Tag: Mental Health and Wellness

KEY TAKEAWAY: Resilient employees are more productive, innovative, and effective in the workplace. Here are 5 ways to build your team’s resilience in the workplace.

By Jennifer Crump

Employers have a heightened awareness of the critical importance of resilience in dealing with physical, mental, and emotional strain as well as workplace-related stress. The return to work and the future of working could serve as a further test of your team’s resilience. 

However, high levels of resilience are critical when it comes to better outcomes for people and teams. It is what allows people to be positive and adaptive in the face of significant adversity. It also provides us with the energy to overcome substantial challenges, whether they are personal or professional.

This is one of the reasons that companies are steadily increasing their investment in wellness programs. Studies have demonstrated that investment in these types of programs directly correlates to employee resilience. An increased number of companies are offering wellness initiatives and an increased number of workers who witness these initiatives in action means a better likelihood of resiliency. Unfortunately, only 30% of Canadian workers currently consider themselves to be resilient. Building resilience involves a complex set of factors, including wellness and health promotion programs, all focused on creating a connected and supportive workplace.

Here are five ways you can help build your team’s resilience in the workplace. 

1. Give your team agency

Nothing fuels a sense of resiliency more than the feeling of control over a situation. Give your team members the belief that they can affect the outcome of what’s going on. Break tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Allow for unexpected resets and build expected resets into your team calendar. Celebrate milestones and create a series of kickoffs and benchmarks to highlight success and build excitement. 

Be open to suggestions and constructive criticism. Constructive criticism often flows strictly from the top down, when in fact all members of your team may have great ideas for a better or more efficient way of doing something. Provide them with the opportunity to critique and contribute. This empowers your team with a sense of control and creates an open atmosphere in which they too will be more open to constructive criticism. 

Encourage individual and team problem-solving. Adaptability is a crucial element of resilience, and by encouraging team members to see problems as something to work through together, you will help build your team’s resilience. Be vocal about the fact that that problem-solving takes time, and you may have to test out more than one approach, but there is always a way over a roadblock. 

2. Create support systems

Robust support systems are critical to resilience. This starts with having a solid network of company supports in the form of workplace benefits, policies, programs, and initiatives focused on well-being. However, there are other equally essential supports critical to building a resilient team. 

Initiate opportunities to strengthen your team bonds. While it can be a challenge to organize gatherings outside of work, make them a priority. Try an escape room, meet for drinks after work or even participate in team sports together. Allow your team members to get to know one another. These are the opportunities where team members create the strongest bonds and form a network of support that strengthens the entire team’s resilience. 

Team leaders should also serve as a source of support. Model resilient behavior and be open and honest about your struggles. This promotes an environment where others can express their challenges and feel that you will support them when they do. Role model resilience as well and encourage and model a work-life balance that allows resilience to thrive. 

3. Foster competency 

Work is changing and so too are workplaces and workforces. For older employees, that can translate into increased uncertainty. You can help both teams and team members by focusing on reskilling and upskilling rather than replacing workers. Helping your employees prepare for these changes can make your team more adaptable and resilient in other areas as well. 

Younger generations are also struggling in the workplace. The Business Council of Canada reports that 75% of employers have higher expectations of new graduates than five years ago. Many recent graduates are lagging in human skills, and individuals from Gen Z are also self-reporting the lowest resiliency rates. Increasing guidance, improving work-life balance, and providing work that team members see as meaningful can all help build resiliency in the youngest members of your team. Consider a mentor program that will provide support and guidance and act as a sounding board for new staff.  

4. Take your team’s pulse regularly

Provide opportunities for your team to give feedback and relay how they are feeling. This is excellent practice at the individual, team, and organizational levels, and the aggregate data you gather can help inform decision-making. Use surveys or technology to collect data and then discuss findings, issues, and solutions with the team. 

5. Leverage technology

The pandemic posed both challenges and opportunities for companies to embrace technologies to enhance resilience. Companies use technology for everything from promoting wellness initiatives to offering individualized support to creating unique options for team gatherings. SureHire’s EQ Resilience Solution is a science-based tool that allows you to quickly assess employee resiliency, allowing for early interventions and support. You can also leverage it to gather aggregate, anonymized data to help you with critical decision-making. 

Building resilience translates into more robust, more effective, and more productive individuals and teams who are consequently equipped to meet all challenges, now and into the future. 

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Takeaway: When creating a lone worker policy, here are the key components to ensure optimal and safe conditions for all employees.

By Jennifer Crump

The number of lone workers has been steadily increasing across various industries for numerous reasons, but this subgroup within the working population exploded during the pandemic. According to market researchers Berg Insights, there are 53 million lone workers in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. This represents a massive challenge for the companies that must keep them safe. 

Lone workers face all of the same risks that other employees face, but there is also a heightened risk of harm because they face these risks alone. Lone workers must also deal with unique safety concerns which require equally unique solutions. However, before you implement these solutions, you must start with a companywide lone worker policy.

A policy ensures that lone workers start with a consistent set of expectations. Here are five key elements you should be aware of as an employer and should include in your lone worker policy to ensure optimal and safe conditions for all employees.

1. Statement of purpose

It is far easier to sell a proposed solution if you explain the reasons for it. In fact, selling your workers on the need for a lone worker policy might be one of the greatest challenges involved. Explain why the document is necessary and include how it protects lone workers. Include the organization’s goals and identify how this lone worker policy aligns with them. If relevant, include specific federal, provincial or state laws that speak to lone worker safety.

It’s a good idea to keep your lone worker policy separate from your general health and safety policy for both clarity and conciseness and to avoid confusion between the two documents.

2. Roles and responsibilities

Identifying your lone workers is not always as easy as it sounds. Of course, some workers work entirely and consistently on their own — these are easy to identify. However, others may work in isolation only occasionally, for certain projects or due to extenuating circumstances that may arise. They, too, will need to be included in your lone worker policy. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety defines a lone worker as someone who goes for some time without direct contact with another worker or who cannot be seen or heard by another person while working.

Lone workers can include those who :

• work away from the public or who work in isolation or at an isolated site
• work in situations where visibility is reduced or where noise makes it difficult for them to be heard by co-workers
• may travel alone or spend long periods alone in alternate business settings. They may occasionally interact with customers or the public, such as a taxi driver or salesperson, or they may rarely interact with others, such as a long-haul truck driver.

Once you have documented roles, it’s equally important to clarify responsibilities for lone workers and their managers. Whose job is it to initiate check-ins, for example? Avoid using language that implies workers and others have options, as that could become confusing. Instead, use instructive language and write in clear, non-negotiable terms. Replace “should” with “will” and “must,” for example. Include “if, then” statements to cover responsibilities for workers in situations they may occasionally find themselves in. 

Clarity is the most important thing here — you don’t want there to be any doubts as to what everyone’s roles and responsibilities are.

3. Identification of hazards

Lone workers are at risk for a variety of hazards. Slips, trips and falls, a leading cause of worker injury, can potentially be more severe when a worker is alone. Lone workers are also at increased risk of workplace violence. There may also be psychological hazards these workers are exposed to.

Conduct a complete safety audit for your lone workers and leverage various means to identify the hazards they face. Talk to managers and workers and consider doing a walkthrough of work sites, if possible, to observe your lone workers as they do their jobs. Deconstruct any accidents or incidents that occur with worker input to determine how you can handle them more effectively next time — prevention is key when it comes to workplace safety.

Make sure that you list all applicable hazards for each lone worker role in your company’s policy.

4. Assessment of risk

A risk assessment for solo work should identify and assess risks lone workers face with the work they do, the people they interact with, the environment they work in, and of course, any personal risk factors that might be pertinent. This could include people who suffer from certain illnesses and conditions or have specific impairments.

The purpose of including hazard identification and risk assessments in the lone worker policy is three-fold. You are naming these risks and ensuring your workers are aware of them. However, you are also identifying any existing risk mitigation you are doing and highlighting the policies and procedures you are enacting as part of the lone worker policy to address these risks.

5. Procedures and expectations

Your lone worker policy should lay out procedures you expect both lone workers and managers to follow. Again, you need to be clear, concise and outline non-negotiable terms. At a minimum, this part of your policy should include:

• A straightforward and functional safety reporting procedure
• Emergency and evacuation procedures
• A system for requesting aid or help
• Individual monitoring procedures, including the use of technology
• Environmental monitoring for hazards including, for example, harmful chemicals
• Check-in procedures including who, when, and how
• Tasks workers may be prohibited from doing alone
• Available communication systems
• Contact procedures, particularly for incident reporting
• Requirements for formal reporting
• Restrictions on the length of work, types of work, or machinery use when workers are alone

Update your lone worker policy regularly in consultation with your workers and ensure it reflects new conditions and risks. You should also make the policy accessible to all employees and provide it directly to new and existing employees every time you update it.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS: Getting the wrong keyboard can cause serious health issues in the long term, so it’s important to take the proper preventative measures now. Here are a few things to consider when setting up your workstation.

By Jennifer Crump

For most Canadians, a keyboard is a bit of an afterthought in their workstation, with many of us simply using the one that came with our computers. However, these keyboards can be uncomfortable and potentially cause injuries. Although many people can use standard keyboards comfortably if they keep their hands as flat and straight as possible, years of use can cause severe damage to hands, wrists, and shoulders. And, most of us will not realize there is a problem until it becomes serious.

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is one of the most severe conditions associated with long-term keyboard use. According to Statistics Canada, 15 percent of Canadian adults have had a repetitive strain injury serious enough to limit normal activities. These strain injuries include carpal tunnel syndrome, a common condition in which the pressure on the median nerve becomes intense enough to crush it. It can cause numbness, tingling, burning, or pain in the hands and wrists. In many cases, surgery is the only cure.

Repetitive strains, including carpal tunnel, result from repetitive movements or holding parts of your body in static positions for long periods. Choosing the right keyboard can help prevent these kinds of strains to your hands, wrists, and shoulders. Here are a few tips for finding the right keyboard.

Consider size and shape

Ergonomic keyboards can come in split layouts where the keyboard is essentially split in half or in single-piece layouts. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Look for a keyboard that decreases unnatural wrist positioning and promotes natural wrist positions. It should offer a shape that fits your usual use patterns and encourages your hands and wrists to adopt good posturing.

Split keyboards create a natural space between the two halves of the keyboard so that your hands are resting in a more natural position. Tented keyboards tilt up like a tent and serve a similar purpose. However, the learning curve for a split or tented keyboard can be substantial. It can take time to develop the ability to type quickly on one, particularly if you are used to a standard keyboard setup. This is also true for a curved unibody model. Both are designed to straighten the wrists and arms to a more neutral position. Though it may be frustrating for a while, these types of keyboards can be incredibly helpful in decreasing the strain on your hands and wrists.

Look for a compact keyboard size, one that fits the natural width of your shoulders to encourage good posture. A compact keyboard will also ensure your fingers are not straining to reach certain keys. However, keyboards that are too small, like those found on a laptop, can also contribute to stressful postures and lead to contact stresses on the tendons in your wrist. OSHA standards suggest that the horizontal space between the centers of two keys should be 18 and 19 mm, and vertical spacing between 18 and 21 mm.

Keep the tilt in mind

Keyboard tilt is usually described as positive, neutral, or negative. Positive tilts raise the keyboard at the back and tip the keyboard towards you. This allows you to see the keys, which is helpful if you are not a non-touch typist, but this also puts unnecessary strain on your wrists. 

A neutral keyboard tilt rests your keyboard flat on your desk, and it’s a better choice for keeping your wrists comfortable. It helps reduce strain on the carpal tunnel and its median nerve, leaving the tendons with a free range of motion. To benefit from this type of keyboard, you should be sitting straight or reclining slightly.

The most ergonomic choice is a slight negative tilt. This tilts the keyboard down slightly at the back and up at the front. This tilt fits the shape of the hand better and avoids putting additional pressure on the tendons and carpal tunnel through a slight upward bend of the wrist that you get when using a neutral position.

Keyboard stands and trays are available that will allow you to put your keyboard in the correct position for you. They’re also sturdier than DIY options and more adaptable than keyboard feet.

Prioritize adjustability

Contoured keyboards are often adjustable, allowing you to adjust the slope of the keyboard to a neutral, positive, or negative position. Look for feet placed at the front rather than the rear of the keyboard. This is known as a reverse tilt, or negative tilt, and allows for more natural wrist placement. Padded wrist pads supporting both your wrists and forearms can help you maintain a healthy and comfortable position.

Examine and adjust positioning

The keyboard you choose should be at or slightly above your elbow height and parallel to your forearms. Avoid keyboards that force you to bend your wrists sideways to reach all keys. If there are feet on your keyboard that place your wrists in an awkward or uncomfortable position, consider closing the feet.

The problem with QWERTY

The QWERTY keyboard standard has been in place since the 1870s, but it isn’t the most ergonomic option. The DVORAK simplified keyboard (DSK) is widely available now and can help reduce awkward positions and providers a shorter distance between keys, reducing the strain of reaching for keys. However, for people who have been typing for years, DSK can have a huge learning curve and it can be incredibly challenging to adjust your typing to the different layout.

As an alternative to the DSK standard, some ergonomic keyboards provide a separate number keyboard and have moved frequently used keys to more accessible positions. When choosing the proper key setup for you, consider the type of work you do and the specialty keys you use most frequently.

Test drive your keyboard

The best way to find a keyboard that is both comfortable and can help you prevent RSI is to try them out. Spend some time, and test drive different styles and keyboard setups. Also, consider compatibility with your other peripherals including your computer, how you place your desk and chair, and your usual posture.

According to the National Health Council (NHS), in 2019, 333 million Americans lived with at least one chronic illness and in 2020 that number was expected to grow to more than half of the population. In Canada, 1 in 3 adults (33.7%) live with at least 1 of the following chronic illnesses: Cardiovascular disease (CVD); cancer; Chronic respiratory disease (CRD); diabetes; mood and/or anxiety disorders.

On the upside, individuals are living longer, which means they are also living longer with chronic conditions. Unfortunately, these numbers are also driven by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and growing heart disease and diabetes rates.

Many of the people suffering from chronic illness are in the work force, and employers must find ways to accommodate them. Despite their inherent desire to help, accommodating chronic illness can present both legal and practical issues for employers — here’s what you need to know.

Where Employers Should Start

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) recommend that employers stave off any potential objections to special treatment for chronic illnesses by being both firm and open about accommodation policies. That means providing all employees with information and training on these policies and the employer’s legal obligations regarding accommodation and privacy.

Training should also emphasize that workplace issues encountered by employees are personal and not open for discussion. Workers with chronic conditions have a right to privacy, and that cannot be violated even in response to a fellow worker’s complaints about unfair treatment.

Finally, training and policies should direct all workers to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to address any further concerns.

Policy Considerations

In addition to training programs that emphasize fellow workers’ rights concerning accommodations, policies should be designed to support and protect workers with chronic conditions. These policies should address worker behaviours and exposures that could adversely affect those with chronic conditions. Policies can also emphasize delivery of health-related programs and services and include health and disability benefits for workers.

The inclusion of an EAP is another critical policy component that can help workers deal with the financial, physical and social fallout from their conditions. Flexible leave programs can reduce the stress that can lead to or exacerbate chronic conditions and help maintain all workers’ health status and well-being. Policies should also contain health promotion programs that include nutrition, exercise and disease screening alongside other interventions and educational efforts.

Workplace Accommodations

It is important to note that in most jurisdictions, and with most chronic conditions, employers have a duty to accommodate workers wherever it is reasonable to do so until the point that the accommodation constitutes a genuine hardship. The employee must co-operate and help with the solution.

There is an almost infinite number of accommodations that employers can offer to workers suffering from a chronic condition. Some are relatively easy to implement, while others require a more significant investment. For example, an employee with a chronic illness may need to consume medication with food. An employer may have to accommodate this by allowing the employee to eat at a workstation or go to the lunchroom at unscheduled times. Additional accommodations could include:

• Modified job duties
• Flexible scheduling
• Additional training and supervision
• Ergonomic and physical changes to the worksite, such as increased lighting or elevator, or to the employee’s particular workstation
• Parking or transportation assistance
• Time off for medical appointments
• Flexible work arrangements

From experiments in reduced workweeks to the mass remote work migration, flexible work arrangements are increasingly becoming the norm in today’s workplaces. Work flexibility, whether related to time or location, can be a significant help to those suffering from chronic illnesses. Flexible work can include varying start and end times, compressed workweeks, telecommuting, job sharing, and more.

For workers with chronic conditions, flexible work means they can often avoid long, uncomfortable or stress-inducing commutes. It also makes it easier to schedule doctor’s appointments or appointments with other specialists during working hours. For those with conditions that include chronic pain, the ability to stagger the workday can provide significant relief. Most importantly, employers can arrange these types of accommodations with minimal disruptions and without stigma.

Resources and Support

Workplace support can be critical to the health and well-being of workers who are suffering from chronic illnesses. Encourage and develop empathetic, supportive supervisors through specialized training and communicate supportive policies to all staff, including those in management roles.

The creation of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is another way a company can provide support. The EAP is a voluntary and confidential service that helps employees and their families with personal concerns that might be affecting job performance or productivity. Counsellors with the EAP help the employee identify issues and find resolutions, usually within the span of a few meetings.

Many employers allow for 3 sessions, but some fund as many as eight and extend if necessary. EAP counsellors are also able to recommend additional outside professional services if they are required. Even without a formal EAP, some companies support their workers with a referral service that directs employees to vetted professionals.

A Better Situation For All

Living with a chronic condition can be extremely hard on a worker, but companies can take actions to make things easier for employees and safer for everyone.

Author: Jennifer Crump is a former freelance journalist and author and now full-time content writer and strategist. She contributes to magazines and blogs throughout North America on issues related to business, training, financing and workplace safety. Full Bio.

TAKEAWAY: Sleep & Fatigue Specialist, Clinton Marquardt, uncovers 4 hidden costs of fatigue and how employers can manage them.

Imagine it’s a sunny Sunday afternoon. Your kids, family, romantic partner have left you alone with a list of things to accomplish before they return. It all seems a bit daunting, and the couch is just sitting there, basking in the sunshine, and it has your name written all over it. So, you decide to take a nap instead.

Just as you are slipping off into dreamland, your phone rings. Startled, you wake up and groggily answer the phone, “Hello?”.

On the other end, a familiar voice says, “Oh, sorry! Did I wake you?”.

If you’re anything like most of us, you are probably quick to respond, “No! I wasn’t sleeping!”.

But, why?

• Why don’t we prioritize sleep in our lives?
• Why are we afraid to admit when we do prioritize sleep?
• Why don’t we talk about the impact fatigue has on our workforce?

We recently spoke with Sleep & Fatigue Specialist, Clinton Marquardt, to uncover the truth about the impact of fatigue on our health, safety, and productivity. Clinton is has been working in this area for close to 30 years. He started his career in the clinical realm, working in sleep disorder centres. He has worn many hats over the years, including as a Fatigue Specialist for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Clinton went out on his own 9 years ago to help progressive organizations with fatigue management to ultimately make workplaces healthier, safer, and to increase people’s performance.

This Q&A session is one you won’t want to miss, uncovering 4 hidden costs of fatigue and how employers can manage them.

Q&A with Sleep & Fatigue Specialist, Clinton Marquardt

Q: What does everyone need to know about the physical impact of fatigue?

A: The impact of fatigue kicks in long before you feel fatigued. At a low level, there’s no physical evidence that you’re fatigued. Your eyes aren’t blinking slowly, your neck muscles are not yet relaxing, but your performance is starting to become affected and potentially impaired. During this stage, we see reaction time slow and the ability to stay focused becomes difficult. If you’re driving a truck for work and you’re a little bit fatigued, you may not notice, but you’re driving performance is not going to be stellar. It’s important that employers realize these effects and how to recognize them before they set in. 

Q: What is the key takeaway for employers in terms of fatigue risk management?

A: The main thing to take away is to think about the hidden costs associated with fatigue that are not always measured. 

1. People who are more fatigued take more sick time. They show up at work and they don’t get quite as much done or they have more errors that may or may not turn into an incident. They could make even small errors, like an accounting error, that doesn’t get caught but could cost a company thousands of dollars.
2. There are critical long-term effects on our health and well being that comes from fatigue and poor sleep. Researchers are seeing strong links between prolonged exposure to fatigue and serious illnesses like dementia. For example, people who have poor sleep or exposed to fatigue for long periods of time (perhaps through shift work) have higher rates of Alzheimer’s. We also see that they have higher rates of cancers (all types of cancers).
3. If fatigue makes people less healthy, they are also more likely to get colds and flus. In these critical times, especially with Covid-19, there’s even suggestion, that we’re more susceptible to some of these pretty serious viruses going around as well.
4. Organizations with greater fatigue have poor organizational cultures. Think about how you feel when you’re fatigued and how you react to other people. You might be cranky, a little short with others, now think about a whole organization with fatigued people and what that might do to the organizational culture.

Q: How does education help employers manage these hidden costs?

A: We know from studies around basic fatigue training that education and training is successful, to varying degrees, in changing people’s behaviour. If you give people the right information and right tools to use, they can make different decisions, which may impact some of these hidden costs.”