The Canadian Healthy Workplace Council

The Canadian Healthy Workplace Council (The Council) consists of a number of leading Canadian organizations and practitioners, whose members are dedicated to promoting a comprehensive and integrated approach to workplace health in order to improve and sustain the health of Canadian organizations, their work environments and their employees.

The Council works to accomplish its mission through:

advocating nationally, provincially and locally for healthy workplaces through members’ speeches and articles, involvement in local workplace health networks, and other related activities
serving in an advisory capacity to various organizations on workplace health issues
adjudicating the Canadian Workplace Wellness Pioneer Award that is presented annually at the Health, Work & Wellness Conference.

Members of the Council include the following organizations:

AstraZeneca
Canada Post
CAW-Canada
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety
CP Rail
Inside Health & Business Consulting
McMaster University
Ottawa Public Health
Rob Crooks Consulting Group
Rogers Media
Scotiabank
The Society of Energy Professionals
Toronto Public Health
Towers Perrin

Research consistently demonstrates that healthy employees are absent less often, have higher morale, are more productive, and have lower healthcare costs - resulting in a better bottom line for the business and a higher level of customer satisfaction. Moreover, the effects of the workplace environment are felt throughout society, on our families, our businesses and our healthcare system.

The Council recently released a Call to Action for stakeholders from across the spectrum of workplace health. Recognizing that a critical mass of governments, organizations and workplace health practitioners are pursuing healthy workplace goals, the Council believes the time is right for a coordinated action agenda to create healthy workplaces. The goals are more integrated public policy and wider diffusion of best practices in workplaces.

The Council invites stakeholders to consider, discuss and provide feedback on the following approach to developing a coordinated healthy workplace action agenda:

Create a shared vision of a healthy, safe and productive workplace that achieves individual, organizational and societal goals, and which is accepted by all stakeholders.
Enable stakeholders from all levels of government, employers, unions, professional associations, researchers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to share information, identify priority actions, and to implement these actions in the most effective manner possible.
Identify opportunities for a more horizontal approach to public policy across jurisdictions, levels of government, and policy areas to achieve healthy workplace goals.

For more information on the Council or to learn more about the Council’s Call to Action, please contact Allan Smofsky, Chair, Canadian Healthy Workplace Council (asmofsky@cogeco.ca).