Well at Work
When staff are well, students flourish
Our rapidly changing world is placing new pressures on Canadian K-12 education systems, contributing to high levels of stress, anxiety and burnout among K-12 staff. The related staffing shortages are disrupting education and taxing our fiscal and human resources. We are building a movement to foster healthier workplaces that allow for better outcomes for everyone in K-12 education.
Developed by the EdCan Network, Well at Work supports education leaders across Canada to develop comprehensive, systemic, and data-driven approaches to workplace wellbeing to improve K-12 workplace wellbeing for the long term.
Join our pan-Canadian community of passionate K-12 workplace wellbeing champions:
Check out our free online resources:
Take meaningful action in your school district with:
Why choose Well at Work?
Choose to Support a National Charitable Organization
Well at Work, a core initiative of the EdCan Network, directs all our proceeds toward advancing our primary purpose: equipping education professionals with research-informed tools and a supportive network where everyone flourishes.
Embracing Shared Responsibility
We see workplace wellbeing as a shared responsibility among employers, employees and representative unions/associations. Everyone has a crucial role in fostering a healthier work environment.
Systemic Approach
We focus on long-term, sustainable change by embedding wellbeing into school district structures, policies and practices, and culture. Our approach goes beyond individual wellness strategies to address the underlying issues affecting employee wellbeing.
Building Your Capacity
Our goal is to bolster the capacity of district teams through research-based professional learning, and practical strategies, for sustained progress for workplace wellbeing.
Successful Canadian Approach
Developed specifically for educators in Canada, Well at Work builds on successful evidence-based Canadian models.
Experienced and Adaptable Advisors
Well at Work Advisors are experienced Canadian K-12 system leaders who actively contribute to our pan-Canadian learning community, offering collective expertise.
Our Approach
Well at Work’s research-informed approach emphasizes systemic strategies, such as changes that involve employees’ voice, participation and increased control over their work environment, as these have been shown to be the most effective strategies for improving employee wellbeing.
Throughout our work, we take a comprehensive approach to workplace wellbeing, focused on organizational strategies at the school district level that improve workplace wellbeing for all employees.
We believe psychological health and safety is a foundation for an inclusive and diverse workplace that protects and promotes the wellbeing of all employees. Read more in this article.
Wellbeing is a Shared Responsibility
Based on our research and experience, we believe that workplace wellbeing is a shared responsibility between employees, their employers, and the unions/associations representing the employees. Successful workplace wellbeing initiatives provide authentic, ongoing opportunities for employee input, include unions as partners, and work to address the issues affecting wellbeing.
Improving workplace wellbeing takes:
Individual actions that employees take to support their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others;
Collaborative actions where groups of employees act to support workplace wellbeing and create positive workplace cultures; and
Systemic actions by the school district to support workplace wellbeing such as updates to policies, practices, priorities and structures, and authentic employee engagement.
Bringing this lens to workplace wellbeing helps K-12 employees and system leaders move from a position of blame or waiting for someone else to solve the problem towards one of engagement where everyone sees their role in contributing to a healthy, welcoming, and supportive workplace.
New & Upcoming
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A Pan-Canadian Snapshot: Psychological Safety in Canadian Education
This fact sheet shares pan-Canadian insights from the Guarding Minds at Work survey, based on the EdCan’s Well at Work Advisors work with Canadian school districts and data collected by Mental Health Research Canada.
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Leadership Wellbeing Workshop
Focus on your personal wellbeing and develop systems and supports to thrive.
*Free for EdCan members. -
2023-24 Professional Learning Opportunities
Are you a Canadian school district looking to enhance workplace wellbeing but unsure where to start? Explore our professional learning opportunities, starting this fall. They can also be customized to meet the unique needs of your school district.