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For employers

Tools and resources to help create healthy workplaces for employees.

 

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Promote a healthy workplace

Having healthy employees is a definite plus for any organization. Healthy employees are more energetic, are less likely to be involved in an accident, are sick less often, and are able to recover from illness faster. Investing in employee health programs can result in lower absenteeism, reduced sick leave and lower job accident rates. But the benefits go far beyond the bottom line. Employers who care about their people take steps to improve the quality of their employees’ lives.

Here are some things employers can do to increase health and reduce risk in their workplaces:

  • Have health-related pamphlets, videos and books available to all employees.
  • Provide courses and seminars on topics such as substance abuse, problem gambling, healthy eating and cooking, anger management and dealing with conflict.
  • Offer programs to help employees stop smoking. Consider making these programs available to family members, too.
  • Teach employees to handle personal and organizational change effectively.
  • Involve as many people as possible in designing policies. Invite employees, safety representatives, union representatives and managers to participate.
  • Make sure your policies include clear rules about drinking, smoking, other drug use (including prescription medications) and gambling activities.
  • Once your policies are in place, enforce them. Ensure that smoking bans are enforced, conduct safety audits, and carry out regular fire and evacuation drills.
  • Make sure all employees have copies of policies and procedures, and regularly review your policies at staff meetings or safety meetings.
  • Managers and supervisors must set a good example. They are role models, and their actions send a strong message to other employees.
  • Involve employees in identifying concerns about the work environment. For example, form a committee of employees and managers to resolve environmental problems.
  • Give employees a chance to participate in decision-making and listen to their input and suggestions.
  • Keep your employees informed through ongoing communication.
  • Allow flexible schedules when possible to help your employees balance the needs of work and family.
  • Think about alternatives like job sharing and working from home to enable your employees to juggle work and home demands successfully.
  • Promote a healthy workplace culture by taking a clear stand on substance use and gambling at events like summer barbecues and holiday parties.
  • Hire a bartender to mix standard, measured drinks. Make sure the bar is attended at all times and has designated opening and closing times.
  • Make your gathering a non-smoking event.
  • Arrange transportation or accommodations so guests who have been drinking do not drive.
  • Encourage responsible drinking. Offer alternative activities like dancing, games or sports.
  • Always have healthy food choices and non-alcoholic beverages available.
  • Offer programs to help employees quit smoking.
  • Make healthy foods available in lunchrooms.
  • Make the stairways attractive to encourage their use, and have exercise equipment available for use during lunch and other breaks.
  • Create an Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) that offers employees and their families confidential, professional help for personal problems. Promote the program regularly and encourage early, voluntary use. Early intervention is the best way to prevent a problem from getting worse.
  • Provide training to managers and supervisors so they know what to do when employee performance is being affected by personal problems.
  • If your organization is smaller, keep an up-to-date list of community resources that can help employees with personal problems.
  • Invite speakers from community agencies to talk with your employees about the health or counselling services they provide.
  • Start a workplace peer support program.

For AHS staff and Allied Health professionals

The Its Our Business (IOB) manual is a resource for AHS Addiction & Mental Health (AMH) staff and Allied Health professionals. It is intended to enhance and support AHS work with Alberta’s employers while assisting with health promotion and prevention strategies and activities. This evidence-based resource, will help to support businesses in reducing the harm associated with addiction and mental health concerns and foster and maintain healthy, safe workplaces and employees.

Module 1: Workplace health and the business case

Module 2: Promoting workplace health

Module 3: Addiction & mental health in the workplace

Module 4: Family and social support

Module 5: Policy development

Module 6: Fit for work

Module 7: Effective performance management

Module 8: Getting help

Workplace information series

 

Alcohol/drug policy development and employee testing

Information about developing and applying a company policy on alcohol and other drug use, and about employee testing for alcohol or other drugs.

 

Dealing with the troubled employee

Tips on identifying a troubled employee, recording observations, meeting with the employee to discuss the problem, and following up to make sure it is solved.

 

The basics: Alcohol, other drugs and gambling

Answers to basic questions, along with a brief quiz and a checklist of warning signs that a substance use or gambling problem could be developing.

 

The addicted employee: After treatment

Specific steps that employees, co-workers and employers can take to deal with concerns about an employee coming back to work after treatment.

 

An addiction in the family: What it means for the workplace

Information on how addiction can affect families, how a family problem can affect employee behaviour at work, and how workplaces and families can work together to deal effectively with addiction.

 

Workplace peer support

Overview of what workplace peer support is all about: the benefits, types of support available, ways employers can promote peer support, and tips for starting a peer support team in your organization.

 

Workplace health and wellness

General information on the benefits of promoting a healthy workplace, how employees can look after their own health and how workplaces can contribute to employee wellness.

 

How to support your employee's fitness for work

Advice for employers on how to focus on fitness for work, which can help to prevent and reduce workplace safety and performance concerns related to substance use and gambling.

For employees

Related information

Mental health and addiction at the workplace

Tools and resources for employees to help create healthy workplaces.

Mental health

Access wellness tools, information about conditions, and how to access services

Substance use and addiction

Resources and supports to help you or someone you may know who uses alcohol or substances.