Dr. Day is a long-standing advocate, researcher and WWi partner in the mission of creating psychologically healthy workplaces for all. In this in-depth conversation, we learn that healthy workplaces are attainable through designated effort and active approaches from not only leaders but everyone within the organization.
This discussion also looks to change the perspective of psychologically healthy workplaces being an outcome to work towards, but rather, a culture that also continually supports the desired workplace function. Through this holistic approach lens, Dr. Day offers several practical tools and actions, including her signature easy to remember acronyms, all informed through her many years of research, projects, programs and expertise.
About Dr. Arla Day
Dr. Arla Day is a Professor in Occupational Health Psychology at Saint Mary’s University and Director of the CN Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (www.cncohs.ca) a training, research, and community outreach centre at Saint Mary’s. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association and was a Canada Research Chair for 10 years. She was awarded an Erskine Fellowship from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand to teach and conduct research on psychologically healthy workplaces. Arla served as an international advisor on the Stockholm Stress Centre’s Advisory Board, was on the American Psychological Association’s Psychology in the Workplace Committee. She also chaired the Nova Scotia Psychological Healthy Workplace Program committee for 15 years.
Dr. Day’s research and consulting work revolves around developing and validating effective organizational initiatives to create healthy workers and workplaces. She has authored articles, books, and book chapters on psychologically healthy workplaces, workplace respect and civility, leadership, employee stress and well-being, and work-life balance. She works closely with organizations to share best practices to help them develop their workplaces.
She is the project lead for the WAGE-funded iLEAD Project (Inclusive Leadership, Equity, and Diversity; www.cncohs.ca/ilead, which examines how to foster inclusive leadership and inclusive workplaces. She was the Project Director for the SSHRC/CIHR-funded EMPOWER Partnership, a collaborative group of researchers and organizations, workplace experts, and stakeholders, whose goals are to provide evidence-based solutions to foster healthy workplaces by supporting workers, strengthening work groups, and developing leaders (www.empowerpartnership.org).