What’s blooming

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What’s blooming

Page 1

Welcome to our second issue of @ the WindoW. We’re

thrilled that so many of you enjoyed the view the first time around.

Your comments and feedback about the articles and new layout have

truly inspired us!

“What an impressive newsletter! Cheers to you for such a wonderful

job! Love the colours and content.”

“Excellent newsletter – so alive! Congrats to your team.”

“Well done folks. This is an easy read and lots of good information.”

“Really enjoyed your newsletter – especially the focus on wellness

and healthy workplace. Components of a Healthy Workplace are so

relevant to what our staff (including management) need to know

because caring about people and giving good direction really helps

with workload stress issues.”

Now we just have to make sure every issue meets those same high

standards!

With summer finally here, the view from our window is changing yet

again, with lots of new colourful content coming up in full bloom.

In this issue, we’re exploring a very hot topic: Violence in the

Workplace. The Department of Community Services recently won a

NAOSH Week Award for their Workplace Violence Prevention Manual.

Find out what other departments are doing,

views on organizational

health+safety+wellness

contents

Recognition

Learning Event . . . . . . . . . . 2

Violence

in the Workplace . . . . . . . . 3

Road Trip Tips . . . . . . . . . . 5

Success Stories

in Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

CISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Comings and Goings . . . . . .8

Get Nurtured by Nature . . . .8

editorial Board

If you have any ideas, or comments for future

issues of @ the window or would like to

contribute an article, please contact a member

of the editorial board.

Joan Parks-Hubley, Chair n PSC

Valerie Wadman n Community Services

Holly Cameron n Resources CSU

Wanda Pierrynowski n PSC, EAP

Jeff Brett n NSGEU

Ralph Parker n CUPE Local 1867

Adele Poirier n Tourism and Culture

Patti Pike, Executive Champion n PSC

What’s blooming

in this issue?

Summer 2006

volume 1 number 2

continued on page

(

Page 2

Summer 2006

what your fellow employees are thinking, and what

plans are for new government-wide initiatives to keep

employees safe from physical, verbal, and emotional

assaults. Hand-in-hand with that, we have a critical

incident stress management article.

Protecting employees is one way to ensure a positive,

productive workplace. Another way is to give you the

recognition you deserve for the good work you do.

That was the focus of the recent recognition learning

event. Find out how being proud of our people

improves our workplace.

In comings and Goings, we recognize a retiring health

and safety specialist and welcome two new health and

safety professionals.

In this issue, we’re also introducing a new regular

feature that celebrates success stories in Wellness. If

you have a success story for us – we want to hear it!

Summer means vacation – and if you’re hitting the

road to lounge at the cottage, relax on the beach, visit

relatives or explore parts unknown, be sure to read

our summer road safety tips before you go. Looking

out for your safety and wellness is not a 9-5 job! We’re

thinking of you around the clock and calendar. Tend

your emotional health by checking out Get nutured By

nature. Have a safe and healthy break and come back to

us well and rested!

continued from page

on June 6th, over 70 employees and managers from

across government came together to discuss employee

recognition, network, and share best practices in an

event co-hosted by the Public Service Commission (PSC)

and Community Services. It was a full day of learning

sessions, presentations, and discussions. As commented

by one participant: “I learned, I laughed, I networked and

was inspired—thank you!”

Marian Tyson, Deputy Minister for Community

Services, and Rick Nurse, Commissioner of the PSC,

opened the event and reminded us of the importance

of employee recognition and its role in attracting

and retaining employees. Presentations made in the

morning provided participants with an overview of

employee recognition programs at a corporate and

departmental level. Most importantly, departments

were able to share lessons learned and best practices,

which proved to be very valuable to participants.

Howard Windsor, Deputy Minister for the Office of the

Premier, was our keynote speaker and spoke to the

importance of being proud of our public service, of

leading by example and demonstrating our corporate

values in all that we do, including employee recognition.

Afternoon discussion tables reviewed topics such as

buy-in, roles and responsibilities, the process for getting

started with a recognition program, different types of

recognition activities, and financial considerations,

among others.

Feedback received from participants was very positive:

“This is exactly the type of corporate approach

we need to take to improving our place of

employment.”

“Very timely, informative, need more of these events!”

“Very helpful… I wish more of my colleagues had

attended!”

“Excellent. Made me feel more connected to my

job, government, and employees. I have more

pride in my work.”

“Was a breath of fresh air… Thank you!”

We’d like to thank everyone who participated, and

particularly those members from our HR community

who presented or volunteered as facilitators. The day

would not have been as successful without you!

carrie hotton AND lisa Palermo, PSC

Recognition Learning Event

“I learned, I laughed, I networked and was inspired”

Page 3

Summer 2006

there are many PeoPle WorkinG in the public

service who are concerned about their personal safety

at work. Some risks are obvious, like working with

mechanical equipment or hazardous materials. Yet,

the potential for violence is the reality for many public

servants.

The Department of Community Services (DCS) is

one department whose employees face this reality

on a daily basis. Staff members have clients in their

offices who are under stress for a variety of reasons.

At the same time, other staff members are making

home visits—entering unknown circumstances and

unfamiliar territory.

In 1998, the department surveyed employees, and one

third said workplace violence was an ongoing concern.

That was in keeping with Nova Scotia Workers

Compensation Board Violence Claims showing that

workers in health care and social assistance experience

one of the highest rates of workplace violence.

offices is assessed for risk. “Office layout is a major

consideration,” says Valerie Wadman, OHS Consultant

for the Department. “Think of a traditional office. You

go in a door and the (staff) person is against the wall,

behind their desk with two chairs in front. If you have

a potentially violent person in the office with you, you

could be vulnerable as there’s no escape.”

The goal of the manual is to help department staff

assess risks, identify and prevent situations, and have

a process in place if and when events occur. It’s so

comprehensive and detailed, it won the North American

Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Award for

large organizations for 2006.

Community Services may be the first department to

complete its own, unique workplace violence manual,

but it is certainly not the only organization addressing

this topic. In fact, it’s an issue that is rapidly increasing

in priority.

Some may wonder why. Jeff Brett, OHS Officer, Nova

Scotia Government Employees Union, has a theory:

“The workplace has changed,” says Jeff. “At one

time, there was a lot more industry work. But now a

larger population of the workforce works in service

delivery. People to people. That change provides more

opportunity/potential for conflict.

“Sometimes (violence) is seen as a secondary or side

issue,” he continues, “because the focus is on another

aspect of the operation. Take health care for example.

The primary focus is to serve the patient. Something

as intangible as interpersonal problems or challenges

gets overlooked.”

But it’s an issue that has a profound effect on

employees. “It’s a major stressor,” says Jeff. “It’s a

distracter and its effects go beyond the workplace.

It doesn’t leave the person when they go home at

the end of the shift. They take it home with them.

They have psychological and physiological reactions.

Especially when they know they have to go back to

that situation, its unknowns, and the likelihood of a

recurrence.”

Violence in the Workplace

continued on page

“…workers in health care and

social assistance experience

one of the highest rates

of workplace violence.”

In response, the department decided to develop its

own Workplace Violence Prevention/Office Security

Manual—a first of its kind in government.

The manual pulls together all existing policies, such

as the Corporate OHS Policy, the Personal Protection

Policy, the guidelines from the Department of

Environment and Labour, the Sexual Harassment/No

Discrimination Policy, and more. But then it goes above

and beyond to address the unique needs and concerns

of DSC staff.

Some of those unique needs include Supervisory

Guidelines to Promote Employee Safety in the Field,

Home Visit Checklists, and Dog Bite Prevention

Guidelines. Even the layout and design of their own

Page 4

Summer 2006

Jeff believes that while many policies that state

what behaviour is unacceptable identify some

good response mechanisms to help once the event

has occurred, there is often a gap in accessing the

potential for violence before something happens.

“Detection of potential behaviour is critical,” says Jeff.

“Identifying when people get agitated and where you

are vulnerable. Support systems are necessary – but

hazard assessments and appropriate controls are more

effective and meaningful.”

Gareth Drinnan, President of the Nova Scotia Highway

Workers Union, agrees. “Just like any other health and

safety issue, we are taught before we use dangerous

goods to read the labels, to make sure we have the

personal protective equipment and to know what to do

if there’s a problem. It’s the same with violence in the

workplace. You have to learn to assess the situation

and react properly to it.”

Both Jeff and Gareth point out that clients are not

responsible for all violence in the workplace. Some staff

also feel the potential for harm could be from co-workers.

Government has many policies in place to protect

employees from other co-workers. One of Larry

Worthen’s jobs, as Human Resource Development

Consultant with the Justice Learning Centre, is to get

that message out in the Respectful Workplace training

programs. “We’re trying to ensure there is a respectful

workplace so that workplace violence of all kinds can

be eliminated,” says Larry.

The program explores the provisions of the provincial

government Sexual Harassment/No Discrimination

policy so that staff are aware of how to deal with

concerns about workplace harassment. The course also

describes preventative alternatives to formal dispute

resolution that can be used in less serious conflicts. This

aspect of the training came about because “there was a

need to help staff learn skills to deal with issues prior to

the conflict escalating and becoming more serious.“

According to Larry, staff find the program very helpful.

It gives them concrete skills to deal with and resolve

interpersonal conflict. A new program called “Leading

a Respectful Workplace” was developed last year

for managers and supervisors. To help roll out the

program to other departments, a multi-day “train the

trainer” session is soon going to take place for anyone

in the provincial government interested in training

others in this program. Dates are set for Sept. 11-15th.

Interested people can contact David Librach at the

Justice Learning Centre at 424-7511.

With so many policies, programs, and initiatives in

place to protect and support employees, some worry

that the sheer volume may be confusing.

“That’s one of the concerns that has been raised,”

says Patti Pike, Executive Director, Strategic Human

Resource Management, Public Service Commission.

“There’s so much out there that by the time a person

reviews everything, they may still be unsure as to

where to go.”

continued from page

continued on page

A Short Course in

Human Relations

The 6 most important words:

“I admit I made a mistake.”

The 5 most important words:

“You did a good job.”

The 4 most important words:

“What is your opinion?”

The 3 most important words:

“If you please.”

The 4 most important words:

“Thank you.”

The 1 most important word:

“Please.”

The least important word:

“I”

Reprinted with permission from “Wellness News You can Use”

publised by the National Wellness Institute

Page 5

Summer 2006

Patti heads up a team that is developing the new,

comprehensive Employee Safety and Well-being

Policy—a policy that will include all employee

protection policies, programs, and initiatives to date,

and then expand on them to include “everything else.”

“We’re trying to pull it all together and have a one-

stop-shop for employees to go,” says Patti. The goal

is make access easier to the full range of support and

services available—and then some. It would start with

front-end risk assessments and prevention training,

then move on to include support.

“We want any employee, for any reason, to be able to

call one number, or go online, and talk to an advisor.

Then, we want to have investigators or mediators

(depending upon what stage the situation is in) that are

trained and ready to go out and assist the employee.”

This is separate from the Employee Assistance

Program (EAP), Patti stresses. Investigators would do a

consultation, have a report turned around within

30 days, and make recommendations.

Patti is optimistic that the new policy will go ahead

soon, thanks to the support she’s receiving from all

departments. She points out that this new policy is in

line with remarks made by the Honourable Carolyn

Boliver-Getson, former Minister of Environment and

Labour, who said, “This year, our business plan calls

for us to apply (the health and safety) process to the

issue of violence in the workplace. I, like you, am

concerned about violence in the workplace and want

the best possible outcome. An outcome that protects

the workers in this province and will produce results.”

If you’d like to learn more about this hot topic, check

out the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and

Safety (CCOHS) website at www.ccohs.ca

(click OHS Answers); download the Department of

Environment and Labour Violence in the Workplace:

A Guideline at www.gov.ns.ca/enla/healthandsafety/

violenceguide.asp, or ask your supervisor about

Respectful Workplace training.

Summer Vacation

Road Trip Tips

Did you know that more Canadians die

on the road during summer months than

at any other time of the year?

Before you head out on a road trip,

consider this vehicle safety checklist.

For more information, go to the Canada Safety Council

http://www.safety-council.org/info/traffic/sumdriv.htm

PatRick O’Malley, MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTOR,

SERVICE NOVA SCOTIA AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

continued from page

Check the

vehicle first

aid and

emergency

roadside

kits

Check tire pressure,

when tires are cold.

Check all fluid levels

• windshield washer

• radiator

• brake

• oil

Check all lights

• headlights

• brakelights

• signals

• emergency flashers

Check

wiper

blade

condition

Check all

belts and

hoses

Check air

conditioning

operation if

equipped

Page 6

Summer 2006

A Success Story

Submitted by Roland Beaman

Are you eating healthier? Reducing your stress? Losing

weight? If you’ve made healthy lifestyle changes, we

would like to feature your success story. Roland Beaman

is one of many people who have made changes to

improve their overall health. Here is his story.

“Hello, I’m Roland Beaman and I work at the

Kentville Justice Centre in Sheriff Services. I got

involved with the wellness program when it first

started and decided to lose

some weight. I changed my

whole way of eating and gave

up sweets, pop, chips and fried

foods to give it a try.

I ate healthy foods such as

salads, veggies and baked

chicken, fish and meats with no

added fats. I drank lots of water

at home and at work. I also did

not eat after supper and if I got

the munchies I had water and

an apple or yogurt.

I did this for a seven month

period and lost 47 lbs. of my

weight and went from a 44”

waist to a 38” waist. The

good part is I did this just by

changing my eating habits.

As of now I am holding the

weight off and feel great and

have more energy than I did before. My wife did this

with me and she lost 56 lbs. and went down two sizes

in her clothes, so stay fit and eat healthy.”

Congratulations, Roland, on a job well done!

Reprinted with permission from ‘Healthy LifeWorks” Volume 2, Issue 4, May 2004

We feel Roland was successful because he:

Lost weight slowly—he lost an average of

1.5 lbs. per week

Ate a variety of foods from

Canada’s Good Guide to Healthy Eating

Drank more water

Avoided high fat and high calorie foods

Made changes he could live with for a lifetime

Sydney Weight Watchers

Challenge

The Sydney Provincial Building hosted a 12-week

Weight Watchers At-Work program over the winter.

The group of 15 accumulated a total weight loss of

226 pounds in that time ! Now we are on our second

series of 12 weeks. We are challenging any office in

the province to beat our weight loss total in a 12 week

period ! Come on, take it off !

Above are some of the Community Services staff

who attended, from left to right :

back row

: Diane Clarke, Phyllis Wilton, Diane

MacDonald

front row

: Melissa MacLeod, Sheila Van Schaick, and

Barb Tryon.

Missing was Donnie MacKenzie, Elaine Noseworthy,

Denise Martell, and Cynthia Stevenson

SHeila Van ScHaick, SOFTWARE SUPPORT, DEPARTMENT OF

COMMUNITY SERVICES

We feel this group was successful because they:

Ate a variety of foods from Canada’s Food Guide

for Healthy Eating

Drank more water

Lost weight slowly—an average of 1.5 lbs. per week.

Had strong group support and encouragement

Incorporated increased physical activity and made

lifestyle changes they could live with for a lifetime

Success Stories in Wellness

Page 7

Summer 2006

What is a critical incident?

A critical incident is an unexpected traumatic event

that triggers a normal emotional response with victims

or witnesses that can be overwhelming and has the

potential to interfere with the coping skills of those

affected.

Some examples of critical incidents include:

•

physical/verbal assaults

•

indirect threats of harm (bomb threats)

•

robberies/hold-ups

•

a threat to one’s life

•

attack by an animal causing bodily harm

•

finding suspicious harmful agents

•

sudden or near death of a client or co-worker at the

workplace

•

exposure to motor vehicle accidents and/ or

casualties

Benefits of CISM Services

•

CISM services educate employees on self-care and

how to access further assistance

Who provides ciSM Services?

Nova Scotia Government now offers a comprehensive,

consistent and accessible 24/7 CISM program with

Health Canada as our provider.

(Please note: This arrangement with Health Canada

to provide CISM Services is not to replace any

current CISM programs that are already working in

departments.)

accessing ciSM Services

Calls received by the NS Government EAP staff during

regular business hours requiring CISM services are

transferred to Health Canada to receive appropriate

and timely CISM interventions. When CISM services

are required after hours, calls to the EAP line will

reach Health Canada directly and receive immediate

assistance.

Managers can coordinate the CISM services for their

staff by calling EAP and appropriate CISM Services

will be recommended by Health Canada. Individual

employees can contact EAP as well if they have

experienced a critical incident and would like to access

CISM services and/or counselling.

Pre-incident awareness activities

Watch for upcoming Pre-Incident Awareness Activities

in your department in 2006-07 which will educate

employees and managers on:

•

the definition of a critical incident

•

how to access CISM services

•

the types of CISM services available

•

the type and timeliness of a CISM response to

expect

•

materials available for employee self-care

For further information please contact EAP at

424-7948 or 1-800-777-5888.

Wanda PieRRynOWSki, RSW, EAP CONSULTANT

CISM

Critical Incident Stress

Management Services

Page 8

Summer 2006

Ralph Parker is retiring after 29 years of dedicated

service with government. He was most recently Acting

Loss Control Specialist in the Western Region of the

Department of Transportation and Public Works. Ralph

was known for his strong commitment to OHS and

made significant contributions in the areas of training

and auditing. Ralph was also the CUPE representative

on the @ the Window Editorial Board. We know he’ll

have lots of new views in retirement. All the best from

your colleagues and the @ the Window team.

laurence Macdonald has joined the Department of

Transportation and Public Works as the Loss Control

Specialist for Central District Highway Operations.

He is based in Bedford. Laurence brings with him a

wealth of experience from Sobeys and Trenton Works

did you knoW you could

Garden your Way to

Well-BeinG? It has been reported

that gardening is the second