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PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACE COLLABORATIVE |
| Client/customer satisfaction is increased when staff feel cared for, employees tend to stay longer with the company and seek opportunities to develop new skills. |
| Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award Winners |
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2009 (From the October 26, 2009 official press release) TOP BC EMPLOYERS WIN AWARDS FOR CREATING PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACES Recipients of the 2009 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards were honoured on October 15,at a Gala Reception held at the Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver. The awards are presented by the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Collaborative, (www.phwc.ca) a standing committee of the British Columbia Psychological Association. Applications were submitted from public and private, for profit and not for profit organizations across British Columbia. The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards were initially developed by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1999. In 2004 BC became the first Canadian province to offer the awards, which are now offered by 52 states and provinces. The awards, presented every two years, recognize employers who demonstrate outstanding practices in relation to some or all of the following criteria: Employee Involvement, Work-Life Balance, Employee Recognition, Employee Growth and Development, and Health and Safety. Select winners then go on compete for international recognition in Washington, DC. Research has shown that organizations with psychologically healthy workplaces are particularly effective when it comes to attracting, motivating, and retaining staff, reducing absenteeism, and, in many cases, producing a healthier bottom line. As Barry Forbes, President and CEO of Westminster Savings Credit Union, a winner in 2007 and now a repeat winner noted, ““We recognize the vital link between the well-being of our employees and the success of our credit union. Westminster Savings’ track record of low turnover and strong organizational performance demonstrates the positive benefits of investing in programs that promote a psychologically healthy workplace.” Winners are selected on the basis of a rigorous application and selection process including a site visit and interviews with employees. The 2009 winners are: Sponsor-Applicant Category (a tie for the award) Small for Profit Small not for Profit Large for Profit Large not for Profit
2007 (From the June 7, 2007 official press release) 2007 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award Winners Named The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Collaborative today honoured seven organizations from across the province for policies, programs and practices that contribute to psychological health in their workplaces. The winners, from Williams Lake to New Westminster to Vancouver, were announced at a Vancouver Board of Trade luncheon. “All of the 14 nominees we had were truly the Olympians of progressive workforces throughout B.C., so it was extremely difficult to select winners from among them,” said Dr. Jennifer Newman, Registered Psychologist and Chair of the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Collaborative, which organized the award. “However, the winners stand out for their resourceful, thoughtful and creative efforts to promote psychologically healthy organizations.” The 2007 winners are: British Columbia Automobile Association Tied (Sponsor/Applicant: Large Not-for-Profit): Vancouver Community College Westminster Savings Credit Union Executive Strategies Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre Association Dr. Newman said focusing on psychologically healthy workplaces is not only ethical for an organization, it also plays a role in creating and maintaining a strong bottom line. Turnover, absenteeism and sick leave are lower in healthy workplaces, and that is important as so many industries currently struggle to find qualified workers, she said. The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award was founded by the American Psychological Association in 1999 and brought to Canada in 2004. British Columbia was the first province to offer this award in Canada. Today, 51 states provinces and territories across Canada and the United States participate in the award. Past BC winners include Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, Vancouver International Airport Authority, Petro-Canada Burrard Products Terminal, Ainsworth Lumber Company and Forward House Community Society. The award is open to all B.C. companies that address one of five criteria for a psychologically healthy workplace: Employee Involvement, Work-Family-Life Balance, Employee Recognition, Employee Growth & Development, and Health & Safety. This year’s awards are sponsored by the British Columbia Psychological Association, the Canadian Psychological Association, Healthcare Benefit Trust, WorkSafeBC, British Columbia Automobile Association, Vancouver International Airport Authority, American Psychological Association, and Industrial Alliance Pacific Insurance & Financial Services. BC Human Resources Association, Bruyneel & Co. Chartered Accountants, Health, Work and Wellness, Minuteman Press-Burrard Street, UPS Yaletown (209) have made generous donations.
2004 Originally Appeared as "Employees Reward A Good Company" in the Vancouver Sun, Saturday June 12th, 2004 - By Dr. Jennifer Newman and Dr. Darryl Grigg In a world where legislating human decency seems to be becoming a necessity--Quebec just passed a law dealing with psychological harassment at work to prevent degrading comments, gossiping, intimidating gestures or isolating colleagues, there is hope. Recently, the winners of the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award were honoured at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver, June 3rd for leadership in promoting psychological health in their workplaces. They included Ainsworth Lumber Company, Petro-Canada Burrard Products Terminal, Forward House Community Society, Vancouver International Airport Authority and VanCity. These five outstanding companies strive to care for employee well-being not just to remain successful, profitable, and cost effective but from a sense of responsibility (the company cares about employees), reciprocity (people give a lot to the company and the company wants to give back) and ethics (it's the right thing to do). Taking responsibility for caring for staff, ensuring that the company gives as much as it receives from employees and treating people ethically, provides the rationale for company policies promoting psychological health at work. A commitment to employee well-being for any of these reasons has positive side-effects including low turnover, and absenteeism, reduced grievances, fewer accidents and less sick days taken. Companies that place a premium on these values are rewarded in terms of higher productivity, customer/client satisfaction and lower operating expenses. Being guided by these factors has spelled success for the award winners and here is how: ReciprocityIn the best case scenario, companies and staff work together for each other's mutual benefit. Companies work to support employees in their efforts, while staff work to further the company's interests. When companies understand this fundamental exchange, they do well. Genuine loyalty to staff means going the extra mile in providing a compassionate working environment. For example, at Ainsworth Lumber Company, a forest product company with operations in BC and Alberta, Don Martin, Safety/Environmental Manager at the Exeter site, said, "The staff know we're there for them, we want them to go home safe. And they know we'll help them through hard times if need be." The company has helped grieving staff, employees battling addiction and those injured at home or at work. Staff, in turn, are loyal to the company, helping the organization save money, identify unsafe situations and making an extra effort while on-the-job. Focusing on the give and take nature of work relationships, has helped Ainsworth Lumber Company, reduce their lost time accidents (75 in 1992 to 10 in 2003), and increase productivity at the Exeter site (the company increased production from 340 million square feet of board in 1994 to 430 million square feet of board in 2003). ResponsibilityOrganizations that care about staff development and well-being and see it as a company responsibility benefit. Client/customer satisfaction is increased when staff feel cared for, employees tend to stay longer with the company and seek opportunities to develop new skills. Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, provides financial services to individuals in greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Victoria. The company seeks employee feedback and implements staff suggestions to involve workers in the company. VanCity's goal of being a great place to work includes offering programs that focus on staff wellness, sharing recognition for a job well done and addressing staff ideas and concerns about benefits, salaries, and training. VanCity customers tend to remain with the organization, something the company prides itself on. Vancouver International Airport Authority manages, operates and develops Vancouver International Airport. The organization employs 339 people and is dedicated to developing staff through its education policies and training programs. Tuition reimbursement, educational leave, in-house training programs led by staff experts and comprehensive leader feedback programs help employees grow professionally. Employees feel they matter when companies nurture their career and skill development. Forward House Community Society offers services to adults suffering mental health and substance abuse issues. The agency recognizes employee efforts through recognition programs and cares about employee psychological well-being by maintaining a high standard when it comes to conflict resolution-the organization deals with issues that arise in a timely fashion. The effort has paid off, staff are retained (there's been one retirement in 20 years) and absenteeism remains low. EthicsWhen companies focus on employee psychological health because it's the right thing to do, their culture is affected. This moral stance can permeate every aspect of the organization's functioning from safety to operations to labour-union relations. In the case of Petro-Canada Burrard Products Terminal, a fuel processing operation in Burnaby, the creation of an informal culture of mutual respect has affected worker safety (the site has had one injury in nine years), reduced operating expenses and lowered absenteeism. Horace Armoogum, Manager at the terminal, bases the site's culture of mutual respect on the golden rule. Armoogum maintains that the key to a respectful workplace is to treat others with the same respect and regard that you would like to be treated. He goes further saying that physical and psychological safety at work is a moral obligation. "I have a moral obligation to provide a safe and healthy workplace and I don't have the right to put anyone in harms way, for any reason", said Armoogum. Despite the industry, whether its financial services, oil and gas, social services, lumber or transportation, companies that promote psychological health end up winning-they're a business success. Better yet, they reap the most important reward of all-their staff bring their hearts and minds to work. Dr. Jennifer Newman and Dr. Darryl Grigg are registered psychologists and directors of Newman & Grigg Psychological Services Ltd., a Vancouver-based corporate training and development partnership. Identifying information in cases cited has been changed to protect confidentiality. They can be contacted at: jennifernewman@phwc.ca
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