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Municipality of the District of St. Mary's
Workplace Health and Wellness Policy
1 | P a g e
Date Adopted: November 3, 2021
1 Title
This policy will be referred to as the "Workplace Health and Wellness Policy".
2 Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to encourage, support and offer health related programs that will assist
employees in achieving ownership for their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, resulting in
improving the overall health and wellbeing for all employees. A healthy workplace leads to improved
satisfaction and morale, which contributes to a more effective workplace.
3 Interpretation
3.1 Physical Environment refers to health, comfort, and safety factors of a workplace such as noise
levels, toxic substances, air quality, light levels, equipment, and design of workspace.
3.2 Health Practices refers to individual lifestyle practices that affect health such as physical
activity, eating habits, sleeping habits, as well as smoking, alcohol, and drug/substance use.
3.3 Social Environment refers to psychosocial factors of a workplace that affect health and
employee stress levels. The Mental Health Commission of Canada outlines 13 factors which
address psychological health and safety in the workplace; they include organizational culture,
psychological & social supports, clear leadership & expectations, civility & respect, psychological
demands, growth & development, recognition & reward, involvement and influence, workload
management, engagement, balance, psychological protection and protection of physical safety.
For more information you can visit https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/13-factors-
addressing-mental-health-
workplace#:~:text=The%2013%20factors%20of%20psychological%20health%20and%20safety,
12%20Psychological%20Protection%2013%20Protection%20of%20Physical%20Safety .
3.4 Personal Resources refers to how individuals cope with stress the sense of control they have
over their work and health and the perception there is support available during times of illness,
distress, or unhappiness.
3.5 Memberships & Classes refers to memberships and entry fees for gyms, aquatic centres,
specific sport provincial organizations, organized sports groups, class(es) and fees.
3.6 Equipment refers to physical activity equipment such as home gym equipment, outdoor
activities (bikes, kayaks, walking poles), personal fitness devices (ie. Fitbits, smart watches),
supportive equipment for mobility and health aids.
3.7 Athletic Apparel and Footwear refers to clothing and footwear to support physical activity.
3.8 Holistic Health Supports refers to therapies that support wellness including massage and
natural medicine consultations.
3.9 Employee refers to full time, temporary and term employees.
3.9.1 Full Time Employee refers to an individual who has been appointed to a permanent
position, works every working day and works at least 35 hours per week.
3.9.2 Temporary Employee refers to an individual who is filling a special position for a specified
period, usually less than one year and who works every working day and at least 35 hours
per week.
Municipality of the District of St. Mary's
Workplace Health and Wellness Policy
2 | P a g e
Date Adopted: November 3, 2021
3.9.3 Term Employee refers to an individual who is filling a special position for a specified
period and who works every working day and at least 35 hours per week.
4 Policy Objectives
The objectives of this program are:
4.1 To improve the understanding of workplace issues that impact the health and wellbeing of
municipal employees.
4.2 To provide a work environment that will support employee health and wellbeing.
4.3 To build the knowledge, skills, and ability of employees to take control over their wellbeing by
helping individuals become actively involved in improving their personal health.
5 Policy Guidelines
5.1 The policy applies to all full-time, temporary and term employees and elected / acclaimed
officials at the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's.
5.2 The Municipality recognizes that the ability to achieve its objectives are dependent upon the
wellbeing of all employees.
5.3 The Municipality acknowledges that the key elements of a healthy workplace includes the
physical environment, health practices, social environment, and personal resources. It is also
recognized that these broad-based factors are interdependent and must be considered as parts
of a holistic approach to a healthy workplace and employee wellbeing.
5.4 To facilitate this policy the Municipality will:
5.4.1 Provide a physically & psychologically safe and healthy work environment.
5.4.2 Administer program funds and provide support for a healthy workplace.
5.4.3 Facilitate an employee's efforts to make improvements in their health practices.
5.4.4 Support the Active Living Coordinator in organizing wellness education sessions relating
to mental, physical, and emotional wellness.
5.4.5 Improve employee access to healthy snack options in the workplace by providing healthy
food options during events, meetings, etc.
5.4.6 Ensure access to the family assistant program through Blue Cross (where applicable).
5.4.7 Encourage friendly fitness and wellness competitions; and
5.4.8 Support the Active Living Coordinator in developing physical resources for employees to
help them cope with the social and professional aspects of their lives.
5.5 Full time Municipal employees will be eligible to receive a financial incentive of up to $100.00
per fiscal year. This monetary incentive can be used towards a membership, equipment, or
program intended to improve an employee's well-being; however, the maximum
reimbursement is $100.00. All original receipts must be presented for reimbursement, and all
reimbursements are to be approved by the CAO by filling out a "Workplace Health and
Wellness Reimbursement Claim Form" (Appendix A). Prior to items being presented for
reimbursement they must have been submitted to Blue Cross.
5.6 Eligible expenses include but are not limited to:
i.
Fitness equipment
Municipality of the District of St. Mary's
Workplace Health and Wellness Policy
3 | P a g e
Date Adopted: November 3, 2021
ii.
Structured exercise classes;
iii.
Healthy eating programs;
iv.
Tobacco cessation programs;
v.
Team or individual sport registration.
5.7 All full-time employees will be granted an additional 15 minute break, specifically to
incorporate a walk during the workday in addition to the 2 -15 minute breaks and a 30 minute
lunch. This break can be added to the regular lunch period or taken at another time during the
day. This break cannot be taken within the first or last half hour of a work shift. The onus is on
the employee to make any necessary arrangements with supervisors or colleagues to ensure
that the break does not interfere with the workload or services provided.
5.8 Employee's may access the St. Mary's Fitness Centre free of charge during regular operating
hours.
5.9 Participation in the program is voluntary.
6 Roles and Responsibilities
The following outlines the roles and responsibilities of staff regarding the Workplace Health and
Wellness Policy.
6.1 The Active Living coordinator:
6.1.1 Assessing employee wellness needs by actively seeking input from employees and work
partners;
6.1.2 Developing and implementing wellness initiatives to address the needs of employees;
6.1.3 Providing information that employees can use to decide on participation in health
promotion programming.
6.2 Management Responsibilities:
6.2.1 Keep employees up to date on healthy workplace activities and programs;
6.2.2 Support and encourage employee involvement in the wellness program as a component
of employee involvement in professional development;
6.2.3 Offer training to employees who want to become involved in the program for
development reasons;
6.2.4 Contribute ideas, opinions, and expertise to the work of the Active Living Coordinator;
and
6.2.5 Participate in the program, activities, and resources provided through the wellness
program.
6.3 Human Resources (HR) Responsibilities:
6.3.1 Administer the workplace wellness budget, once created; and
6.3.2 Review and revise Municipal policies which may impact an employees' health to ensure
that they support and are consistent with the Workplace Health and Wellness Policy.
7 Benefits for the Employee
A healthy lifestyle impacts many facets of the day-to- day work environment. Workplace wellness
programs translate into fewer injuries, less human error, and a more harmonious office environment.
Municipality of the District of St. Mary's
Workplace Health and Wellness Policy
4 | P a g e
Date Adopted: November 3, 2021
They also demonstrate that the Municipality is concerned about employee general health and
wellbeing. A wellness program will also help reduce stress which can affect personal relationships and
physical and mental health. Taking advantage of the programs offered will not only help employees
accomplish more during work hours but will give them more energy and patience for home and
personal life as well.
8 Benefits for the Employer
Statistics show that a healthy workplace increases employee morale, improves the ability to attract
and retain key people, while having more alert and productive employees. Other benefits include
improved health and general wellness of staff, resulting in a reduction in the number of sick days. In
effect, a wellness program will help employees contribute toward happier, healthier, and more
productive workspaces and environments.
9 Communication, Training, and Implementation
A healthy workplace policy requires department wide participation. Employee participation may
include developing, implementing, and reviewing health actions and policies, involvement in planning
lifestyle health promotion programs at work, identifying problems, devising solutions, and
implementing and evaluating these solutions.
9.1 Employees are encouraged to participate but are in no way forced to do so.
9.2 On a yearly basis, the municipal employees will be surveyed to determine which wellness
initiatives are important to them. These results will be compiled and analyzed by the Active
Living Coordinator to develop sessions and initiatives for the coming year.
9.3 Workplace wellness initiatives will be communicated through email or by formal memo.
10 Evaluation
The workplace wellness policy will be evaluated through use of data and trends indicating outcomes. A
policy review will be conducted on an annual basis to determine if employee workplace wellness needs
are being met.
11 References
The reference materials used in the drafting of this model policy included the Municipality of the
District of Argyle Workplace Wellness Policy, Town of Antigonish Workplace Health and Wellness Policy,
The Town of Mulgrave Employee Wellness Policy, and AMANS Model Policy Manual.
Municipal Clerk
Date
Municipality of the District of St. Mary's
Workplace Health and Wellness Policy
5 | P a g e
Date Adopted: November 3, 2021
Appendix A
Workplace Health and Wellness Reimbursement Claim
Name:__________________________
Date:___________________________
Department:______________________
Type of Claim: (Please check all appropriate categories that apply)
Outside Recreational Facility Membership
Stress Reduction
Addiction
Weight Management
Nutrition
Other (Please Specify Below)
Details of Claim:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Cost Incurred:
Description
Total
**In any and all circumstances claims are not to exceed $100.00 per fiscal year (April 1st-March 31st )**
Signature of Employee: ____________________________ Date:_______________________
Signature of CAO:_________________________________ Date:_______________________