Waterloo Region’s Healthy Workplace Awards Program

Purpose:
The Awards Program will recognize and celebrate workplaces in Waterloo Region who demonstrate a strong commitment to improving the health of their employees.

Why apply for an Award:
Workplace wellness programming provides many benefits for both the employer and employees. Research has demonstrated that money committed to the health of workers results in a positive return on investment (National Quality Institute, 2003). The benefits of supporting the health and wellbeing of your employees far outweigh the costs, in terms of productivity and the health of your employees.

Workplaces that have comprehensive wellness programs find that their employees’ morale improves, energy increases, stress and injuries are reduced and overall health is improved overall. Wellness programs also reduce absenteeism and turnover of employees, increase productivity and improve corporate image (Health Canada, 2009).

Criteria:
Workplaces who receive one of the three award levels (bronze, silver or gold) will demonstrate a comprehensive workplace health promotion approach to their wellness programming. In order to make the greatest impact on the wellness of your employees and company, a variety of health promotion strategies should be considered and applied in your wellness planning and programming. The four key health promotion strategies include:

• Awareness Raising – providing information to employees about the benefits of making healthy choices e.g. health fairs, newsletters, intranet wellness information, etc
  
• Skill Building – helping employees develop the necessary skills to make healthy choices e.g. promoting challenges/contests, Lunch and Learns, workshops, etc
  
• Supportive Environment – strengthening employees’ healthy practices by making it easier within the work environment to make healthier choices e.g. providing bike racks, organizing ongoing walking or running groups, etc
  
• Policy Development – further enhancing and sustaining healthy practices by implementing healthy workplace policies e.g. healthy food choices at meetings/events, smoke-free entrances, flexible work schedules to incorporate physical activity, etc

Application Period:
Workplace wellness activities completed between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010 can be captured in the application form.

Deadline date for submission:
The application form is due by July 1, 2010.

Where can I get the required form?
Click here for the following resources: (include hyperlinks when posting online)

              2010 Guide to applying for an award

              2010 Application Form (interactive pdf so you can save on your own computer and fill in electronically)

              2010 Frequently Asked Questions Factsheet

For more information:
To find out more about the Healthy Workplace Awards Program either visit www.projecthealth.ca or call the Project Health phone line at 519-883-2287.

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