Everyone wins with workplace wellness, says Rita LaCivita, executive director of human resources at the University of Windsor. Her department has launched a number of initiatives to support employees in achieving their health and wellness goals.

Now those efforts have won recognition from Go For Health Windsor-Essex and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. The University of Windsor will receive a Healthy Workplace Award from Working Toward Wellness at a breakfast reception, Wednesday, October 19, at the Ciociaro Club.

The awards honour workplaces that provide comprehensive wellness programs and policies that make healthier options the easy choice for their employees.

“This is a wonderful affirmation of the investment we have put into our employees’ health and well-being,” LaCivita says.

She points to a number of activities undertaken in the last year, including:

• The Wellness E-Digest, a monthly e-newsletter sent to all faculty and staff which provides tips on various health and wellness topics. It links University employees to information and resources developed by other providers, such as the Windsor – Essex County Health Unit and Shepell-fgi.
• The annual Faculty and Staff Wellness Fair, which in 2010 featured 24 health and wellness promotion booths and was attended by 180 employees.
• Six wellness seminars delivered in the last year covering the following topics: healthy eating, stress management, financial fitness, parenting and transition to retirement.
• The Weight Watchers at Work program, introduced in November 2010, registered more than 40 employees with a total weight loss to date of over 1100 pounds.

In addition, the University offered employees fitness classes during their lunch hours and after work, provided them with access to the St. Denis Athletic & Community Centre, promoted biking to work and implemented smoking cessation activities.

The University has also adopted a number of policies on wellness, available for review at http://www.uwindsor.ca/hr/policies.

“We would like to thank all of the individuals across the campus who have been involved in the many activities that led to the University being awarded the Silver Level 1 Healthy Workplace Award,” LaCivita says.

Learn more about the Working Toward Wellness workplace program.