Our first MHW Newsletter of 2020. Learn how to Take Notice this year.

January 2020

TAKE NOTICE is the My Healthy Workplace theme for this issue of MHW News, as we kickoff 2020 in high gear. We hope you will take notice of the ever-growing wave of healthy change at McGill, and jump in. My Healthy Workplace is gaining traction across the University thanks to over 150 volunteers, including Ambassadors, a MHW Working Group and 5 dynamic Learning Communities. These communities (Service, Quality, Engagement, Sustainability and Wellness) have been busily researching, analyzing needs, consulting best practices – all in the development of their transformational project proposals. They have the interests of McGill and its staff at heart, and the ear of the MHW Executive Sponsor Professor Yves Beauchamp,Vice-Principal, Administration and Finance.

One of the causes for celebration, in the immediate, is Flexible Work Arrangements, currently being rolled out for staff across McGill. May this initiative lead to exciting new ways of working together, and expand our agility as a healthy workplace. Taking notice is as much about appreciating what is evolving around us as observing how we manage our own wellness each day. With 2020 Vision, why not take stock of your current workspace, commit to your future well-being through financial wellness, opt for clarity and simplicity in your language or decide how you will further integrate recognition into your day-to-day life and challenge yourself to pack your lunch. May this be a healthy, happy and prosperous year for all.

Take Notice: Ergonomics

Setting up your workstation properly for your individual needs is important to reduce discomfort, pain and risk of injury. Take notice of your comfort level at your desk and ask yourself, "is there a need for improvement?"

The Health and Well-Being team has created a new section with resources on how to improve setting up your workstation properly including free consultations with HR colleagues trained in basic ergonomics. Navigate our webpage for tools on how you can tailor you workspace.

Upcoming MHW Events

Physical activity for everyone: Tools you can use to move

January 28th, 2020 (12:15-1:15)

From Worrier to Warrior - Maximizing Your Personal Effectiveness

January 28th, 2020 (1:30-4:30)

Indoor Skate night group: Wednesday evenings. Contact Dan O'Connell for more information

Kinesiology programming: Lunchtime training, Ergonomic assessments, Running gait analysis

Challenge: Bring your Lunch to Work and Win this Kit!

Bringing your own lunch allows to you save money, and eat better. The Health and Well-Being team encourages you to take notice of how often you are buying your lunch, and embark on a challenge to bring your lunch to work for 4 consecutive weeks starting in January. Click here to see how to participate, and for a chance to win this lunch kit from Boho and Hobo.

McGill's Generous Giving

Jessica Wurster, Family Resource Associate from the Family Care Program shared her December Gives challenge story. The McGill community showed their generosity in December by participating in the Family Care Holiday Gift Drive for the children of student parents at McGill. Staff and faculty at the Downtown and Macdonald campuses donated over 130 gifts which were delivered at the Family Care End-of-Term party on December 6th. Children excitedly opened their packages and parents enjoyed refreshments with the company of other student parents. Staff volunteers helped to create beautiful gift wrap with the McGill Art Hive and wrapped the gifts in a just a few hours. Thank-you Jessica for coordinating this wonderful initiative and for submitting your story to the MHW Newsletter team!

Job Shadowing:

Benefits for All Involved

Last fall, two dozen employees from the University of Manitoba visited McGill and were paired with McGill counterparts based on role overlap as part of a job shadowing exercise. They took notice as they caught a glimpse of the systems and processes we use here at McGill. "Staff from the University of Manitoba appreciated learning some new ways of doing things and sharing experiences," said Sandra Woloschuk, Associate Director at U of M's Learning and Organizational Development. Click here to read more.

The Rewards of Recognition

The Mental Health Commission of Canada is raising awareness around the 13 psychosocial factors that can impact the mental health of employees in the workplace. Did you know that “Recognition and Reward” is one of the 13 psychosocial factors?

Giving recognition and taking notice of colleagues and their work helps to create a Healthy Workplace for all! Click here to read more.

Financial Wellness

When it comes to health and well-being, financial wellness is often not the first aspect we consider. However, it is a key contributor to our overall well-being, as financial stress can lead to sleep deprivation, absenteeism, reduced productivity, employee turnover and mental illness.
It is important to be proactive by taking notice and assessing your financial situation, educating yourself and creating goals to ensure financial wellness. The Health and Well-Being team has put together financial wellness resources to help you achieve your financial goals and start 2020 on the right track.

Clarity in Communication

In her book “Daring Greatly”, Brené Brown says, “Clear is kind” and “Unclear is unkind”. So many of us can relate well to this statement particularly when we are the recipients of unclear communication. Why then do we often communicate in ways that are ambiguous or that fail to express what we really want to say? Click here to read more.

We want to hear from you!

This newsletter is for staff by staff. Send the MHW News editorial team an email to let us know what you think of this issue. The upcoming theme for the next issue of MHW News is Healthy Hearts. Please contact us to suggest an initiative to highlight, or if you are interested in contributing an article.