Fostering Safe, Healthy, & Inclusive Workplaces

Having safe, healthy, and inclusive workplaces should be a basic goal for all employers.

 

However, many workers view their workplace as being very unhealthy or even toxic. So why is there a disconnect between this basic goal and reality?

 

In this session, Dr. Day will explore the key elements of a safe and respectful workplace culture and discuss practical strategies for fostering an environment in which employees are valued and heard, focusing on initiatives at the individual, group, leader, and overall organization levels. She will discuss the paradoxes and potential pitfalls in trying to create safe, healthy, and respectful workplaces. Finally, she looks at how use the BUILDs model to develop actionable steps and initiatives to promote a culture of safety, respect, and inclusion within one’s own workplace.

 

Learning objectives:

  • Understand the impact of an unsafe or disrespectful workplace culture on employee health, wellbeing, morale, productivity, and retention.
  • Explore the role of leadership (as well as individuals and groups) in shaping and sustaining a safe and respectful workplace culture.
  • Identify common barriers and challenges to creating a safe and respectful workplace culture
  • Develop actionable steps through BUILDs and initiatives to promote a culture of safety, respect, and inclusivity within one’s own workplace.

Our presenter

Dr. Arla Day is a Professor in Occupational Health Psychology at Saint Mary’s University, Director of the CN Centre for Occupational Health & Safety, a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, and a former Canada Research Chair. Arla’s research focuses on leveraging the positive aspects of work to create healthy workplaces. In her role as Project Director for the EMPOWER Partnership (a collaborative group of researchers and organizations, workplace experts, and stakeholders), she develops and examines evidence-based solutions to foster psychologically healthy workplaces by supporting workers, strengthening work groups, and developing leaders. She was Associate Editor of the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. She has authored many articles and book chapters pertaining to healthy workplaces, occupational stress, employee well-being, and work-life balance.