You’ll find Workplace Strategies resources throughout this website. Most strategies and tools are the result of joint initiatives where Workplace Strategies:
- Commissioned development of a resource
- Partnered with other organizations
- Collaborated with third-party experts
Over the years, many people have contributed generously to the quality and usefulness of our resources, including:
- Subject matter experts
- Researchers
- Academics
- Workplace stakeholders
- People with lived experience from across Canada and beyond
Meet some of these contributors here. All Workplace Strategies resources are available to anyone at no cost, compliments of Canada Life.
Workplace Strategies has worked with various experts to develop practical Assessments, tools and workshops to help with the prevention, intervention, and management of workplace mental health issues. Here are a few examples:
- Guarding Minds at Work
- Psychologically Safe Leader Assessment
- On the agenda workshop series
- Mental health awareness videos
- A tool to support employee success
Resources to support you through COVID
Workplace Strategies is committed to offering resources to help you protect your mental health throughout the pandemic. View the following videos and webinars for inspiration, information and support. They’re all available in English and French.
Webinar and video series:
Learn ways to manage stress in a changed world - recorded October 6, 2021
Putting Flourishing on your list of Covid survival strategies - recorded May 4, 2021
Coping through COVID videos on our YouTube channel
Workplace Strategies supports innovation
Canadian Workplace Well-Being Awards
2021 - Present: The awards recognize organizations that go the extra mile to support the mental health and well-being of their employees with excellent workplace well-being practices and initiatives. Workplace Strategies sponsored the awards so organizations that show leadership in implementing positive psychology initiatives can inspire others. For more information on this initiative, contact The Canadian Positive Psychology Association.
2018-2021: Institute for Work and Health: Accommodating and Communicating about Episodic Disabilities (ACED)
Workplace Strategies, with support from Canada Life, is participating in this study to deliver workplace resources to help people with episodic mental and physical health conditions sustain employment. One of Workplace Strategies’ tools, Supporting employee success is being adapted to support accommodation planning among workers, supervisors and other workplace parties. For more information on this study, check out the Institute for Work and Health’s website.
Mindset Award for Workplace Mental Health Reporting
2016 – present: These awards are presented by the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma, and honour excellence in incisive or investigative mental health reporting in Canada. We believe stories told by journalists can motivate and inspire us – by teaching us how to make the best out of difficult situations, telling the stories of unsung heroes, addressing needs and gaps, and shining a light on organizations who have prioritized the mental health of their employees. Past Mindset Award recipients have been recognized for their reporting in various regional and national media outlets. Learn more at http://www.mindset-mediaguide.ca/.
Mindful campuses grant program
March 2019 to present: Workplace Strategies and Mindful Employer Canada (MEC), with financial support from Canada Life, started the Mindful campuses grant program. Universities and colleges are invited to apply for grants of up to $2,000 by showing how they’d host a series of events and activities focused on wellness. For more information on this initiative, contact Mindful Employer Canada.
From surviving to thriving: developing personal and academic resilience
2019: Workplace Strategies developed a new tool called From surviving to thriving, to help post-secondary students build resilience and minimize the negative impact from stressful situations.
Workplace Strategies is grateful to the Canadian Post-Secondary Community of Practice for Workplace Wellness and the following contributors: Dr. Ian M.F. Arnold, M. Suzanne Arnold, PhD, Dr. James Gillett, Natasha Sheikhan, Dr. Heather Stuart, Brooke Linden, Heather Drummond, Heather Gaffney, Sami Pritchard, Sarah Jenner, David K. MacDonald, Kelsey Pretty, Dr. David Brown, Brian Hansell, Jian Li Wang, Kaitlin Kellogg, Leah Rosevear, Cassandra Filice, Allison Drew-Hassling, Alexis Dorland, Erick Kovacs and students at McMaster University, Queen’s University, University of British Columbia Okanagan, and Waterloo University.
CMHA Certified Psychological Health and Safety Advisor Training
Workplace Strategies helped the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) develop this certificate program, which helps train individuals as CMHA Certified Psychological Health and Safety Advisors (PH&S Advisors). Contact the CMHA for information on upcoming certificate training opportunities.
Mindful Employer Canada
2016: Canada Life sponsored programs like In-House, Mindful leader and Mindful campuses to help organizations and individuals build their skills and abilities to reduce psychological harm and support positive workplace mental health for staff. They benefit:
- Executives
- Managers
- Union representatives
- Human resources professionals
- Occupational health professionals
Workplace Strategies invites expertise and experience
Inclusivity roundtable
September 2019: Roundtable in Toronto with 2SLGBTQIA+ community participants to discuss:
- Leader strategies to help team members be inclusive
- Policies and procedures organizations should adopt
- Advice for someone feeling excluded, isolated or ridiculed at work
Read the outcome of this important conversation on our Implicit bias web page.
Workplace Strategies is grateful to these contributors: Cathy Bawden, Monique Bergeron, Jaison Coley, Mardi Daley, Roxanne Derhodge, Jackie Faulkner, Karen Hicks, Sheldon Ji, Tova Larsen, Tania Lor, Christine Newman, Nyk Morrigan, Bonnie Pedota, Robyn Priest, Nancy Russell, Kate Welsh, Rogue Witterick and Michelle Yan.
Indigenous community roundtable
April 2019: Inaugural Miinosewin*– the Mike S. Schwartz Indigenous Collaboration roundtable in Winnipeg
Topics of conversation ranged from how to integrate the Seven Sacred teachings at work to how to support the Indigenous community in the workplace.
* Miinosewin is Ojibway for “to set it right properly”
See the results on these webpages Indigenous teachings for leaders and Indigenous engagement planning.
Workplace Strategies offers Miigwech to these participants: Andrew Boryskavich, Diane Carriere, Donna Desmarais, E.J. Fontaine, Eva Wilson-Fontaine, Amber Harris, Priscilla Johnstone, Sherman Kong, Larry Lavallee, Norman Meade, Elder, Thelma Meade, Elder, Barb Moran and Tami Omeasoo.
Independent professionals’ roundtable
November 2018: Roundtable in Toronto with independent professionals and those with expertise in workplace mental health
The contributors generously shared their extensive knowledge to develop Independent professionals.
Workplace strategies thanks these participants: Maureen McKenna, Keri Alletson, David Barnes, Sajel Bellon, Leslie Bennett, Jalynn Bosley, Loretta Brill, Kerri Brock, Mandi Luis Buckner, Rilla Clark, Mackenzie Gilmore, Lesley Greig, Sarah Jenner, Louisa Jewell, Jenise Lee, Ann Morgan, Hayley Peek, Jenn Porritt, Sarah Smith and Kim Sunderland.
Canadian Post-Secondary Community of Practice for Workplace Wellness
2015 to present: Annual forum in locations across Canada where workplace wellness professionals from Canadian universities and colleges talk to Workplace Strategies about disability management and health promotion. These leaders helped us develop valuable and useful resources for improved workplace mental health.
Topics discussed:
- Building resilience for students
- Evolution of workplace mental health
- Students' perspective on responding to mental health issues on campus
- Mindfulness – practice and review
- Tools for supporting employee success
- Health Promotion
- Mental health
Experience and expertise in the earlier years – The National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace
2009: Forum in Vancouver, the Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace (predecessor to Workplace Strategies) brought together a group of leaders and specialists to begin work on a set of voluntary guidelines, tools and resources to guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm at work. This forum led to The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace – the first of its kind in the world – with input from:
- Government
- Labour
- Business
- Research
- Standards development
- Occupational health and safety
Download your free copy at http://www.csa.ca/z1003/ (English version).