Many workers face challenges remaining healthy and productively engaged given personal and work demands. For individuals with chronic conditions, these challenges are even more daunting. Focusing on the health and effective participation of these at-risk groups, we take a holistic approach to support individuals & to create healthy work groups, leaders, and work environments.

Dr Dayna Lee Bagley on respectful workplaces and sexual harassment in the workplace: Video

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Our Focus

The EMPOWER Partnership’s expertise focuses on:

• workers with challenges of chronic physical/psychological conditions
• workers challenged with caregiving demands and trying to balance work and non-work responsibilities
• individual, group, leader, and organizational-level healthy workplace initiatives

Goals and Objectives

• Develop an interdisciplinary advisory team based on collaborations of experts from the areas of health & safety, research, union, military, insurance, & workplace
• Conduct an environmental scan of the physical and psychological health issues facing workers in Canadian organizations
• Identify healthy workplace “best practices” (as well as organizational resources and demands that impact on worker health and well-being)
• Pilot test programs designed to improve functioning and well-being, increase retention and reduce workforce withdrawal

Program Content

The success of the EMPOWER Partnership lies in its ability to address these issues from multiple perspectives within the workplace by

Supporting the Individual
We are developing and providing individual resources & initiatives to address specific individual needs
Strengthening Groups
We understand that the social context of the workplace can impact employee health and productivity, and are developing effective group-based interventions to address civility, respect, and engagement in the workplace
Developing Leaders
Because leadership is essential to the success of any program, we are providing leadership training and resources to support employee health and wellbeing (see LEAD)
Creating Healthy Organizations
Based on our work on Psychologically Healthy Workplaces, we identify best practices to promote and foster individual and organizational health

Partner Organizations

Upcoming Conferences

CIRPD – Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability

Main Event: University of British Columbia, Earth Sciences Room ES1013

Satellite Sites:   University of Northern British Columbia – Northern Health Sciences Centre (Prince George) & UBC, Okanagan Campus – Reichwald Health Sciences Centre (Kelowna)

Saint Mary’s University

Halifax, Nova Scotia

The institute attracts researchers and practitioners from around the world with topics ranging from safety climate, psychologically healthy workplaces, and stress, to employee health and the work-family balance.