A supportive workplace culture means the workplace promotes physical and mental
health. There are many areas that organizations can target to improve the health
outcomes of employees such as social support, workplace culture, job control, effortreward balance, work structure, communication, organizational change processes and
management style.
High levels of workplace related stress can negatively affect personal health practices
and organizational culture. A comprehensive workplace health promotion strategy can
be used to create a healthy organization.
In a supportive workplace culture employees have adequate job training, a sense of
fairness and respect on the job, work-life balance, some control over how their work is
completed and are rewarded adequately for their efforts. In an ideal workplace, efforts
are made to manage and prevent workplace conflict and help is available to assist
employees in times of distress.1
By addressing organizational culture issues that affect employee health, efforts to
promote workplace health will be more effective.
Definition of Success
 Negative organizational factors are identified and plans are in place to make
improvements
 Employees and management have opportunities to learn skills in communication,
leadership and conflict prevention/resolution
 During organizational changes employees are kept well informed and efforts are
made to minimize employee stress
 Management staff use positive practices that promote work-life balance and ensure
reasonable workloads
 Management role model healthy behaviours
 Employees are encouraged to leave their desks/work area to eat lunch
 Employee work efforts are rewarded with non-food rewards
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Organizational Culture
Organizational Culture
1.0 Needs Assessment

Identify negative organizational cultural factors in your workplace using surveys or interviews. 2
Once problems with organizational culture are identified, take steps to address priority areas
2.0 Evaluation Indicators

Monitor employee satisfaction with training, communication and overall job satisfaction

Monitor other workplace indicators that can reflect employee satisfaction such as turnover,
sick time, complaints, staff negativity and labour grievances
3.0 Creating a Supportive Workplace Culture
Skill Building Opportunities

Teach managers how to identify and support people who are struggling with work/life balance,
heightened work demands or problems with mental health.1 Reallocate work when necessary
to reduce workload2

Provide skill building sessions for managers, supervisors and employees in communication,
leadership and conflict prevention and resolution.2 Staff development and training courses
aimed at developing interpersonal skills in the workplace may have additional benefits for
employees when they are outside work3
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Supportive Management Practices

Improve management practices by consulting employees about their work, negotiating
workload with employees, using two-way communication and offering constructive feedback to
employees2,3

Keep demands on employee time and energy reasonable and provide adequate recognition
for work well done3,4

Ensure that working conditions and job demands do not negatively influence employees’
personal relationships3

Corporations could consider ways in which they can make a positive contribution to the
community in which they are located, for example, through corporate community involvement3

Management should encourage employees to take their breaks and leave their work areas to
enjoy lunch

Management should role model healthy behaviours and support healthy eating strategies in
the workplace (e.g., take their lunch breaks, follow policies that support healthy eating)

Ensure managers provide clear and consistent information when organizational change
occurs3

During periods of job insecurity, resolve matters quickly to minimize the health consequences
of exposing workers to a chronic stressor. Workers should be kept well informed of any
changes to reduce rumour and anxiety and maintain job satisfaction3
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Rewarding Employees
Employees are motivated in their work when they know that they have made a difference in the
organization. Sometimes, small gestures such as a verbal acknowledgement or a hand-written
note of thanks can go a long way to show employees that their efforts are appreciated.
Occasionally, employees may also desire other forms of rewards such as a party or a tangible
reward to celebrate their achievements.
Ask employees what types of rewards motivate them. Here are some ideas for rewarding
employees for a job well done:

Give written recognition from supervisor, manager or human resources (e.g., letter of
recognition, hand-written notes, certificates of achievement, etc.)

Give verbal recognition from supervisor or manager (e.g., positive feedback, making an
announcement in team meetings, etc.)

Ask employees nominate other co-workers for awards or honourable mentions

Give special privileges (e.g., an afternoon off or flexible hours)

Provide a healthy staff lunch or dinner (e.g., chili with a whole wheat bun and a salad,
healthy pizza with salad or fruit dessert) or other perks such as “Fresh Fruit Fridays”

Provide employees with requested equipment when group targets are met

Provide opportunities to learn new skills (e.g., internal job shadow, educational activities,
or other opportunities for individual growth)

Give gift cards for malls, local stores, entertainment, sporting events, a spa day, a
massage, bookstores, downloadable music, etc.

Have employees draw from an assortment of random prizes

Have management complete a task for employees, such as cooking a healthy meal,
serving in the cafeteria, car wash etc.

Have an office event during a special holiday or occasion with awards given out for the
best team decoration
Make considerations about when rewards are given and make sure that there is a fair and
consistent process for rewarding employees. Give individual and team rewards when they are
warranted. Also keep in mind that rewards that are given often may eventually be expected by
employees, which begin to feel like more entitlements rather than rewards – in this case be
spontaneous and creative in your employee rewards!
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Organizational Culture References
1. Canadian Mental Health Association. Comprehensive
Workplace Health Promotion – Affecting Mental
Health in Workplace. Available at:
http://wmhp.cmhaontario.ca/comprehensive-workplacehealth-promotion-affecting-mental-health-in-theworkplace.
2. World Health Organization. Healthy workplaces: A
model for action for employers, workers, policy-makers
and practitioners. 2010.
3. Work stress and health: The Whitehall II study.
London, England: Published by Public and Commercial
Services Union on behalf of Council of Civil Service
Unions/Cabinet Office; 2004.
4. Shain M, Kramer DM. Health promotion in the
workplace: Framing the concept; reviewing the
evidence. Occup Environ Med. 2004;61:643-8, 585.
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