Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, Healthy Work

...A Positive Workplace Works!

www.healthyworkplacemonth.ca

TORONTO, Sept. 27 /CNW/ - The Tenth Annual Canada's Healthy Workplace Month^® (CHWM) is a four week long celebration designed to introduce workplace health to organizations and support those that are already promoting healthy workplaces. 

CHWM is presented by Great-West Life and managed by the National Quality Institute in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

The theme for October 2010 is: Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, Healthy Work… A Positive Workplace Works! Each week, organizations will be challenged to participate in activities based on the weekly themes. The weekly challenge themes are

• Week 1 - Being a Positive Workplace
• Week 2 - Being Positive with Family and Friends
• Week 3 - Being Positive About Work/Life Harmony
• Week 4 - Being Positive About Community

CHWM will announce winners for each week, so organizations are encouraged to step up and take the challenge.

This year, as part of the activities, CHWM will be distributing pedometers that have been generously donated by ParticipACTION. 

Organizations can register at www.healthyworkplacemonth.ca to participate in some or all of the challenges. 

Why a Healthy Workplace is Important

Studies show that healthcare costs are increasing at twice the rate of inflation. In Canada, more than 50,000 strokes and 75,000 heart attacks occur every year¹. Eight percent of workers are taking medication to treat depression and other mental-health conditions². Mental illness costs the Canadian economy over $50 billion each year³. What are companies doing about this? 

With stress both at home and at work, many employees may feel undervalued and stressed. At the National Quality Institute (NQI), we know that happy, healthy employees are more likely to treat their customers well. We think that they are also more likely to stay with their employers, and a healthy workplace environment improves their health and well-being.

Canada's Healthy Workplace Month^® is about celebrating employees, their successes, and their accomplishments! During October, every employer is encouraged to take extra time to recognize their employees and show them how vital they are to the success of their organization.

"We hope that employers and employees will take advantage of the challenges and activities each week of the month," says Allan Ebedes, President and CEO at NQI. "Experiencing the joy and sense of well-being from this celebration will hopefully encourage workplaces to initiate and sustain a healthy workplace strategy that incorporates NQI's three critical elements: healthy lifestyle practices, occupational health and safety and the physical environment, and a culture of fairness and respect."

About Canada's Healthy Workplace Month (CHWM), October 4^th - 31st: 
The Month promotes fostering a workplace culture of trust and respect where people are happy and healthy at work. In a healthy workplace, people look forward to going to work.

CHWM is partially funded by the following sponsoring organizations:

Presenter: Great-West Life
Champions of Excellence: Great-West Life, Sun Life Financial
Benefactors: Manulife Financial, Ricoh Canada, and Purolator Courier Ltd.
Supporters: Hewitt Associates, Region of Peel, Ceridian, Westin Hotels & Resorts® and Carleton University
Industry: Alterna Savings, Bureau de Normalisation du Québec, Buffet & Company Worksite Wellness Inc., Hill & Knowlton Canada Ltd., Human Solutions, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services, ParticipACTION and Vubiz Ltd.
Media Sponsor: Your Workplace Magazine

"As presenting sponsor, we are pleased to support this initiative to help increase awareness of the value of good mental, physical and emotional health and well-being not only for Canadians, but ultimately for their workplaces and their communities.  As a leading provider of life and health insurance for Canadians, Great-West Life recognizes the importance of innovative programs that address the health concerns of workers and their families and friends," says Jan Belanger, Assistant Vice-President, Community Affairs for Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life.

The website for Canada's Healthy Workplace Month^® (www.healthyworkplacemonth.ca) provides short-term practical tools and ideas for organizations to help them participate. As well, it provides case studies and long-term strategies for organizations to adopt as part of a comprehensive and integrated approach to organizational health.

The goals for Canada's Healthy Workplace Month^® are to:

• Increase awareness of comprehensive workplace health in Canada
• Build awareness of workplace health research and how its outcomes apply to business productivity
• Generate awareness and use of the Healthy Workplace^® tools and resources, available through www.healthyworkplacemonth.ca to all Canadian organizations
• Increase the number of healthy workplaces in Canada

We hope your organization will join in the 10^th Annual Canada's Healthy Workplace Month^® celebration. For ideas, activities, and strategies for the Month and beyond, visit www.healthyworkplacemonth.ca. Let's value our people so our people will value their workplace! 

1. Tracking Heart Disease and Stroke in Canada. Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada; Released June 2009.
2. The Report on Mental Illness in Canada, October 2002.
3. Lorne Zon,  "In the Workplace", Globe & Mail December 2, 2009

For further information:

please contact:

Stan Murray
Director, Healthy Workplace Services
National Quality Institute
[phone] ext 248; or
1-800-263-9648 ext 248, [email protected]

Pour plus d'information, s.v.p. contactez:

Bonita Savard
National Quality Institute
[phone] ext 233; or
1-800-263-9648 ext 233, [email protected]

Marlene Klassen
Great-West Life, Media and Public Relations
[phone]