribution list, please send an email to workplace@hamilton.ca with your name and “unsubscribe� in the subject line. The Healthy Workplace Bulletin (HWB), published by the City of Hamilton Public Health Services, is a source of ideas for planning and sharing workplace health in Hamilton. Contents of the HWB can be forwarded, posted on intranets, included in newsletters, memoranda and other communications within an organization, provided the contents are not changed and the source is identified. Some content may be subject to additional conditions set by other parties claiming intellectual property rights relating to the contents. The City of Hamilton Public Health Services will try to disclose these additional conditions in the relevant sections of the HWB, but it is ultimately your responsibility for ensuring that your use of the contents is authorized. The HWB provides general information and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. If you need medical or other professional advice, you are recommended to consult with a qualified health care professional. The City of Hamilton Public Health Services puts considerable effort into ensuring the quality of the contents of the HWB. However, it provides no warranty and makes no claims as to the reliability and accuracy of the contents. The City of Hamilton assumes no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information in the HWB. The HWB provides links to external organizations’ websites for information purposes only. These websites contain information created, published and maintained by or for those organizations, independent of the City of Hamilton. The City of Hamilton does not necessarily guarantee or endorse the organizations or the information, views or advice found on their respective websites. The City of Hamilton assumes no liability or responsibility for the linking of any of these websites, the operation or content of any of these websites, or for the information, views or advice found on them. Page 5