Workplace Strategies team 2022 to present

Introducing the Workplace Strategies team 

Mary Ann Baynton, Director of Collaboration and Strategy, works with diverse subject matter experts from across the country to develop the content for the Workplace Strategies tools and resources. Before this content gets into your hands, it’s written, designed and made available by people whose shared skills and expertise are matched by their passion for workplace well-being. This is the Workplace Strategies team: 

The producers 

Program Manager Jill Magis keeps everyone and everything running smoothly. The entire team benefits from Jill’s caring, effective and professional support.  

If you’ve seen Workplace Strategies at conferences, attended a workshop with Mary Ann in your workplace or used the Wellness awareness calendar of ideas you’ve seen the organizational magic of Program Coordinator Karen Quero and her amazing colleagues Graciela Maniquis and Gina Arroza.

The messengers 

Marketing Communications Specialist Zena Currie and the graphic designers are dedicated to the creation of the tools, resources and communications that help spread the word about Workplace Strategies. 

Muhammad Hanif is our instructional designer helping create innovative, interactive and bite-sized content elements.

Kim Forgetta, Associate Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs works with organizations and the media to increase Canadians’ awareness of Workplace Strategies and our resources.  

Freelance contributors include Leanne Fournier, David K. MacDonald, Alex Kollo, Sami Pritchard, Paula Lanza, Trinelle Brown, Cassandra Filice, Sherry Kaniuga and Kyla Neufeld. They help write and design materials such as web content and turn-key workshops you can facilitate for your organization. 

The reviewers 

Jamie M. Horyski, Senior Counsel at Canada Life, reviews our content and makes sure we’re compliant with ethical and legal standards.  

Christine Hildebrand, Assistant Vice-President, Claims Strategy & Support acts as the quality control for our resources. 

The translators 

Allset Inc. and Canada Life’s Translation department ensure we can provide all Workplace Strategies materials in both official languages. 
 
Canada Life 

The Workplace Strategies team is led by Executive Director, Diane Bezdikian.

We appreciate the support of the broader Canada Life senior leadership team who offer direction, feedback, funding and an unwavering commitment to mental well-being and psychological safety for Canadians and organizations across the country.

Summary of contributions

Loneliness is directly linked to health, life and work satisfaction outcomes. Learn strategies for...

Healthy break activities are no- to low-cost and are designed to encourage employees to take...

Anger can be a difficult emotion to experience because of your upbringing, societal norms and fear...

Use these questions and strategies to help health and safety committees integrate psychological...

This resource helps to assess how employees experience being a member of your team...

Relaxing break activities improve physical and mental capacities and can reduce stress at work. Do...

Energizing break activities can help improve your sense of well-being, focus and productivity. Do...

Calming break activities can help release stress and improve your concentration. Do these...

Lead a team discussion to address psychological competencies and demands in your workplace. This...

Trauma is a subjective experience for everyone. This is also true for the way we interact and...

Tips to enhance the orientation or onboarding process for new employees or those taking on new...

Explore how you can proactively remove barriers and support inclusion and accessibility for clients...

This collection of activities, videos and audio clips can help you manage stressful, anxious or...

Inclusion is now an expectation at work. Learn tips and strategies to help you provide and maintain...

Implement these actions and responses with a minimal investment of resources or cost to the...

A framework to help your organization prevent discrimination, harassment, bullying, trauma, burnout...

Use these workshop materials to help make it easier for decision-makers to say yes to psychological...

Psychological health means being able to think, feel and behave in a way where we can effectively...

A guide to use the free resources offered to assess and address psychological health and safety...

This includes how to make the business case, get buy-in, communicate your plan, and choose your...

Learn to lead a team discussion to address psychological protection in the workplace. This resource...

Learn how to lead a team discussion to address psychological and social support at work. This...

Learn how to lead a team discussion to address organizational culture at work. This resource...

Suggested actions are based on research or practice that can help mitigate the risk of psychosocial...

On the agenda offers free materials and facilitator tools to address psychosocial factors. Create...

A mentor is someone who supports a peer or employee on their work journey. They are a trusted...

These strategies benefit those who manage, support or lead employees and can help increase...

The background of Guarding Minds at Work includes the history dating back to before its launch in...

Learn about Guarding Minds and how to use it to take action on psychological health and safety at...

Below, we've included statements from the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey. They are grouped...

The organizational review asks similar questions to the employee survey but is for senior...

Share why and how you’re addressing psychological health and safety (PHS) at work. This can...

You can put these actions and responses in place with few resources and minimal cost to the...

Implement these actions and responses with minimal cost to the organization...

Implement these actions and responses at low or no cost to the organization...

Implement these actions and responses at low or no cost to the organization...

Put these actions and responses in place with little to no cost to the organization...

These actions and responses can be put in place with only a minimal investment of resources or cost...

Suggested actions are based on research or practice that can improve each psychosocial factor. In...

When employees struggle with workload stress, it’s important to focus on easing the stress...

Get tips to make a great first impression while managing the stress and demands of a new job...

Workplace Strategies for Mental health provides many free resources related to psychological health...

This page highlights some cultural and religious celebrations that may be significant to your...

Setting healthy boundaries helps support mental well-being. It includes prioritizing adequate...

Use this tool to help you have a conversation with your leader about your current workload and ways...

These workshop materials and personal stress tools can help develop skills to identify and manage...

These resources can help you support an employee to improve their performance and productivity...

Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve workload management in the...

Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve balance in the workplace. This...

Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address recognition and reward in the workplace. This...

Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address physical safety in the workplace. This...

Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve growth and development in the...

Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve engagement in the workplace. This...

Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve civility and respect in the...

Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve involvement and influence in the...

Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve leadership and expectations in the...

These actions help hold employees accountable to work together in inclusive ways. They do not cost...

The goal of accommodation is to remove barriers so an employee remains productive and feels...

This process is used in collaboration with adult team members to develop their own agreement about...

Questions and strategies to help you have a supportive conversation when someone you care about...

It can seem daunting to prioritize and choose those evidence-based actions most likely to improve...

The Stress satisfaction scan is a 6-item employee questionnaire that indicates to what extent your...

Each of the statements included in the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey are grouped by...

Understand and analyze your Guarding Minds at Work report so that you can recommend an effective...

Each of the statements included in the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey are available for...

Tips to be a more courageous leader and develop a team where psychological safety supports...

What is your window of tolerance for stress? Is it narrow, causing you to respond with fear or...

Questions and strategies to help you have a supportive conversation when someone you care about may...

Questions and strategies to help you have a supportive conversation when someone you care about...

People lie for all kinds of reasons. On this page, we talk about reasons people lie, how you can...

Learn strategies you can put in place to protect the mental health of isolated workers...

A process to create a team-level purpose statement that helps clarify the value and contribution...

Psychological injury can happen as a result of severe stress or trauma. There are approaches to...

Select statements from the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey were identified by the...

Select statements from the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey were identified by the...

Questions related to copyright, customization and functionality of Guarding Minds at Work are...

These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to...

These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to...

These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to...

These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to

...

These questions can help you to open up a conversation that can foster and improve psychological...

Learn how you can assess and take action to ensure diversity and inclusion...

Review the pros and cons of asking demographic questions in your Guarding Minds at Work employee...

Suggested questions for a productive conversation about an employee’s engagement and...

Throughout the employment life cycle, there are opportunities to protect psychological health and...

Questions to ask individuals and teams at the end of a project to discover lessons learned and...

A Meeting of the Minds Leadership Series, from BCalm (the BC Association for living mindfully) is...

In this fun activity, the team will learn how to ensure their body language is conveying the...