Physical Activity

Awareness Raising Activities:

Distribute credible information on your workplace wellness bulletin boards, by email or on your intranet, such as:

• 24-Hour Movement & Activity Guidelines
• City of Windsor Parks, Trails, and Recreation Maps
• County Wide Active Transportation Route Maps
• Factsheet on stretching at the workstation from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
• Municipal >Activity Guides  or local physical activity or recreation programs
  • Windsor Activity Guides
  • Lakeshore Activity Guide
  • Tecumseh Recreation
  • Kingsville Recreation and Events
  • Essex Recreation or Essex Registration information
• Motivational posters encouraging employees to make active choices (e.g., taking the stairs instead of the elevator)

Education and Skill-Building Activities:

• Host a Lunch & Learn or an education session led by Bike Windsor Essex
• Coordinate active events for employees such as:
  • Walking breaks or an active break workplace challenge
  • The UpnGo.ca Program to help deskbound employees be more active
  • An employee team for the Big Bike for Heart and Stroke or Ride Don't Hide (June)
  • A Bike to Work event for Bike Month in June
  • Employee attendance at the County of Essex's County Wide Active Transportation System Celebrations Event in June
  • Employee noon hour walks for In-Motion Week during the first week of October
• Host an archived Healthy at Work webinar from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit:
  • Getting Started on Your Personal Exercise Journey
  • Cycling For Fun Health & Profit

Environmental Supports:

• Introduce walking meetings
• Invest in showers and change rooms to support physical activity and active transportation
• Provide corporate or reduced-rate memberships to onsite, private, or local fitness or recreation facilities
• Have designated areas available that are safe for physical activity (e.g., basketball courts or greenspace)
• Have safe bicycle storage, such as bicycle racks or bicycle lockers

Supportive Policies:

Develop and implement supportive workplace policies around physical activity, e.g.:

• A Walking Meetings Policy
• Physical Activity Policy
• Work-Time Allowance for Physical Activity Policy
• Gym/Sports Discounts Policy
• Active Living Subsidy Policy
• Bike Friendly Workplace Policy

Infection Prevention & Control

COVID-19 Workplace Resources

Visit the WECHU’s COVID-19 Workplace Website  for comprehensive guidance for employers, owners and operators of businesses, and workplaces in Windsor-Essex County to assist with COVID-19 prevention in places of work.

Awareness Raising Activities:

Distribute credible information on your workplace wellness bulletin boards, e-blasts or intranet such as:

• Information about adult immunizations against infectious diseases from the Ontario Ministry of Health
• Posters and videos on hand hygiene from Infection Prevention and Control Canada
• Posters, factsheets, videos on the flu from the Government of Canada
• Posters on cold and flu from the Public Services Health & Safety Association
• Tips to avoid getting sick from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit
• Resources to promote:
  • World Tuberculosis Day (March 24th)
  • World Hand Hygiene Day (May)
  • World Hepatitis Day (July 28th)
  • Infection Control Week from Infection Prevention and Control Canada (3rd week in October)

Education and Skill-Building Activities:

• Host a Lunch & Learn education session, or training on:
  • Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.  A "Germ Glow" kit can be purchased to demonstrate how easily germs are passed from person to person.
  • Use of personal protective equipment
  • Safe food handling
  • Preventing diseases relevant to the workplace (i.e., Lyme Disease and West Nile Virus for outdoor workers, or cholera and hepatitis A and B for workers travelling to endemic countries)
  • Diseases prevented by immunizations
• Host an archived Healthy at Work webinar from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit:
  • Infection Prevention and Control at Workplaces
• Conduct hand hygiene audits

Environmental Supports:

• Offer paid personal time for employees to receive their flu vaccine at a local pharmacy or clinic
• Offer paid sick leave to reduce the spread of illness
• Encourage employees to take sick leave if exhibiting the following symptoms: fever, cough, diarrhea, and vomiting
• Eliminate the need for employees to supply employers with a doctor's note after taking sick time
• Place hand-washing stations and signs throughout your workplace
• Supply alcohol-based hand sanitizer at workstations
• Supply hand lotion to employees to help maintain skin integrity
• Supply disinfectant wipes throughout the workplace to allow employees to clean surfaces as they become contaminated
• Ensure adequate environmental cleaning products are used for high touch surfaces
• Provide sharps containers for safe needle disposal
• Provide open-topped waste bins to allow for the discarding of waste without touching the bin
• Provide a refrigerator specifically for employee lunches and snacks
• Provide personal protective equipment as appropriate, especially in First Aid Kits
• Provide disposable gloves as appropriate, especially for those who handle food
• Refer workers to community resources for immunizations if travel is required for work

Supportive Policies:

Develop and implement supportive workplace policies around infection prevention, e.g.:

• Infection Prevention and Control Policy to assign an individual or team to identify and respond to concerns.
• Influenza Immunization Policy
• Immunization Policy to determine what immunizations are recommended as a condition of employment for new employees.
• Employee TB Screening Policy
• Post-Exposure to Blood and Bodily Fluids Policy
• Needle Safety Policy
• Workplace Environmental Cleaning Policy

Sleep

Awareness Raising Activities:

Distribute credible information on your workplace wellness bulletin boards, by email or on your intranet, such as:

• Poster Getting the 8 Hours of Sleep You Need
• Getting a Good Night's Sleep
• Learn about Sleep Hygiene
• Are Canadian Adults Getting Enough Sleep?
• The Sleep On It campaign poster (Bilingual Version)

Education and Skill-Building Activities:

• Offer an interactive module on Getting a Good Night's Sleep or distribute the print version for employees
• Offer employees a personal fillable Sleep Diary to track their sleep habits or nap habits

Environmental Supports:

• Offer sleep education programs for employees
• Promote short naps during work breaks
• Modify environmental factors, e.g. lighting, to promote alertness
• Encourage remote working if applicable to allow more time for sleep
• Consider fatigue and sleep-related factors in incident investigations 

Supportive Policies:

Develop and implement supportive workplace policies around sleep health, e.g.:

• Set limits on the number of hours worked per 24-hour period and 7-day period
• Implement flexible scheduling for employees

Nutrition

Awareness Raising Activities:

Distribute credible information on your workplace wellness bulletin boards, by email or on your intranet such as:

• Recipes, menu planners, videos, quizzes and other printable information sheets from Unlock Food
• Posters, factsheets, recipes, social media content for Nutrition Month in March or other resources from the Dietitians of Canada
• Recipes, tips, posters, videos, meal planning, and other resources from Canada's Food Guide
• Factsheets from the Canadian Cancer Society
• Order free posters about healthy eating for your workplace. Available in several languages.
• Get a meal planning toolkit from the Heart and Stroke Foundation 
• “You Can Cook” video series from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit 

Education and Skill-Building Activities:

• Host a Lunch & Learn, education session, or food skills demonstration led by a dietitian. Contact cdip@wechu.org call 519-258-2146 ext. 3100 for a list of possible speakers.
• Host an archived Healthy at Work webinar from the Working Toward Wellness Committee and Windsor-Essex County Health Unit:
  • Take the Fight Out of Food
  • Eating Well for a Healthy Gut
  • Curb Your Stress, Eat Well

Environmental Supports:

• Offer a variety of nutritious food choices in the cafeteria, vending machines, at meetings, and special events
• Provide a refrigerator and microwave in break areas so employees can bring lunches from home
• Provide credible nutrition information in the employee eating area
• Make water available by placing pitchers around the table at meetings or special events

Supportive Policies:

Develop and implement supportive workplace policies around healthy eating and nutrition, e.g.:

• Breastfeeding Friendly Policy
• Food Procurement for Workplace Meetings and Events Policy

Injury Prevention

Awareness Raising Activities:

Distribute credible information on your workplace wellness bulletin boards, e-blasts or intranet such as:

• Various injury prevention posters and brochures from Workplace Safety & Prevention Services
• Musculoskeletal Disorder Prevention posters from MDSprevention.com
• Workplace ergonomics resources from the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Works Inc.
• Post a Slips, Trips and Falls infographic from the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety
• Working in Cold Environments information from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety 
• Sun Safety posters and tip sheets from the Canadian Dermatology Association
• Sun Safety and Heat Stress posters, fact sheets, videos, and presentations from Sun Safety at Work
• Sun Awareness Week (early June) or Melanoma Awareness Month (May) social media and posters from the Save Your Skin Foundation
• Safe Winter Driving brochures and videos from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation
• National Teen Driver Safety Week (late October) social media messages or infographics from Parachute Canada
• Rowan's Law Concussion Safety information from the Government of Ontario
• Brain Injury Awareness Month (June) brochure and social media from Brain Injury Canada

Education and Skill-Building Activities:

• Host a Lunch & Learn or an education session. Contact cdip@wechu.org or call 519-258-2146 ext. 3100 for a list of possible speakers.
• Host an archived Healthy at Work webinar from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit:
  • To Sit or Not to Sit? That is the Question
  • How Technology Hurts

Environmental Supports:

• Provide adjustable workstations to prevent poor posture and strain
• Rotate workers through several jobs with different physical demands to reduce stress on the body
• Provide funds for employees to purchase appropriate and supportive footwear
• Use signs, warnings, barricades, non-slip mats, or non-slip strips or surfaces when a risk has been identified
• For outdoor workers, provide broad-brimmed hats, long sleeve shirts, long pants, UV protective eyewear and sunscreen
• When possible, adjust work schedules to limit time in the sun between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Supportive Policies:

Develop and implement supportive workplace policies around injury prevention, e.g.:

• Ergonomics Assessment Policy
• Distracted Driving Policy from Road Safety at Work
• Distracted Driving Policies & The Transportation Industry: A Business Case for Workplace Safety from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation
• Sun Protection Policy from Sun Safety at Work.ca
• Slips, Trips, Falls Prevention Policy

Substance Use

Awareness Raising Activities:

Distribute credible information on your workplace wellness bulletin boards, e-blasts or intranet postings such as:

• Smokers Helpline
• Local treatment services for individuals who want to quit or reduce smoking or vaping or for individuals who use alcohol or other substances
• Infographic on Cannabis and Impairment in the workplace from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
• Factsheet about Cannabis for Parent/ Guardians from the School Mental Health-Assist
• Resources from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
• Cannabis resources from the Government of Canada
• Workplace wellness education print resources related to cannabis
• Order free posters from Health Canada for your workplace for Tobacco, Vaping, and Drug prevention

Education and Skill-Building Activities:

Host a Lunch & Learn education session or training:

• Quit smoking options and resources, led by a TEACH (Training Enhancement in Applied Cessation Counselling and Health)-trained pharmacist or professional
• Medication use, storage and destruction, led by a pharmacist
• Cannabis in the workplace

Host an archived Healthy at Work webinar:

• Opiates in the Workplace

Environmental Supports:

• Provide pharmacist-supported smoking cessation program including quit medications.
• If the employer offers a benefits package, ensure nicotine replacement therapy is covered.
• Allow flexible work schedules for employees to attend medical or counselling appointments related to smoking cessation.
• Ensure work-related social events (e.g., holiday parties) are alcohol-free.
• Provide management training to recognize impairment in the workplace, i.e., the online course Impairment and Cannabis in the Workplace.
• Offer counselling through an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider

Supportive Policies:

Develop and implement supportive workplace policies around substance use, e.g.:

• Alcohol-Free Events Policy
• Alcohol-Free Workplace Policy
• Cannabis Policy
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Policy
• Smoke-Free Workplace Policy
• Substance Use Policy