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.
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Last updated on: Nov. 4, 2024
Healthy break activities are no- to low-cost and are designed to encourage employees to take...
Last updated on: Nov. 4, 2024
Anger can be a difficult emotion to experience because of your upbringing, societal norms and fear...
Last updated on: Oct. 31, 2024
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Last updated on: Oct. 28, 2024
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Last updated on: Oct. 7, 2024
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Last updated on: Oct. 7, 2024
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Last updated on: Oct. 7, 2024
Lead a team discussion to address psychological competencies and demands in your workplace. This...
Last updated on: Oct. 2, 2024
Trauma is a subjective experience for everyone. This is also true for the way we interact and...
Last updated on: Oct. 2, 2024
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Last updated on: Oct. 2, 2024
Explore how you can proactively remove barriers and support inclusion and accessibility for clients...
Last updated on: Oct. 2, 2024
This collection of activities, videos and audio clips can help you manage stressful, anxious or...
Last updated on: Oct. 2, 2024
Inclusion is now an expectation at work. Learn tips and strategies to help you provide and maintain...
Last updated on: Oct. 2, 2024
Implement these actions and responses with a minimal investment of resources or cost to the...
Last updated on: Oct. 1, 2024
A framework to help your organization prevent discrimination, harassment, bullying, trauma, burnout...
Last updated on: Oct. 1, 2024
Use these workshop materials to help make it easier for decision-makers to say yes to psychological...
Last updated on: Oct. 1, 2024
Psychological health means being able to think, feel and behave in a way where we can effectively...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
A guide to use the free resources offered to assess and address psychological health and safety...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
This includes how to make the business case, get buy-in, communicate your plan, and choose your...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Learn to lead a team discussion to address psychological protection in the workplace. This resource...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
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Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Learn how to lead a team discussion to address organizational culture at work. This resource...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Suggested actions are based on research or practice that can help mitigate the risk of psychosocial...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
On the agenda offers free materials and facilitator tools to address psychosocial factors. Create...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
A mentor is someone who supports a peer or employee on their work journey. They are a trusted...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
These strategies benefit those who manage, support or lead employees and can help increase...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
The background of Guarding Minds at Work includes the history dating back to before its launch in...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Learn about Guarding Minds and how to use it to take action on psychological health and safety at...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Below, we've included statements from the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey. They are grouped...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
The organizational review asks similar questions to the employee survey but is for senior...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Share why and how you’re addressing psychological health and safety (PHS) at work. This can...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
You can put these actions and responses in place with few resources and minimal cost to the...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Implement these actions and responses with minimal cost to the organization...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Implement these actions and responses at low or no cost to the organization...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Implement these actions and responses at low or no cost to the organization...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Put these actions and responses in place with little to no cost to the organization...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
These actions and responses can be put in place with only a minimal investment of resources or cost...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Suggested actions are based on research or practice that can improve each psychosocial factor. In...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
When employees struggle with workload stress, it’s important to focus on easing the stress...
Last updated on: Sep. 30, 2024
Get tips to make a great first impression while managing the stress and demands of a new job...
Last updated on: Sep. 23, 2024
Workplace Strategies for Mental health provides many free resources related to psychological health...
Last updated on: Sep. 9, 2024
This page highlights some cultural and religious celebrations that may be significant to your...
Last updated on: Sep. 9, 2024
Setting healthy boundaries helps support mental well-being. It includes prioritizing adequate...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Use this tool to help you have a conversation with your leader about your current workload and ways...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
These workshop materials and personal stress tools can help develop skills to identify and manage...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
These resources can help you support an employee to improve their performance and productivity...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve workload management in the...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve balance in the workplace. This...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address recognition and reward in the workplace. This...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address physical safety in the workplace. This...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve growth and development in the...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve engagement in the workplace. This...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve civility and respect in the...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve involvement and influence in the...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
Learn how to facilitate a team discussion to address and improve leadership and expectations in the...
Last updated on: Aug. 29, 2024
These actions help hold employees accountable to work together in inclusive ways. They do not cost...
Last updated on: Aug. 27, 2024
The goal of accommodation is to remove barriers so an employee remains productive and feels...
Last updated on: Aug. 22, 2024
This process is used in collaboration with adult team members to develop their own agreement about...
Last updated on: Aug. 15, 2024
Questions and strategies to help you have a supportive conversation when someone you care about...
Last updated on: Aug. 14, 2024
It can seem daunting to prioritize and choose those evidence-based actions most likely to improve...
Last updated on: Aug. 14, 2024
The Stress satisfaction scan is a 6-item employee questionnaire that indicates to what extent your...
Last updated on: Aug. 14, 2024
Each of the statements included in the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey are grouped by...
Last updated on: Aug. 14, 2024
Understand and analyze your Guarding Minds at Work report so that you can recommend an effective...
Last updated on: Aug. 14, 2024
Each of the statements included in the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey are available for...
Last updated on: Aug. 14, 2024
Tips to be a more courageous leader and develop a team where psychological safety supports...
Last updated on: Aug. 13, 2024
What is your window of tolerance for stress? Is it narrow, causing you to respond with fear or...
Last updated on: Aug. 7, 2024
Questions and strategies to help you have a supportive conversation when someone you care about may...
Last updated on: Aug. 6, 2024
Questions and strategies to help you have a supportive conversation when someone you care about...
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People lie for all kinds of reasons. On this page, we talk about reasons people lie, how you can...
Last updated on: Aug. 6, 2024
Learn strategies you can put in place to protect the mental health of isolated workers...
Last updated on: Aug. 2, 2024
A process to create a team-level purpose statement that helps clarify the value and contribution...
Last updated on: Aug. 1, 2024
Psychological injury can happen as a result of severe stress or trauma. There are approaches to...
Last updated on: Aug. 1, 2024
Select statements from the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey were identified by the...
Last updated on: Jul. 31, 2024
Select statements from the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey were identified by the...
Last updated on: Jul. 31, 2024
Questions related to copyright, customization and functionality of Guarding Minds at Work are...
Last updated on: Jul. 31, 2024
These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to...
Last updated on: Jul. 31, 2024
These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to...
Last updated on: Jul. 31, 2024
These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to...
Last updated on: Jul. 31, 2024
These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to
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Last updated on: Jul. 31, 2024
These questions can help you to open up a conversation that can foster and improve psychological...
Last updated on: Jul. 31, 2024
Learn how you can assess and take action to ensure diversity and inclusion...
Last updated on: Jul. 31, 2024
Review the pros and cons of asking demographic questions in your Guarding Minds at Work employee...
Last updated on: Jul. 5, 2024
Suggested questions for a productive conversation about an employee’s engagement and...
Last updated on: Jul. 4, 2024
Throughout the employment life cycle, there are opportunities to protect psychological health and...
Last updated on: May. 17, 2024
Questions to ask individuals and teams at the end of a project to discover lessons learned and...
Last updated on: May. 6, 2024
A Meeting of the Minds Leadership Series, from BCalm (the BC Association for living mindfully) is...
Last updated on: Feb. 16, 2024
In this fun activity, the team will learn how to ensure their body language is conveying the...
Last updated on: Mar. 17, 2023