Taking care of business

A T-shirt advertising ’Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure.' (Bruce Bottomley Photo)

A T-shirt advertising ’Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure’ was spotted on campus recently.

The wink at the TV series The Office, the T-shirt indicates the widespread recognition of the workplace antics and relationships at the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

Group dynamics offer plot lines that are familiar any place people gather to work together.

“If you look at an organization holistically, if workplace relationships aren’t positive, then you have dissatisfied populations,” says Janice MacInnis, the university’s new coordinator of organizational health.   

Dalhousie's Human Resources Department and the Employee Benefits Committee have recognized both the need to help individuals, and the need to create a healthier working environment. Organizational health includes personal health habits, the physical work environment, relationships in the workplace, as well as policies and leadership.

“We need to serve employees and we need a more analytical approach that deals with root causes rather than symptoms,” says Jim Neale, director of employee and organizational development “Both health promotion and organizational development will be important.”

When people are asked about the conditions that make a workplace personal and comfortable, it is noticeable that both managers and employees can make an impact on motivation and productivity.

“This could mean the way that employees are encouraged to speak up with their concerns and ideas—those who speak up get more feedback and feel more connected,” she says. “It’s win-win if you feel that your contributions are valued and the university gains productivity and new ideas.”

Organizational health has caught on in other large public and private sector organizations and it’s possible to be certified as a healthy workplace. Canada’s Public Service Commission runs a campaign ‘Take Back the Lunch,’ to encourage staff to exercise, socialize and otherwise reboot for the afternoon. Each year at the University of British Columbia, a health symposium is organized and web-cast.

Efforts like these are increasingly being recognized for contributing to productivity and engagement. For instance, the Department of National Defence was just named of one the Top 25 Employers in the National Capital Region, in part for a suite of employee-focused services, including phased-in retirement work options. Closer to home, the Capital District Health Authority, which has an active Healthy Workplace Council, has won a Health Innovator Award from the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
 
“There is momentum and critical mass and the will to recognize that taking care of people also helps to take care of business,” says Ms. MacInnis.

Ms. MacInnis has been a familiar face on campus since 1990, working in faculty and staff development. Recently, she earned a Master’s in Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University, where her self-directed project focused on employee engagement and commitment.

Many potential partners will be found within the university, including the Environmental Health and Safety Office; the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Harassment Prevention; Human Resources; Student Wellness; and Sustainability. Academic expertise spans the campus, including Health Professions and Medicine. 

“Relationship building has been huge for me,” she says. “I need to be part of an organization, to get to know people. This ability will help me to connect the dots."

The efforts will help us get to know Dalhousie, warts and all.