Excellence Canada has formed a strategic alliance with SEB Benefits & HR Consulting as part of its ongoing mandate to promote and enable physical and psychological health and safety in the workplace.
The two organizations are both authorities on the strategic implementation of wellness programs and will be working together to improve employee and corporate performance through Excellence Canada’s “Healthy Workplace Standard” and “Mental Health at Work Framework” which lead to national recognition under the Canada Awards for Excellence Program.
According to a news release, the two firms said the economic reality is:
• In any given year, one in five people in Canada experiences a mental health problem or illness, with a cost to the economy of well in excess of $50 billion.
• Mental health problems and illnesses typically account for approximately 30 per cent of short- and long-term disability claims.
• Mental health problems and illnesses are rated one of the top three drivers of both short and long-term disability claims by more than 80 per cent of Canadian employers.
“There is an increasing awareness and an urgency to address workforce health and well-being which is driving employers to take effective measures. Our alliance with SEB Benefits & HR Consulting Inc. is an excellent fit,” said Allan Ebedes, president & CEO of Excellence Canada. “Joseph Ricciuti and Julie Holden are leaders on the subject of employee mental health and well-being, and are very familiar with Excellence Canada’s programs and system. Through our many discussions about the importance of moving to a higher level of employer commitment to employee health, we realized how aligned we are in our thinking and in our vision for the future of workplace health.”
“We are pleased to be an alliance partner with Excellence Canada, a not-for-profit organization that is an authority on advancing continual improvement across all sectors and industries,” said Joseph Ricciuti, president & CEO of SEB Benefits & HR Consulting Inc. “The Excellence Canada methodology moves traditional health promotion programs toward a comprehensive and integrated healthy workplace system that reduces costs, improves output, and increases profitability. We are excited to work with them to promote and implement their framework to help guide employers into a new era of both physical and mental health in the workplace.”
