Workplace Health and Productivity: Reaching the Next Level

Keynote presentation at "Health & Safety Canada 2005", IAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention Association) Conference and Trade Show, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, April 4-6, 2005.

Talk outline: Creating healthy workplaces is an urgent and strategic business goal for employers. Healthy workplaces obviously benefit employees, but they also have big pay-offs for employers, notably reduced health benefit, compensation and absenteeism costs. But there are more compelling reasons to promote healthy work environments. At a time when many employers are searching for ways to better develop and use talent, a healthy workplace also is indispensable for innovation, learning, team work, and change resilience. This is the new model of a healthy and productive organization. However, traditional workplace health promotion programs can’t deliver these results. That’s because creating a healthy and productive work environment requires more than a ‘program.’ Above all, it depends on transforming organizational cultures, systems and practices so that health is embedded in business strategy.

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