It鈥檚 a tie!
Presented with compelling applications from two of the university鈥檚 larger departments, Dal鈥檚 Healthy Workplace Collaborative determined there would be two recipients of the Healthy Workplace Award this year: AV俱乐部 Libraries and Facilities Management.
The award celebrates AV俱乐部-based work groups or programs that demonstrate success in supporting the six dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, interpersonal/social, spiritual and environmental. The Healthy Workplace Collaborative, with representatives from across the university, selects the winners.
Previous winners include Management Career Services (2011) and Information Technology Services (2012).
President Richard Florizone, presenting the award last Thursday in the Student Union Building, said the award represents a broader trend in how society understands and appreciates what he called 鈥淭he good life.鈥�
鈥淚t involves a number of things, with health and wellness absolutely at the centre,鈥� said Dr. Florizone. 鈥淭here are so many great initiatives going on across campus in these areas, and I hope we can continue to build on them in the future.鈥�
Spanning the dimensions of health
The Dal Libraries have a Healthy Workplace Committee, which brings together representatives from all five libraries to develop programming and initiatives related to workplace and employee health.
鈥淎s a committee, we鈥檝e tried to always ensure we鈥檙e focused on various aspects of health, not just one or two,鈥� says Sandra Dwyer, the committee鈥檚 chair. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all important to help people become happy and healthy in their jobs and in their lives.鈥�
Dal Libraries representatives (L to R): Carolene Robertson (Sexton), Carol Richardson (Killam), Angela Hersey (Kellogg), Sandra Dwyer (Dal Libraries), President Florizone, Alice Stover (Killam), Kellie Hawley (Killam), Anne-Marie White (Dunn).
When asked about specific accomplishments, Dwyer says the committee is quite proud of its monthly newsletter, 鈥淏e Well,鈥� which has received great feedback from staff. She also cites Libraries鈥� participation in various events, from Pink Day and the Halifax Pride Parade to internal celebrations of accomplishments and milestones. The Libraries also organized a food drive for Feed Nova Scotia this past year and developed a specialized employee exercise program for staff, with a 10-week yoga/body trim exercise program held in the Studley Gym.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very enthusiastic group, and we鈥檙e just happy to work together and try and make the Libraries a fun, supportive place to work,鈥� says Dwyer.
Bringing teams together
Facilities Management encompasses approximately 525 employees working as part of several different teams. For Christine Matheson, associate director of Facilities Management, healthy workplace initiatives represent opportunities to bring the sizeable department closer together.
鈥淲e have so many teams within Facilities, and we really want to build that team spirit,鈥� she explains. 鈥淪o rather than trying to bring that huge team together, we work to implement a number of smaller initiatives that encourage a healthy workplace.鈥�
Facilities Management representatives (L to R): Christine Matheson, Jeff Lamb, Melissa Young, Mckenzie Toyne, President Florizone.
Facilities staff are big proponents of 鈥淢ovember,鈥� and organize softball showdowns and yoga classes. The department purchased three bicycles and made them available to staff who need to travel quickly across or between campuses. (It also hosted a safety course for employees who use the bikes.) Then there鈥檚 the Facilities Management scholarship: a fundraising initiative to develop a Dal scholarship for a deserving, in-need child of a Facilities Management staff member.
Matheson, like Dwyer, says that there鈥檚 still a lot of work to do in the department, but feels grateful that their efforts to-date have been recognized.
鈥淲e want people to feel comfortable and happy at work, and it鈥檚 really rewarding to see, as a Facilities team, the difference we can all make.鈥�