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Events, Initiatives and Training

Healthy us. Healthy campus. Rise and thrive at Ontario Tech.

Your Human Resources health and wellness supports and services, including the Healthy Workplace Committee are committed to providing the university community with opportunities to engage in activities that promote employee optimal health and well-being. Check out this web page often for updates on offerings that support a holistic approach to building a healthier workplace. 

Do you have an idea for an event, speaker or initiative? The Healthy Workplace Committee welcomes your input, email wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca.

Current and Upcoming

  • Seeking your feedback on the Mental Health Action Plan: October 1-31

    Last October, the Mental Health Action Plan (MHAP) launched to support employee mental health and well-being. Our team continues to look for ways to support your mental health and well-being, so as we celebrate the 1-year anniversary, we invite you to share your feedback.

    Ways to provide feedback

    • Focus Groups: Register for an upcoming session according to your role.
      • Individual Contributor Cohort Dates
        • Thursday, October 9 (11 a.m. to Noon)
        • Wednesday, October 22 (9 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
        • Tuesday, October 28 (3 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
      • Leader Cohort Dates
        • Friday, October 10 (9 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
        • Monday, October 20 (11 a.m. to Noon)
        • Wednesday, October 29 (2 p.m. to 3 p.m.)

    • Email Elise Arbic (elise.arbic@ontariotechu.ca), Employee Health and Wellness Manager, to schedule a 1:1 meeting.

    • If you are unable to attend a Focus Group session or meet 1:1 with Elise, please use this Feedback eForm, which is available from Oct. 1-31.
  • Cybersecurity 101: Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Tuesday, October 7

    In today’s digital environment, safeguarding personal and professional information is more important than ever. This session will share best practices for protecting your data, strengthening account security, recognizing social engineering attempts, and securing your devices.

    Whether you’re new to cybersecurity or just need a refresher, this session will provide valuable knowledge to help protect yourself and the university from cyber threats. We encourage all staff and faculty to register so we can help keep our community safe.

    Date: Tuesday, October 7
    Time: Noon to 1 p.m.
    Location: Virtual
    Target Audience: Faculty/Staff

    Register Here!

  • Ontario Tech Puzzles - Vote for your favourite by Friday, October 17

    We’ve heard that puzzles bring teams together, to socially connect and work toward a common, fun goal, so we are launching Ontario Tech Puzzles, a puzzle lending program!  Images that represent Ontario Tech will be turned into puzzles which will be available for you/your team to borrow and complete.

    Visit the Ontario Tech Puzzle web page to view the images and vote for your favourite image(s) until Friday, October 17.

  • Mindful Mondays: October 20-November 24, 2025

    The program is designed to attract participants who are interested in developing a regular practice, grounded in mindfulness, that supports wellness and resilience. The program will also be helpful to participants who are interested in specific topics and wish to attend select sessions rather than the entire series. Everyone is welcome.

    Session Structure:

    Each session occurs from Noon to 1 p.m. and will consist of the following structure:

    1. Opening with a settling practice
    2. Followed by approximately 10 minutes of introduction to the session theme 
    3. The Primary Practice for about 15 minutes
    4. Reflection about the practice experience 
    5. Remaining time for open group discussion  
    6. Closure with a brief practice

     

    Session 1:  Mindfulness of the Body on October 20, 2025

    Mindfulness of the Body involves learning to focus in on physical sensations to anchor yourself in the present moment while cultivating a mindset of curiosity and kindness. 

    REGISTER

    Session 2: Working with the Breath on October 27, 2025

    Mindfulness of the Breath is a way of training your attention on the natural rhythm and sensations of your breath that helps anchor yourself in the present moment. 

    REGISTER

    Session 3: Mindful Walking on November 3, 2025

    Mindfulness of walking is a meditation that transforms an ordinary activity into a reflective practice by paying attention to every step, feeling the ground, the breath and the movement of your body.

    REGISTER

    Session 4:  Mindful Eating on November 10, 2025

    Mindfulness of eating is a practice of fully engaging in the experience of eating, using all senses to appreciate food and observe physical and emotional responses to eating without judgment. 

    REGISTER

    Session 5:  Mindfulness of Thoughts on November 17, 2025

    Mindfulness of thought is a practice of observing thoughts without judgement, similar to watching clouds drifting by. The goal is not to stop thinking but to recognize thoughts as passing mental events.

    REGISTER

    Session 6: Working with Difficult Emotions – November 24, 2025

    Mindfulness of difficult emotions involves approaching them with acceptance, curiosity and non-judgment rather than trying to suppress or avoid them.

    REGISTER

  • Mental Health First Aid: Tuesday, October 21 (FULL)

    This training is now full.  If you are interested in completing Mental Health First Aid, please email wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca to have your name placed on a waiting list.  Thank you.

    Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Just as physical first aid is administered to an injured person before medical treatment can be obtained, MHFA is given until appropriate treatment is found or until the crisis is resolved.

    The MHFA Canada program aims to improve mental health literacy, and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend or a colleague.

    Training is delivered by Dr. Jennifer Laffier.  Dr. Laffier is an Assistant Professor, and a Licensed Psychotherapist and Creative Arts Therapist with over 25 years of experience in the fields of developmental psychology, mental health and education. She conducts research in the area of human development and well-being in the digital age and is currently the Director of the Mental Health in the Digital Age Lab.

    Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
    Time: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    Location: Virtual via Zoom
    Target Audience: All faculty and staff

    Note: Participants are required to complete a ~2-Hour online self-directed learning module prior to attending this virtual training day. Please register by Monday, October 6, so we can provide your module access prior to training.

  • Health Safety and Wellness Fair: Thursday, October 30

    Save the Date

    The 2025 Health Safety and Wellness Fair is scheduled for Thursday, October 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Founding Deans Atrium (SCI_W_ATR).  Stay tunded for updates on the Health Safety and Wellness Fair web page.  Hope to see you there!

  • Crucial Conversations for Employees: November 3 - 7

    When it comes to the health of relationships, teams, and organizations, one thing affects everything: communication. Backed by 30 years of social science, Crucial Conversation skills represent the standard in effective communication. Improve your skills and get better outcomes by attending a training course.

    The communication skills taught in this training focus on a specific kind of interaction: those when stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. This is not a course on winning friends or winning people to your way of thinking; it’s about strengthening relationships and securing results in the moments that matter most.

    This course teaches nine powerful skills for working through disagreement to achieve better resources: Get unstuck, Master my stories, Start with heart, State my path, Make it safe, Learn to look, Seek mutual purpose, Explore others’ paths, and Move to action.

    Crucial Conversations: Employees

      • Date: Monday, November 3, 2025 to Friday, November 7, 2025 (2.5 hours x 5 days)
      • Time: 9:30 a.m. to noon
      • Location: Virtual
      • Target Audience: Employees

    REGISTER

  • Inflation and Managing Your Finances: November 5, 2025

    Inflation can have various effects on our finances. In this webinar, we will discuss how to manage changes in your expenses, debt, savings, and investments when there are changes in inflation.

    Learning Objectives:

    1. Discuss the effects of inflation on income, savings, debt and expenses
    2. Identify strategies that can help adjust your budget according to inflation

    Presenter: Roger Massicotte, TELUS Health 

    Roger Massicotte spent most of his career in the financial industry and became a licensed Financial Planner in 1997. Since 2015, He's been working as a freelance advice-only financial planner. He delivers pure financial planning consulting services
    without agendas other than offering the best quality advice. During his career, Roger has led numerous financial education seminars, and in 2024, he joined Telus Health's team of facilitators as a contractor. By Spring 2025, he will complete his Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) certification. He enjoys riding his electric bike, exploring new places, and appreciating good meals with friends when not working. In a nutshell, he is living his best years!

    Date: November 5th
    Time: 12 - 1 pm
    Location: Virtual
     

    Register here!

     

  • Crucial Conversations for Managers/Directors: November 10 - 14

    When it comes to the health of relationships, teams, and organizations, one thing affects everything: communication. Backed by 30 years of social science, Crucial Conversation skills represent the standard in effective communication. Improve your skills and get better outcomes by attending a training course.

    The communication skills taught in this training focus on a specific kind of interaction: those when stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. This is not a course on winning friends or winning people to your way of thinking; it’s about strengthening relationships and securing results in the moments that matter most.

    This course teaches nine powerful skills for working through disagreement to achieve better resources: Get unstuck, Master my stories, Start with heart, State my path, Make it safe, Learn to look, Seek mutual purpose, Explore others’ paths, and Move to action.

    Crucial Conversations: Managers/Directors

    • Date: Monday, November 10, 2025 to Friday November 14, 2025 (2.5 hours x 5 days)
    • Time: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
    • Location: Virtual
    • Target Audience: Managers/Directors
      Note: Participants must attend all dates to receive their certificate.

    REGISTER 

  • Fuel Your Defenses: Put up a Fight During Flu Season! November 24

    What can you do to help keep your immune system strong and healthy? Food and lifestyle play a play a critical role in how well your immune system functions.

    In this workshop, Dr. Bardin, Healthy Workplace Committee member, will explore the complexities of your immune system and help you to discover how foods and lifestyle choices can make an impact - both positively and negatively. Dr. Bardin will also dive into the vital role your gut and microbiome play in the overall health of your immune system and highlight the key nutrients that can help you stay strong and resilient throughout the flu season. 

    Fuel Your Defenses: Put up a Fight During Flu Season!Boost your Immune System

    • Facilitator: Dr. Sylvie Bardin, Associate Teaching Professor, Faculty of Science and Certified Nutritionist
    • Date: November 24, 2025
    • Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
    • Location: Virtual
    • Target Audience: Employees

    Boost your immune system!

    Register

     

  • Ridgeback Run Club

    Whether you’re preparing for a specific event or looking to get moving, join the Ridgeback Run Club (RRC)!  The RRC is open to all levels and runs rain or shine. 

    Upcoming Dates:

    • Our Summer dates have concluded.  Please check back for Fall dates.  Thank you.

    Time: 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. (Start running at 12:16 p.m.)

    Location: Meet at the front doors of Shawenjigewining Hall (east side of the building)

    Get Active Questionnaire:
    We want you to have a safe and enjoyable run experience, so please complete the Get Active Questionnaire and email your completed copy to wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca prior to attending your first run.  If you answer ‘yes’ to any questions within the Questionnaire, please review the Reference Document. 

Reoccurring

Learning and Development

Please contact Julie Day, Health and Disability Management Specialist, with questions or if you should require an accommodation in order to participate in any of the events.