WCB – Alberta supports employees to do ‘noble’ work

The CEO of the Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta says its employees need to be strong and resilient, and well.

“We do noble, important work. We help injured workers with their recovery and to get back to work and to life,” says Trevor Alexander, president and CEO. “But it’s difficult work. We are dealing with people when they are stressed and often very emotional. So, our employees need to be strong and know they are supported. That is why we have a big focus on wellness.”

This focus includes having a corporate wellness department that handles health, safety and wellness programs. The Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) provides online resources to support employees with personal and professional challenges. Its employee and family assistance program offers 24/7 services to support mental health and other life stresses.

Employees are encouraged to participate in Mental Health Commission of Canada-certified programs (The Working Mind and Mental Health First Aid) that help participants identify poor mental health and provide skills to manage stress and mental health. An active social committee regularly plans events, such as doughnut days and pancake breakfasts to coincide with summer festivals, and employees can also earn days off through banking extra time worked.

“We treat our team members as a whole person, not just employees,” Alexander says. “We all have our difficult times. So, we want to help our employees feel stronger and happier. When we do that, we are also more successful in our work.”

Tania Lacroix, disability advisor, corporate wellness, appreciates that WCB’s employee benefits offer flexibility with paramedical services (such as psychology, chiropractic and massage therapy) to allow employees to tailor their benefits to cover the services they need the most. She is also grateful for how the organization handled the switch to a hybrid work model following working from home during the pandemic.

“They turned to us and asked about our experience working from home and they really listened. They wanted people to feel heard and understood,” Lacroix says.

When employees reported they were happy with the flexibility and work-life balance that operating from home provides, WCB instituted a hybrid model. While there are general guidelines the whole organization must follow, each department has devised a hybrid schedule that fits its needs.

Lacroix is also proud of WCB’s ergonomic program, which she used to facilitate. The program educates employees on taking breaks and how to set up a work station, and provides ergonomic equipment for working from home and at the office following a personalized assessment.

“I am using an ergonomic chair at home that I would not have been able to get for myself, so I am very thankful for that,” Lacroix says. “We really work to fit the needs of each person. We were able to bring some people back to work who otherwise may not have physically been able to work in the office. We were able to help them continue to be part of the workforce. It was really rewarding to see that happen.”

Lacroix says all of these programs underline the message that taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do.

“It is hard to do your job if you are going through something and you don’t have support,” she says. “It is important that we support employees in their personal life so they can do their work and thrive at home and at the office.

“It sends the message that we care that you are okay and if you are not, that we want to help. It makes me feel like I matter, not just as an employee but as a person.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Alberta’s Top Employers winners, published January 31, 2023 in the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.