De-Mystifying Teenagers

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

In a recent ABC network interview, President Barack Obama conceded he was nervous about his daughters’ coming teenage years, but said “I could not ask for better kids. And so, I’m not anticipating complete mayhem for the next four, five years. But I understand that teenage-hood is complicated.”

Adolescence can be complex waters to navigate both for parents and teens, mostly because researchers have not studied adolescents that well. Although parents agree that they love their teenagers and want them to grow up to be healthy, happy, responsible individuals, many parents admit that they seldom understand what is going on in their teens’ minds.

Dr. Ron Clavier, clinical psychologist, author of Teen Brain, Teen Mind, and featured expert on the LifeSpeak On Demand volume,

Respect in the Workplace: A Business Imperative

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Telling an off-colour joke, slamming a door, shouting at a colleague, swearing, and bullying. There was a time when such behaviours were deemed acceptable in the workplace, tolerated as ways for people to blow off steam or relieve their stress. Societal standards have changed over time and employers now pay more attention to these behaviours. This reflects an understanding that people should not have to work in environments where such actions are habitual, and that disrespectful interactions in the workplace impact organizational achievement.

Christine Thomlinson, employment lawyer and co-founder of Rubin Thomlinson LLP, and expert in the LifeSpeak On Demand video volume, Respect in the Workplace, defines what is unacceptable workplace behavior:

Violence - including threats and attempts at violence (i.e. slamming doors, throwing objects)
...

LifeSpeak launches brand new videos

Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Emerging from a season of Spring showers, May’s blossoms bring thoughts of warmer days and getting outdoors. While many have been spring cleaning, LifeSpeak has been working on producing over 80 brand new videos for the LifeSpeak On Demand online library, to be launched this month.

LifeSpeak On Demand provides 24/7 access to high quality and practical information to help people thrive at work and at home. Presented by LifeSpeak’s exceptional roster of experts, the new volumes range from topics about physical and mental health, relationships, parenting and workplace issues, including:

Asthma 101: Dr. Marjorie L. Slankard, MD and Professor
Be the CEO of Your Own Health: Dr. Larry Ohlhauser, Physician, Consultant and Author
Women/Men’s Health: Dr. Larry Ohlhauser, Physician,...

What’s leadership got to do with it?

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

While it’s a common belief that employees who voluntarily leave their jobs do so because of money or lack of advancement opportunities, the real reason why most people quit is because of negative factors in their current workplace. In fact, 89% of managers believe employees leave for more money, while 88% of employees actually leave for reasons having to do with the job, the culture, the manager or the work environment.¹

According to Melinda Sutcliffe, senior human resources consultant and expert in the LifeSpeak On Demand video volumes on Effective Leadership, studies prove that the number one reason people leave an organization is due to having a poor relationship with their direct supervisor, which in turn influences the quality of their work experience and the culture of the workplace.

With the increasing...

LifeSpeak On Demand springs ahead with new enhancements

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the longer days of Spring! The new season inspires new initiatives at LifeSpeak and we are excited to highlight our most recent additions in this month’s e-newsletter. As we look forward to warmer temperatures, we are working on many more product developments to be rolled out over the rest of this year.

LifeSpeak continues to add interactivity to the LifeSpeak On Demand video library. Our latest features provide greater accessibility and usability, making it even easier to work, learn and thrive.

Enjoy the convenience of listening to our health, wellness and family experts while you’re on the go. LifeSpeak On Demand users can now download audio podcasts of the video volumes to their mobile devices. With this exciting new addition, LifeSpeak On Demand is truly available anywhere, anytime.

We’ve also added a Recommended Volumes...

Small Steps to Big Results: Healthy Eating to Prevent Disease

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Food nourishes our bodies and comforts our souls. Healthy eating is a key element in human development, from prenatal stages to later life stages. Eating well promotes good health and helps minimize the risk of many chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and

Ringing in a Healthy New Year

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Celebrations for the arrival of 2011 are likely accompanied by intentions to eat healthier, get fit, be more productive at work, share more quality time with family and friends. Employers can help employees ring in a healthy new year by offering innovative resources from LifeSpeak.

LifeSpeak enriches employees’ lives by assisting them in better managing the demands of their personal and professional lives. LifeSpeak On Demand online library is a unique e-learning tool that reaches all employees and their families with streaming video clips from leading experts on a wide variety of health, wellness and family topics. LifeSpeak On Demand is a simple and effective virtual tool with a significant impact on an organization’s employee productivity and engagement.

The most recent additions to the LifeSpeak On Demand library include a volume featuring...

Being Present—Improving Productivity and Increasing Quality of Life

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As the year 2010 winds down, many of us find ourselves reflecting on how world events have impacted our lives both personally and professionally. In work, perhaps the major shift in the economy and its slow recovery has caused anxiety about our employer’s future, stress from extra workload, and fear of our job status. Much of what we feel anxious about, experience stress from, and fear are things that are beyond our control but have taken hold of us so strongly that it has affected our ability to stay focused, to overcome obstacles and ultimately to achieve our goals.

Randy Taylor, leadership and personal growth specialist, and featured expert in one of the newest LifeSpeak On Demand video volumes, shares insight on how to manage stress, fear and anxiety. “The greatest challenge that stress and fear present is that it takes us out of the moment. It provides no tangible benefit and leads to a ...

Dealing with Diabetes in the Workplace

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Nine million Canadians live with diabetes or prediabetes, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association, and 1 in 3 people with diabetes don’t know they have it. As one of the top 10 causes of death by disease in Canada, diabetes is a serious growing health concern. Diabetes and its complications are reported to cost the Canadian healthcare system $13.2 billion a year, and is expected to reach $16.9 billion by 2020. Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke, and a leading cause of kidney failure, blindness, and leg and foot amputations. Although diabetes is incurable, complications can be prevented with good diabetes management.

Having diabetes means the body makes little or no insulin and/or the body doesn’t properly use the insulin it makes. The body makes energy it needs to work, think and play by breaking down carbohydrate from food and turning it into glucose (sugar). The body needs the hormone, insulin, to absorb and...

LifeSpeak Launches New Website! — www.lifespeak.com

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

LifeSpeak is excited to launch our refreshed website at www.lifespeak.com. You can now choose your geographical location and your role (Employer, Participant or Strategic Partner) to bring up the information that is relevant to you.

Starting this month, LifeSpeak goes 2.0 with “Ask the Expert”, a new monthly live web chat with a LifeSpeak expert. Available exclusively to LifeSpeak On Demand subscribers, participants can have their questions answered in real time by some of North America’s most respected health, wellness and family specialists. Online chats will be simultaneously translated into several languages and archived on our website for future reference.

LifeSpeak is also introducing greater interactivity and usability with additional functions and enhancements to LifeSpeak...

“The Business of Business”: Promoting Mental Health at Work

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In his 2007 address to members of the Vancouver Board of Trade as Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Chair of the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health, the Honourable Michael Kirby stated that, “Mental health at the workplace is the business of business. It is in the economic interest of employers to work actively to improve the mental wellbeing of their employees.” His emphatic call to action stemmed from the emerging global recognition of the worldwide economic and individual personal costs of mental illness, as documented by the World Health Organization.

The World Health Organization notes that five of the leading worldwide causes of disability worldwide are mental illnesses (major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, alcohol use and obsessive-compulsive disorders). It has been estimated that 20% of the adult (1 in 5 people) working population has some...

Minding Those Ps and Qs: Etiquette at Work

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As children, our mothers constantly reminded us to mind our manners. Turns out she was on to something, according to Peter Drucker, father of modern management. "Manners are the lubricating oil of an organization," Drucker wrote. "It is a law of nature that two moving bodies in contact with each other create friction. This is as true for human beings as it is for inanimate objects. Manners…enable two people to work together whether they like each other or not." ¹

Although it may sound sentimental to encourage employees to get along, good interpersonal etiquette in the workplace is not about fostering friendships and warm feelings. It is about enhancing performance and increasing business effectiveness.

According to Diane Craig, Image and Etiquette Consultant and member of LifeSpeak’s Toronto roster of expert speakers, ...

Understanding & Minimizing the Effects of Shift Work

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

About 30% of employed Canadians, approximately 3 million, work shift—non-standard work hours that cover a wide variety of work schedules. Shift work can consist of fixed shifts or shifts that rotate or change according to a set schedule. The length of shifts can vary between 8 to 12 hours. Shift work is critical to our economy due to our society’s need for around-the-clock provision of medical, transportation, and protection services. Shift work is also common in industrial work, mines, and in workplaces where technical processes cannot be interrupted without affecting the product and/or where expensive equipment is used more profitably when in constant operation.

Although shift work is a job requirement for many employees, there are a number of workers who choose shift work because it allows for more free time or enables their families to manage child care needs. Interest in the effects of shift work on people has grown because...

Put Your Heart Into It: Stroke Prevention in the Workplace

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June is Stroke Awareness Month, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. The prevalence of stroke in Canadians means that most of the population will come face to face with this disease as a personal health crisis or as a loved one’s affliction. Employers have a vested interest in seeing to the heart health of their employees, if for no other reason than that it affects their bottom line—but beyond that, a healthy employee is a productive and resilient one.

The impact from stroke is striking. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Canada. Six percent of all deaths in Canada are due to stroke. More than 50,000 strokes occur in Canada each year. That’s one stroke every 10 minutes. After age 55, the risk of stroke doubles every 10 years. Each year, more than 14,000 Canadians die from stroke and more women than men die from stroke. A stroke survivor has a 20% chance of having...

A Good Night’s Sleep

Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Our mothers all said that it was important for us to get a good night’s sleep, and those of us who are parents likely tell our own kids the same thing. But do we practice what we preach? Studies show that most of us do not, in fact, get the quantity and/or quality of sleep we need in order to perform optimally during our waking hours, and this can have negative effects on all areas of our lives: emotional, physical and professional.

Case in point - most of us have heard the stats on car accidents after we “spring forward” into Daylight Savings Time; this phenomenon also affects on-the-job injury rates. Studies have shown that this change of Daylight Savings has an impact on the number of car accidents and work injuries. One study shows that the number of car accidents increase by 8% on the Monday following Daylight Saving Time. Another study using U.S. government data on mining injuries found that on-the-job...

Difficult Conversations in the Workplace

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

One area where employers have been known to drop the ball in managing their staff is when the time comes to have a difficult conversation with an employee. Employers have been known to make mistakes discussing sensitive issues with their staff; such mistakes can lead to employees feeling attacked by their employer.

The goal in these difficult conversations usually is to address a sensitive matter and resolve it or to talk about a behavior that is problematic. There are certain steps prior to the conversation that the employer should carry out.

Decide who will be present: usually the direct supervisor is adequate however some situations call for representative from the human resources department as well or in some cases an added layer of management: it’s important to make sure the employee doesn’t feel threatened by too many bodies in on the meeting: two company representatives are the...

Coping with Loss: Grief and Bereavement in the Workplace

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

There are few events in life that are more stressful than the death of an immediate family member, be it a spouse, parent, sibling or child. In fact psychologists and psychiatrists describe the loss of a loved one as being the single most difficult life event most individuals will ever have to face. The immense psychological impact of such a loss is well documented as are the mental components the bereaved individual experiences.

It’s important to note that a grieving period is normal and necessary and that the length of the grieving period will vary from person to person. Bereavement leave in Canada provides employees with up to three days of paid leave to deal with the death of a family member and while this standard recognizes that a bereaved employee requires time to settle an estate, attend a funeral or simply have ‘downtime’ in order to deal with their loss, employees...

Recession Aftershocks – Avoiding Employee Burnout

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Employers are feeling a slight sense of relief, and employees who still hold jobs are thankful that their house and car payments can be met and that they didn’t see their jobs disappear in the last round of their companies’ expense cutting efforts. Despite this hesitantly optimistic future the recession will bring aftershocks to the workplace that employers and HR professionals will need to address if they plan on keeping costs down and employees happy. The uncertainty that Mr. Harper refers to is not confined to corporate boardrooms and the cafeteria on Parliament Hill: talk at the water-cooler and among workforces across Canada is about “what’s next?”

The management mantra in most corporations in 2010 is “do more with less” as they continue to manage their businesses with fewer resources (smaller workforces, shrinking budgets) but achieve the same or higher targets and goals as...

Happy New You

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As a result, many people tend to feel like the glass is half empty. But before we know it the holiday season is upon us and topics such as vacation, family, parties and gifts fill our minds. Spirits are lifted as we enter the holiday season, no matter what religion or culture you associate with and the glass suddenly seems more full than empty.

At the end of the holiday season when the guests have gone, our house is empty again, and our pants feel a little tighter. We prepare to go back to work and school and everything else that comes with our normal routine of life. But first we are suddenly hurled into a new year.

Many people make big plans or resolutions for the New Year. Ideas such as “I’m going to exercise regularly” or “I’m going to work harder to get that promotion at work” or “I’m going to make more time for my family” are...

Making it Work after maternity leave

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There is a lot of support for parents returning to work, both from a logistical and emotional point of view. Support groups, websites, fellow working parents and child care options, to name a few, are now widespread. If you take the time to create a well-thought-out plan, it can be a smooth transition for parents and children. Some parents might find it harder than expected emotionally, while others will be surprised by their resiliency.

What about employers? In many cases, companies do not have a set of guidelines or any sort of plan for managers to help ease the transition for parents returning to work after having children. The lack of preparation can often cause both parties to become frustrated and unhappy.

Employers must be aware of the variety of feelings that can overcome a new working mother. For example, guilt is a powerful force that can strike any mother, particularly one who is leaving her child in...

Let’s celebrate Small Business Week

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Companies of all sizes compete for the best and brightest employees. However smaller companies don’t always have the same benefits and resources that larger ones do. The pool of employees will no doubt get smaller over the next 5-10 years, with the retirement of most baby boomers from the workforce. Employees are beginning to recognize this fact and as a result, they demand more from employers. However, what makes one person happy does not necessarily satisfy everyone, with regard to company benefits and culture. Employers must recognize this by differentiating themselves and promoting their company culture and accepting that some will “fit in” and some won’t.

There are many ways a company can stand out from the rest and offer benefits that may be more important to some employees than some of the more common benefits. Most small businesses may not have an onsite gym with a lunchtime Pilates class or a subsidized...

It’s Back To School season…for everyone!

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Busy employees don’t often take the time to think about what type of education or training they wish to pursue. Some are lucky enough to work for an employer who supports education. This type of help can come in many forms. Some employers offer support by allowing an employee to take time out of their busy schedule to attend a course or training session (guilt free!). Others offer financial assistance to people who want to go back to school. Some companies may even offer a course at their offices for employees to attend.

Some governments require companies to invest in employee training. For example, the province of Quebec requires that any company with a payroll of $1 million or more must spend at least 1% of that on employee training. If you are looking for ways to offer training to employees, it might be worthwhile looking into government funding for assistance.

Employee training, in any way, shape or form, comes at a price...

Achieving Work-Life balance

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Further, recent studies indicate many employees work longer hours and spend less time with their families, suggesting more people struggle with work-life balance. This has resulted in a need for people to examine their lifestyles and assess the balance between both aspects of life, according to experts on the subject. “Over the past decade, the idea of balancing work and family life has been portrayed as a notion one should consider, if not put in place immediately”, states social worker and television personality Joe Rich. It is increasingly evident that it can be very helpful to start thinking critically about personal goals and time management and considering how to achieve a suitable work-life balance that works for you.

Changes both in the workplace and in families and family dynamics have contributed to what is considered a growing “imbalance” for many. According to Mr. Rich, trends such as the increased...

Diversity in the Workplace

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Bonnie Gross, President of SpeechScience International, helps companies understand that encouraging diversity at work also inspires employees to perform at their highest ability. Gross believes that “employees from diverse backgrounds bring different talents and experiences that can foster new ideas, address changing markets and customer demands and add some skills that were not there before.” Many employers will agree that without our differences, there would be no creativity or ability to see things from another angle. At the end of the day, regardless of our cultural background, employees all have the same goal at work – profitability of the company. Therefore diversity can be a valuable tool in achieving success.

Over the next several years, the pool of qualified workers will diminish, as the baby boomers retire. This will act as a catalyst to encourage companies to hire more and more qualified foreign workers. Employers...

The Best Place to Work is…

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Each year Canada’s Top 100 Employers publishes a list of this country’s best places to work. In reviewing each employer's application, eight key areas are part of the selection criteria: (1) Physical Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement. (visit www.canadastop100.com for more info). Employers and employees should ask themselves which of the criteria above are more important to them.

As an employer, what is it about your company’s environment and employee benefits program that attracts people to come work there? How can you improve specific aspects of your benefits package to attract the brightest candidates? If...

Summer’s Here... Time to Take a Break!

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Steve Prentice has dedicated his career to understanding the role of the human being in the workplace. A specialist in Industrial Psychology, he explains that “the value of a summer vacation extends far beyond the actual duration of the vacation itself”. It is important for employers to support employees when it comes time to take vacation. If employees feel comfortable taking time off, it will benefit everyone. Prentice adds that “anticipation of an upcoming break is a powerful motivator and stress reliever. Although we must all face difficult workloads and pressures, the awareness of an upcoming holiday can have positive results in terms of reducing stress levels and blood pressure”.

Similarly, adds Mr. Prentice, “the memory of a vacation that has already passed also lives forever, and has similar positive effects”. Although is goes...

Make the Most of Summer Employment

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Do you have a pile of mundane projects sitting on your desk that you have been putting off for months? Maybe you simply don’t have the time or motivation to get them done. Why not employ a summer to do it for you? It is the perfect opportunity to tackle long overdue projects. Things like data entry, organizing files or doing research for a new potential opportunity are not the most exciting projects. However, a summer intern who is interested in your industry would be thrilled to get any experience at your company.

While a summer intern experiments with your company and your industry, you can do the same with them. A summer intern makes for the perfect future employee. They understand your business and they have experienced the company culture. And of course, you have had the opportunity to get to know them as well. It’s like an extended job interview. If it works out in the long run, and you decide to hire an intern after graduation,...

Generational Diversity in the Workplace

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Marion Balla, an expert in team building, communication skills, conflict resolution and principles of progressive leadership explains that "The workplace is comprised of 4 different generations: Traditionalists (1922 -1945), Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964), Gen Xers (1965 – 1980), Gen Y’s (1981 – 2000).” Balla believes that “each group brings different expectations, beliefs and attitudes to the concept of work. Valuing the difference and promoting teamwork to respect diversity and inclusion are essential to productive and healthy workplaces."

So how can we implement an ongoing program to create a cohesive and healthy work environment? We must address each group and find out what they need and want from their colleagues, managers and mentors. Questions like “why do you come to work every day?”, “What are your professional...

Vancouver 2010 Games sponsorship – One year to go!

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Companies as well as individuals can benefit greatly from being part of the events surrounding the games. Corporate sponsorship, or course, brings much sought after exposure and press coverage. Involvement in any local or worldwide event can bring about more than just publicity and good PR. Companies that participate in charitable work foster a culture of community involvement within the organization. This translates into goodwill as well as motivation for employees to get involved in what matters to them.

Volunteering takes many forms: hands-on work such as event planning and community outreach activities, contributing to the operations and events of associations and chapters, board involvement, fundraising and marketing. Whether you are organizing a charity fundraising event, sitting on the board of a non-profit organization or participating in local community programs, you are gaining as much as you are giving.

There are many reasons...

New Year, New You

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In fact, a recent survey revealed that “a quarter of more than the 500 employed Canadians surveyed said their 2009 resolution has to do with their job, a significant jump from 2006, when only 13 per cent said they were striving to make work-related changes”. Why this sudden jump? Certainly the economy is behind it, at least in part. Employees are not feeling as secure in their jobs as they have in recent years, given the rise in layoffs and the decline in the national employment rate. Other employees may simply have become bored with their current work situation and are looking for a new challenge.¹

A new year filled with employees ready to make changes in their work lives can be a boon for employers looking to recharge their workforce. This openness on the part of employees and job-seekers can translate into a much-needed infusion of energy in organizations, whether it be in the form of new hires or current employees who are...

Making the most of networking events

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Start by taking comfort in the knowledge that you are not alone in your fears. The New York Times conducted a survey in which they asked readers to rate their top fears and anxieties. Number one was walking into a room full of strangers, number two was public speaking and number three was death.

Networking events exist because of their undeniable usefulness within the world of business. Particularly in today’s mercurial economic and business climate, making contacts, whether they are immediately useful or not, is essential for both business success and career advancement.

Bonnie Gross, BA, DSPA, SLP, and President of Toronto-based SpeechScience Inc., is a member of LifeSpeak Inc.’s expert speaker roster. Gross offers concrete tips on improving your networking skills and lessening the anxiety which comes with attending networking events:

YOUR VOICE IS YOUR SIGNATURE. Make yours work...

Retirement plans are changing as the economy takes a dive

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The downward spiral of today’s economic conditions has led many people in the Canadian workforce to re-evaluate their plans for retirement. Even after years of careful financial and emotional planning, many people of retirement age are now being forced to consider staying at their job longer or finding something new to replace the savings they have lost over the last few weeks.

A recent poll conducted by the Globe and Mail showed that 49% of respondents believed that “the economic turmoil is causing them to rethink when they will be able to retire.” 1 In addition, a study done by the American Association of Retired People showed that 20% of employed people over 45 did not contribute to their retirement savings accounts in 2008, and 13% had actually withdrawn funds from them.¹

The implications for employers, however, are not so bleak. Gillian Leithman, president and founder of Directions...

Learn, Work & Thrive – On Demand

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A recent survey by World at Work indicated that the number of Canadian employees working at home or via tele-options has grown from 30% - 42% since 2007. This growing trend in workplace dynamics has shifted the way many organizations are implementing and delivering information to their workforce. Employers are rethinking the traditional model of learning – where classroom-like seminars and training programs were the standard method of knowledge delivery.

Technology of course has helped define this change. In fact, mobile technology is a fast-growing area for job-specific training. For example, rather than sending employees on a course off-site, a trainee can learn online, not only from their home or office, but also from on their wireless mobile device. For employers, this is a time and cost-effective strategy, as mobile devices typically cost less than a desktop computer.

As well, employees often now use mobile devices to...

The Workplace Olympics

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Many career experts warn that with the slowing economy, combined with the fast-paced global market, the workplace is seeing more one-upmanships and competitive tactics by employees to stay at the top of their game. In fact, recent interviews report that 38% of 150 Canadian executives believe employees are more competitive today compared to a decade ago.¹

As employers look for the top performers, the pressure to be the best intensifies. Also, if the economy continues its current trend, experts warn that efforts to rise to the top may become even fiercer, as companies look for less-than-stellar employee performance when down-sizing.

While the spirit of competition, even in the workplace, can be a good thing - too much of anything is never good. Thus, the growing competitive nature of the Canadian workplace has become a bitter-sweet scenario – for both employee and employer.

On the one hand,...

The “Plugged-in” Workforce - Anywhere, Anytime

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In fact, employees are demanding it. According to a study by IDC and Nortel, the global workforce is increasingly expecting employers to provide the capability to be mobile, flexible and plugged-in from anywhere. The survey reported that 16% of workers use a minimum of seven devices for work and personal access at least nine applications, including text and instant messaging, web conferencing and social networks. The next group classified in the study as ‘increasingly connected’ comprise approximately 36% of the workforce and use at least four devices. However, as demographics change, the study predicts that the ‘hyper-connected’ users will rise to 40% in five years.¹

Thus, the idea of “Home” and “Work”, as distinctively separate entities is slowly disappearing. Now many employees, especially the younger generations, are plugged-in at all times and, therefore, are...

The Freedom to Flex

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In order to have a shortened work-week, companies use different work schedules to accommodate for the loss in employee productivity time. Many do so by extending workdays to make up for the time off on Fridays. For instance, having employees work an extra 50 minutes per day from Monday to Thursday in order to have a half-day free on Friday is an example of how organizations are able to maintain their hours worked while providing time off on Fridays. Some may ask employees to keep their cell phones on during Friday afternoons, in case they're needed. ¹ Others use summer Fridays in lieu of overtime invested during the year. Yet another option may be to have a full day off every other Friday by putting in additional predetermined time daily for two weeks.

Marjorie Shore, founder of The Coaching Clinic and expert speaker on LifeSpeak’s Toronto roster explains, “summer Fridays are a popular perk that allow employees to get an...

EVPs – The New Triple Threat

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Over the past decade, corporate citizenship has diversified from the traditional cash-only charitable giving to now include a giving of time and talent of their employees. In doing so, not only are companies giving back in a new way, but also they are strategically setting themselves apart from the rest.

There are numerous advantages of having an EVP in a corporation. In fact, it’s been shown that such programs benefits not only the community, but the corporation and the employees as well - truly making EVPs a ‘Triple Threat’ – everybody wins.

In particular, a recent research program from the Imagine Canada (formerly the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy) reported the benefits to the corporation can include¹:

Enhance working relationships, higher morale and greater job satisfaction for employees

...

Trading Briefcases for Diaper Bags

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When it comes to maternity leave, traditionally women would take a leave from work to nurture and rear their new arrival. However, an emerging trend is occurring in the workplace which gives new mothers and fathers a different choice to make – who is going to go on leave? In the last decade or so, there has been an increasing shift to a ‘paternal leave’ - where fathers have the option stay home while mothers return to work.

Statistics Canada reports that 12% of all maternity leaves are taken by fathers. In fact, while the proportion of women who took leave for a child's birth or adoption remained stable between 2001 and 2006, the proportion of men who did so increased. After the government’s decision in 2001 to increase eligibility of benefits and extended parental leave to 35 weeks, the proportion of fathers who took even a partial parental leave rose from 38%...

The Maternal Juggling Act

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Over the last decade, not only are most women coming back to work after the birth of a child, the number of mothers working full-time has increased, whereas part-time working moms has decreased.² This is predominantly due to the fact that many women have a higher level of education than in previous generations and have more work experience because they are having children later in life. Thus, the importance of career is gaining momentum with new mothers and returning to work full-time is become a trend.

Although today’s new mothers feel comfortable with the various high-quality child-care options available in order to return to their career, they still must learn and master the dual roles of Career Woman and Caregiver. Recent polling statistics show that 85% of mothers who are employed outside the home report that they are chronically short of time.¹ Feeling short of time and resources...

United We Stand – Bridging the Generation Gap in the Workplace

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Many of the differences amongst employees fall under workplace diversity, a catch-all term which encompasses age, gender, race and ethnicity, to name a few. In particular, one area of diversity in the workplace is being given even more attention by organizations – generational diversity. Nora Spinks, President of Work-Life Harmony Enterprises and an expert speaker on LifeSpeak’s Toronto roster says, “One of the top stressors in the workplace is the lack of understanding and awareness of generational diversity.” Corporations are realizing the importance of addressing the differences between generations and how that impacts all employees and ultimately, the bottom line.

With several different generations currently within the Canadian workforce, employers must understand and consider the different worldviews, values and expectations of each generation in order to maximize the potential of their human capital.

Generational differences play...

Sit Up! Good Posture Benefits Everyone

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The effects of poor posture include fatigue, reduced concentration, muscular tension and over time, can lead to permanent structural changes (ie. forward rolled shoulders) and injury.

According to the Industrial Accident Prevention Association, work-related sprains and strains account for over 40% of all lost-time injuries in Ontario. While some of these injuries may be related to heavy lifting or physical exertion, many of the injuries reported are due to repetitive strain. This has a direct impact on a company’s productivity, absenteeism rates and disability claims.

LifeSpeak expert speaker, Rob Williams, a Vancouver-based Kinesiologist and owner of Mixx Co-Fitness Studio reveals, “Good posture, on the other hand, improves every system in the body. It can increase productivity at work and can reduce fatigue and injury-related absenteeism.” Undoubtedly, the benefits of good posture are far-reaching – for both individuals and companies....

Green and Great for 2008!

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There are many ways we as consumers can be a little greener, which will not only save the environment, but put dollars in our pocket as well. Simple things such as purchasing re-useable bags, composting, retrofitting our homes and using green energy sources are fantastic ways to personally contribute to the green movement. From cars to technology – almost every business sector has a ‘greener’ alternative for the consumer.

Katherine Magee, founder of Greenopolis.ca and a ‘green’ speaker on LifeSpeak’s Toronto roster reports that “93% of Canadians say they are willing to make changes to solve global warming. Canadians are making those changes at home in order to make a difference: now they expect their employers to make the same changes.” The question is: how can employers make their workplace environment “greener” and why should they bother?

With the ever-growing trend of environmental consciousness, many corporations are now...

Get A Little More Personal At Work

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Getting a little bit personal in the workplace is perceived with much skepticism; however, increasingly, research indicates that making friends at work is a critical predictor of employee engagement and satisfaction. How are personal connections perceived in your workplace? Are efforts made to encourage community building?

Given that we spend more time with the people we work with than we do with almost anyone else in our lives, it is natural to look to colleagues for friendship. In 2004, the Gallup Management Journal's semi-annual Employee Engagement Index asked over 1000 employees about their relationships at work. Their findings contradict the rhetoric of the dangers of workplace friendships. In fact, they concluded that engaged employees are much more likely than others to say that their organization “encourages close friendships at work”.

Fifty-one per cent of employees who...

Getting to the Top: Employers Strive for Recognition

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Deloitte & Touche proudly displays the logos of three of the major national awards they have received on a magazine advertisement. “Our business thrives on attracting, developing and retaining talented people. Which is why we work so hard to create a place where they can excel,” explains the ad that includes the logos of the Report on Business Magazine 50 Best Employers in Canada, the Canadian Business Best Workplaces in Canada, and the Maclean’s list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

Maclean’s recently published their 2008 list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, “the 100 best places in Canada to build a career to fit your life and your goals”. The list recognized both large and small employers from Canada Post Corp. with almost 62,000 Canadian employees to the Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario with just 22 employees.

Suncor Energy Inc. made the 2008...

LifeSpeak Fall Reading Recommendations

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

LifeSpeak is proud to work with many highly respected Canadian experts who have put their advice, insights and strategies down on paper for your reading pleasure.

If you are looking for trustworthy information on a variety of “life” topics ranging from health and wellness to parenting to eldercare, look no further. Although we have not provided a comprehensive list of all the excellent resources written by our experts, the list below provides peek at the diversity of expertise on our national roster.

All of the books listed are available at major Canadian retailers and all of the authors of these books are available for speaking engagements at your organization.

Enjoy!

LifeSpeak Fall Reading Recommendations

The Survival of the Fittest (only moderate exercise required)

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Dean Becker, CEO of Adaptive Learning Systems, was quoted in The Harvard Business Review as saying that “more than education, more than experience, more than training, a person’s level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails.”

This same article on “How Resilience Works” suggests that both resilient individuals and resilient organizations possess three common characteristics.¹ First, they have a keen sense and acceptance of reality. Second, they have enduring core values to draw on and third, they have the ability to improvise and imagine new and different possibilities and solutions.

Are these characteristics innate to ones’ personality or can resiliency skills be fostered and developed? The jury is still out on this but certainly, employers and managers can create an environment in which every individual is more likely to demonstrate resilience than they might be given a difference set of...

Make Time for Leisure, Your Employer Will Thank You

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The importance of taking time for leisure should not be underestimated. Holidays are an obvious opportunity for this, although leisure can also be found in the evenings or on weekends. Any form of play, amusement, or relaxation that takes place outside of your usual work qualifies as leisure and serves as an important stress management strategy.   Leisure activities may be active and challenging or they may be passive and recuperative, both serve the purpose of relieving stress. Hiking, biking, reading, knitting, cooking … whatever it is you enjoy, make sure to find time to fit it into your schedule.

Leisure is a positive diversion or a “time out” from stress inducing situations. It provides an opportunity for rejuvenation and renewal and can help to reduce stress levels. Stress and health have been closely associated for years and any means of cutting through workplace stress is an important contributor to health and well-being....

More Than Just a Bad Day!

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Depression is more than just having a bad day or a bad week. It is an illness that permeates one’s life making it difficult to function normally at home or on the job.

“Everyone feels ‘blue’ from time to time. It’s a normal life experience. But when these emotions increase in intensity, persist for more than a few weeks, and start to interfere with a person’s life, it may signal depression. No amount of ‘cheering up’ can make the depression go away; no amount of exercise, vitamins or vacation can make it disappear. That’s because depression is an illness, not a weakness.”¹

Recognizing depression in a friend can be difficult. A depressed person may appear more withdrawn than usual and may exhibit irritability, despair, slow speech, chronic fatigue and in some cases may turn to abuse of drugs or alcohol. Their performance on the job will likely change as they can have a harder time making decisions, be unable to...

One Thing At A Time – Does Multitasking Really Pay Off?

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

But maybe not. Research is mounting that multi-tasking and interruptions, especially those related to technology, are actually interfering with our ability to complete our work – especially longer projects that require more than a few minutes of thought and attention. For these, focus is the answer.

Research conducted in the United States by Basex shows that interruptions consume 28 percent of the average knowledge worker’s day.¹ While all interruptions cannot and should not be eliminated, bouncing between tasks does take its toll on your productivity.

As you lose focus switching between tasks and attempting to do more than once thing at a time, each task takes longer and you are more likely to make errors along the way. Some employees feel a sense of annoyance, frustration and even anxiety when they are pulled in too many directions at once.

Often the culprit is technology. One quarter of more...

Motherhood and Mortgages: Mom-Friendly Workplaces

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

As moms make up an increasingly important part of the labour force, how can corporate Canada create work environments that better meet their needs?

More than ever, moms today are choosing to remain in the workforce. Perhaps they have their eye on the corner office. Perhaps they love their work and enjoy the challenge and adult interaction. But perhaps they work because it makes economic sense or because it’s an economic necessity.

Although they may enjoy their work, the later situation is the case for many working moms. While some moms might prefer to spend more time at home, many cannot. For some families, it’s just not an affordable option. Statistics from the Vanier Institute of the Family are stark and show that families with only one working parent are five times more likely to live below the poverty line.¹

Given that...

Expert Opinion on the Evolving Efforts of Work-Life Effectiveness

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Judith Finer-Freedman is the founder of WorkLife Juggle©, a consulting service that specializes in assisting organizations to take action to support the needs of employees. She also works with graduate students to better evaluate companies’ family friendly attributes. Her doctoral dissertation entitled, The Unfriendly Realities of Family-Friendly Policies, at the University of Toronto is the subject of her seminars at academic and industry conferences. A native of Oklahoma, she resides in Toronto with her husband and their three children.

Q: Over the last ten years, how have employees’ attitudes towards work and their employers changed?

If we look back over the last ten years, it’s hard to remember what our work lives were like before the advent of Blackberrys and immediate access to the Internet. Technology has changed the availability of...

The Wisdom of Youth: Generational Considerations in the Workplace

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Meet the next generation of managers, leaders and CEOs. While their approach to work may be differ from the norm, maybe they’re on to something.

Consider the boiled frog analogy used by Linda Duxbury recently at the WorkLife BC Conference held in Vancouver. Boomers are what Duxbury, an acclaimed researcher of matters pertaining to work-life conflict and a professor at Carleton University’s School of Business, terms “boiled frogs”.

Research shows that frogs placed in a pot of water that is slowly heated until it reaches a boil will not jump out of the pot. They will remain in the water as it heats up and until they eventually die. However, a frog that is placed directly into a pot of already boiling water will immediately jump out knowing they cannot survive under such circumstances.

And such is the case of today’s workplace. More senior employees are typically part of the Baby Boom demographic and over their...

An Apple A Day: Corporate Strategies for Better Nutrition

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Poor employee nutrition contributes to increased corporate insurance and health benefit costs, increased absenteeism and decreased productivity. In Canada, more than 5.5 million Canadian adults are obese¹ and according to the International Labour Office (ILO), “in wealthier nations, obesity accounts for 2 to 7 per cent of total health costs.”²

The good news is that employers can impact employee eating habits. As the ILO states, “providing healthy food at work is the best way to get people to eat at least one healthy meal a day.” Assisting employees in better managing their nutrition and health is an achievable component of any organization’s overall health and wellness strategy.

For example, Research in Motion offers the Healthy@RIM program, which helps create an environment that supports employees in their efforts to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle. As part of the program, full-time employees have access to blood...

The Age Old Question: Eldercare Responsibilities and the Workplace

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. Gordon lives in Toronto. He is a geriatrician, Vice President of Medical Services at the Baycrest Geriatric Health Care System in Toronto and a speaker on LifeSpeak’s national expert roster. Through the LifeSpeak program, he frequently presents at workplaces about the challenges associated with caring for an aging loved one.

His is a familiar story; similar to the stories that he hears from many of his patients and their families. There are early concerns related to providing elders with extra assistance with daily tasks. Perhaps things are being missed: the house is dirty, there is no fresh food in the refrigerator, and the bills are not being paid. The situation often escalates. There may be a fall and suddenly a family becomes entrenched in discussions about care options.

“People’s experiences with eldercare are remarkably similar, with individual differences,” explains Gordon. “It can be an intense responsibility to...

Employees’ Lives Outside Of Work – They Are Your Business

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This is old news. Five years ago, Duxbury & Higgins surveyed employees from diverse industries across Canada and found that the majority of employees in the sample were experiencing high to moderate levels of role overload (i.e., having too much to do in a given amount of time). Employees who were responsible for the care of others (e.g., childcare and / or eldercare) were more likely to experience productivity losses due to increased absences, tardiness, stress and such time-wasters as excessive use of the phone.¹

We understand that Canadians have a lot on their plate, but how much, really? What are the demands and pressures facing today’s average Canadian worker?
According to Statistics Canada almost half of the Canadian population over the age of 15 is married and another 10% are living common law. Further, 46% of the labour force has children at home and almost 20% of Canadians over the age of 45 are providing care to one or more...

Growing, Expanding and Hiring

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

2006 has been such a successful year that we are hiring! We are currently looking for motivated and dynamic professionals in Toronto, Calgary and Montreal. Please visit the “Join The Team” page on our website for more information.

Introducing LifeSpeak’s New Partnership with Workopolis
Read more about this exciting new initiative by visiting the Employer section of Workopolis.com to see LifeSpeak’s Employer Article
entitled “LifeSpeaking”

We are very excited to...

Congratulations to Our Speakers’ on Their Many Recent Successes

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

As you can see from their impressive accomplishments, LifeSpeak has a wealth of knowledge to draw upon and share with organizations and their employees. The speakers highlighted below can address issues around:

Humour
Organization
Mental Health
Nutrition
Fitness
Balance
Parenting
Bullying
And many more topics.

If you are interested in having any of these speakers into your workplace, please be in touch (info@lifespeak.ca).

Bill Belsey, Bullying Educator, Calgary
Bill is the President of Bullying.org Canada, a non-profit, multiple award-winning project that was created to help people around the world deal...

Celebrating Healthy Workplaces

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Canada’s Healthy Workplace Week began in 2001 to help increase awareness of how important healthy workplaces are to both the short and long term success of organizations. CHWW is under the direction and leadership of the Canadian Healthy Workplace Council.

“The Council believes that creating healthy workplaces is more than just a good idea; there is a solid business case to be made. According to Dr. Graham Lowe, a well-known Canadian researcher, workplace health is an economic issue linked to the overall performance of the local economy. Unhealthy workforces are costing organizations in Canada billions of dollars every year. Statistics Canada indicates that the cost from all causes of employee absence alone is about $8.6 billion per...

Work-life conflict costs all industries

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

LifeSpeak supports companies in the not for profit and private sectors and tens of thousands of their employees in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and elsewhere. Our clients include a hospital, financial institutions, oil & gas companies, pharmaceutical, technology, and consumer packaged goods companies, automotive and media companies as well as professional service organizations including law and accounting firms.

The “National Study on Balancing Work and Family” conducted five years ago by Duxbury & Higgins surveyed employees from diverse industries across Canada and came to several significant conclusions.

The research produced many key findings including the following:

Employees who are responsible for the care of others (childcare / eldercare) are more likely to experience productivity...

Real Strategies Real Impact

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The winning submission will receive a valuable resource library from Wiley Canada of five books written by some of LifeSpeak’s expert speakers.   Read on for a few true Real Strategies Real Impact stories from workshop participants.

Did you know that 97% of feedback respondents indicate that they walk away from the LifeSpeak workshops with at least one suggestion that will save them time and energy?

This month we want to hear how a LifeSpeak workshop changed your day to day thinking, acting or feeling.

Did a speaker provide you with a tip that changed your parenting strategy?
Do you approach your work-life balance challenges or your health regime differently?
Have you spoken to your parents recently about any of the challenges you and they can expect to face as they age?
Did you meet someone new who you can now...

Work-Life Quality: A Sticky Subject?

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

As Mark Hollingworth highlights in LifeSpeak’s June e-newsletter, the quality of work-life has emerged as a leading issue for both employers and employees. This has not been an over-night development. Work-life issues and the importance of a positive work environment have been well documented by numerous Canadian researchers and experts – Linda Duxbury, Graham Lowe, Martin Shain, Nora Spinks, Judith Martin, Deb Jones and others for over 10 years.

Despite compelling evidence, we have a long journey ahead to make tangible progress in work-life quality. Employees increasingly comment on the negative impact of chronically high workloads and an unsupportive work environment. Communities experience the consequences of families struggling to keep pace and in some cases pay a high price through family violence, high school drop-out rates or crime. Employers continue to pay an extremely high cost related...

Consider This Month’s Workshops

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Location: Vancouver
Industry: Professional Services - Consulting

From LifeSpeak’s Vitality At Work program…

Eating for Energy: Simple Changes to Maximize Energy, Health and Weight
Food is fuel! Establishing a consistent energy state is key to meeting both your fitness and health goals. A hectic schedule can make eating a healthy diet and maintaining your stamina a challenge. In this workshop, you will learn to make simple changes to maximize health and energy. You will also learn the secrets of fat loss without deprivation.

Speaker: Diana Steele
Diana Steele, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, is the managing partner of Eating for Energy, a thriving nutrition consulting company with four locations throughout the...

Introducing Our Bilingual Montreal Speaker Roster

Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

What is most unique about the LifeSpeak offering in Montreal is our strong and growing bilingual roster of expert speakers. In the coming months, acclaimed experts will lead workshops in both English and French as part of customized bilingual annual programs designed to meet the specific needs of our clients’ employees.

Our Montreal speaker roster includes English speaking experts such as Dr. Steven Grover and Dr. Joe Schwarcz as well as French speaking experts such as Francine Ferland and Roxanne Saulnier. These speakers are just a sample of the over 125 excellent speakers on the LifeSpeak roster across the country.

Francine Ferland, Occupational Therapist and Professor
Francine Ferland is an Occupational Therapist, a Professor in the Université de Montréal’s Occupational Therapy Program and holds a M.Sc. (Health Sciences) from McGill University. Ms. Ferland...

Why have you invested in the LifeSpeak programs? Employer Testimonials

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The implementation of the LifeSpeak programs ensures the consistent delivery of high-quality workshops on a variety of topics related to the health, resilience and well-being for all employees. By offering workshops from the Parents At Work, Vitality At Work, and Generations At Work programs, employers are clearly demonstrating their support for their employees. This positively impacts employee morale, enhances retention and recruitment, improves employee productivity and contributes to a better workplace.

Here is what some of our clients have to say about LifeSpeak and the importance of investing in their people:

BDO Dunwoody LLP, Silvia Marabeti, Director of Human Resources, Toronto Region
“It's tough being a parent, especially when you're a single parent or your partner works...

What Employees are Saying About the LifeSpeak Programs?

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

In the approximately thirty workshops that LifeSpeak has hosted across the country already in 2006, participants are consistently saying the same things!

We learn valuable information at the workshops that saves us time and energy.

“Excellent workshop! It was very honest and practical and very sensible advice was offered." – Calgary
“The speaker was very informative and the topic was great.” – Toronto
“I will apply this information to my own personal life. Thanks!” – Toronto
“Good practical & applicable suggestions.” – Toronto
“Good tips with the possibility of immediate results.” – Toronto
“I loved the great handouts!” – Vancouver
“Super ideas, can't wait to try them out!” – Vancouver
“The workshop offered practical advice that can be incorporated into people’s busy lives.”...

Highlighting Our Calgary Speaker Roster

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT
This month we will be launching LifeSpeak Inc. in Calgary. We are thrilled to continue our expansion across the country and will be celebrating our entrance into the Calgary market on the morning of February 28th, 2006. Our founding partners include leaders in the oil and gas industry as well as professional service firms from the law and accounting professions.

In the coming months, acclaimed experts will lead workshops at organizations across Calgary as part of customized annual programs designed to meet the specific needs of clients’ employees.

Our Calgary speaker roster includes speakers such as Dr. Scott Wooding, Lisa Brown and Maureen Osis who will be addressing topics from each of LifeSpeak’s three program areas. These are just a sample of the over 100 excellent speakers on the LifeSpeak roster across the country.

Parents At Work:...

Generations At Work - Managing The Added Strain of Eldercare Responsibilities

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

“A significant proportion of the Canadian workforce is having difficulties balancing the competing roles of employee, parent, spouse, and eldercare giver,” found the October 2003 study, Where To Work in Canada?, by Dr. Duxbury and Dr. Higgins. The study confirmed that caring for aging family members can add significantly to a person’s sense of overload and strain. In fact 1 in 10 Canadians have missed work due to eldercare concerns.   The study goes on to report that “the heavier demands faced by [the percentage of the workforce that have eldercare and sandwich responsibilities] needs to be addressed by employers in all parts of Canada.”

As quoted in a New York Times Article in November 2005, "Smart corporations are paying attention" to the challenges that caring for elderly parents presents, said Meryle Mahrer-Kaplan, vice president of advisory services at...

2005 in Review

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

This past year has been one of exceptional growth for LifeSpeak. We are currently providing workshops available to our clients’ 20,000+ employees across the country and are working with a group of incredibly knowledgeable and dynamic experts in a wide variety of fields. We are offering three complimentary workplace programs (Parents At Work, Vitality At Work, and Generations At Work) with the help of 12 LifeSpeak professionals working in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

To date, the feedback from our clients has been exceptional. 100% of clients have renewed their contracts with LifeSpeak. Our goal for 2006 is to continue to provide the highest quality programming and certainly meet or exceed the feedback statistics shown below:

99% of workshop participants believe that the LifeSpeak workshop environment is comfortable and supportive;
98% walk away from the workshops with at least...

National expansion continues

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

After running the program successfully in Toronto for a year, law firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP has announced that it will be offering the LifeSpeak programs in its offices across the country. In a recent article published in the National Post, Sean Weir, national managing partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, expressed his support of programs like LifeSpeak that provide support to employees:

"We want happy people, healthy people, and from a business perspective, productive people," said Mr. Weir. "If things are hectic at home, then employees won't be happy at work. It's up to us to support our staff." Click here to read the complete article by Michelle McQuigge. “The benefits of happy workers” - National Post, Financial Post - October 5, 2005

We also recently welcomed two new members...

Launching LifeSpeak

Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT

LifeSpeak is dedicated to bringing information and support to busy employees in the workplace to help them thrive in all that they do. The Parents At Work program continues to offer support for working parents, the Vitality At Work program addresses topics on well-being and resilience for all busy people and the Generations At Work program aims to assist employees in planning the care of aging family members.

We are also very excited about our ongoing national expansion. This fall the LifeSpeak programs will be offered in Vancouver. We applaud our three founding Vancouver partners Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, and McCarthy Tétrault LLP for supporting their employees in all that they do.

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De-Mystifying Teenagers

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LifeSpeak launches brand new videos

What’s leadership got to do with it?

LifeSpeak On Demand springs ahead with new enhancements

Small Steps to Big Results: Healthy Eating to Prevent Disease

Ringing in a Healthy New Year

Being Present—Improving Productivity and Increasing Quality of Life

Dealing with Diabetes in the Workplace

LifeSpeak Launches New Website! — www.lifespeak.com

“The Business of Business”: Promoting Mental Health at Work

Minding Those Ps and Qs: Etiquette at Work

Understanding & Minimizing the Effects of Shift Work

Put Your Heart Into It: Stroke Prevention in the Workplace

A Good Night’s Sleep

Difficult Conversations in the Workplace

Coping with Loss: Grief and Bereavement in the Workplace

Recession Aftershocks – Avoiding Employee Burnout

Happy New You

Making it Work after maternity leave

Let’s celebrate Small Business Week

It’s Back To School season…for everyone!

Achieving Work-Life balance

Diversity in the Workplace

The Best Place to Work is…

Summer’s Here... Time to Take a Break!

Make the Most of Summer Employment

Generational Diversity in the Workplace

Vancouver 2010 Games sponsorship – One year to go!

New Year, New You

Making the most of networking events

Retirement plans are changing as the economy takes a dive

Learn, Work & Thrive – On Demand

The Workplace Olympics

The “Plugged-in” Workforce - Anywhere, Anytime

The Freedom to Flex

EVPs – The New Triple Threat

Trading Briefcases for Diaper Bags

The Maternal Juggling Act

United We Stand – Bridging the Generation Gap in the Workplace

Sit Up! Good Posture Benefits Everyone

Green and Great for 2008!

Get A Little More Personal At Work

Getting to the Top: Employers Strive for Recognition

LifeSpeak Fall Reading Recommendations

The Survival of the Fittest (only moderate exercise required)

Make Time for Leisure, Your Employer Will Thank You

More Than Just a Bad Day!

One Thing At A Time – Does Multitasking Really Pay Off?

Motherhood and Mortgages: Mom-Friendly Workplaces

Expert Opinion on the Evolving Efforts of Work-Life Effectiveness

The Wisdom of Youth: Generational Considerations in the Workplace

An Apple A Day: Corporate Strategies for Better Nutrition

The Age Old Question: Eldercare Responsibilities and the Workplace

Employees’ Lives Outside Of Work – They Are Your Business

Growing, Expanding and Hiring

Congratulations to Our Speakers’ on Their Many Recent Successes

Celebrating Healthy Workplaces

Work-life conflict costs all industries

Real Strategies Real Impact

Work-Life Quality: A Sticky Subject?

Consider This Month’s Workshops

Introducing Our Bilingual Montreal Speaker Roster

Why have you invested in the LifeSpeak programs? Employer Testimonials

What Employees are Saying About the LifeSpeak Programs?

Highlighting Our Calgary Speaker Roster

Generations At Work - Managing The Added Strain of Eldercare Responsibilities

2005 in Review

National expansion continues

Launching LifeSpeak