If your workplace thinks wellbeing is puppies and popsicles, then this episode is for you.
Getting your colleagues engaged in wellbeing at work can be hard. Even in organisations where safety is a huge focus, it doesn’t always mean they actually get what wellbeing is all about. So, what can you do?
Today, I’m joined by Leora Hornstein, an award-winning wellbeing specialist at Cenovus Energy in Canada. For the record, Leora and I often catch up, over time zones and continents to share ideas and chat all things wellbeing. She is an absolute superstar.
Leora started as a nurse before moving in a dedicated wellbeing role. In this episode, we’ll dive into what wellbeing looks like in the energy sector, explore the unique challenges of embedding wellbeing in a safety-focused organisation, and discuss her incredible advocacy for mental health awareness. Plus, we’ll unpack emerging trends in workplace wellbeing.
No matter your workplace or location, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!
“Safety isn’t just about physical wellbeing, it also covers psychological health and safety, which includes our sense of being, belonging, and security.”
– Leora Hornstein
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Episode insights
Episode Summary
Key points
This episode covers:
• Wellbeing in the workplace and its integration with safety culture
• Challenges in implementing wellbeing initiatives
• Strategies for engaging leaders and employees in wellbeing
• Measuring the effectiveness of wellbeing programmes
• The importance of mental health awareness and support
Detailed summary
1. Introduction and background (00:02 – 04:28)
• Sarah introduces Leora Hornstein, a registered nurse and certified occupational health nurse.
• Leora discusses her passion for human health and wellbeing, focusing on protection and prevention in occupational health.
• They compare the maturity of wellbeing spaces in different countries, noting Canada’s early adoption of a voluntary framework for psychologically healthy workplaces.
2. Wellbeing in the energy sector (04:28 – 09:07)
• Leora explains that Central Novus Energy is an integrated oil and gas company with global operations.
• The company has approximately 7,000 employees and a significant contingent workforce.
• Leora is the sole wellbeing specialist for the organisation.
• She discusses the challenge of integrating wellbeing into a strong safety-focused culture.
• Leora emphasises the importance of expanding the definition of safety to include psychological health and safety.
3. Leadership engagement and challenges (09:07 – 18:15)
• Leora highlights the importance of using language that resonates with leaders and aligning wellbeing with their priorities.
• She discusses the challenge of reaching leaders who may not be as engaged with wellbeing initiatives.
• Leora emphasises the need to shift the perception of wellbeing from “extra work” to an integral part of how the organisation operates.
4. Leader burnout and support (18:15 – 25:48)
• Leaders often struggle with balancing their own wellbeing, their team’s wellbeing, and delivering on organisational goals.
• Leora emphasises the importance of establishing boundaries for leaders and prioritising self-care.
• She discusses the critical role leaders play in modelling wellbeing behaviours for their teams.
5. Wellbeing strategy and initiatives (25:48 – 30:49)
• Leora stresses the importance of having a holistic wellbeing strategy with clear goals and measurement.
• The company offers mental health training for leaders and employees.
• They have integrated mental health training into their leadership development programme.
• Leora discusses the importance of finding senior leader champions to influence messaging and shift culture.
6. Wellbeing champions and employee resource groups (30:49 – 38:55)
• The company has established a grassroots mental health champion network.
• They recently formalised an employee-led resource group specifically for mental health.
• Leora discusses the challenges of setting boundaries for wellbeing champions and providing them with clear guidelines.
• She emphasises the importance of self-care for wellbeing champions who may be impacted by the stories they hear.
7. Measuring wellbeing initiatives (38:55 – 46:26)
• Leora discusses the challenge of standardising wellbeing measurements across the industry.
• The company looks at various data points, including health data, absence rates, benefits usage, and engagement survey results.
• They have implemented a wellbeing index as part of their organisational health survey.
• Leora emphasises the importance of combining quantitative and qualitative data to get a comprehensive picture of employee wellbeing.
8. Advice for wellbeing professionals (46:26 – 49:13)
• Leora offers three key pieces of advice:
1. Stay connected to your purpose and redefine what success looks like.
2. Find champions within the organisation to sponsor wellbeing initiatives.
3. Practice self-care, especially on challenging days.
• She emphasises the importance of celebrating small wins and maintaining perspective in the face of setbacks.
Additional notes:
• Leora emphasises the importance of staying connected to one’s purpose when working in wellbeing
• She suggests reframing success metrics to focus on individual impact rather than just participation numbers
• The discussion highlights the need for self-care among wellbeing professionals, especially on challenging days
• Leora stresses the value of finding champions and sponsors within the organisation to support wellbeing initiatives
APPLYING THIS TO THE WORKPLACE
If you’re thinking about how to apply this to your workplace, here are some things to consider.
The business case:
- Wellbeing is key to business success – it’s about how work is done and led, not just perks.
- Adding mental health to safety efforts strengthens the whole safety culture.
- Leaders are crucial in promoting wellbeing – helping them develop wellbeing skills benefits everyone.
- Wellbeing support helps keep top employees, especially those at risk of burnout.
- Wellbeing initiatives that match business goals boost engagement, productivity, and performance.
- A clear wellbeing strategy with measurable results shows return on investment and helps improve over time.
- Peer support networks and employee groups can extend the reach of wellbeing programs.
- Focusing on wellbeing can lower long-term costs like absenteeism.
Potential challenges to address:
- Limited resources with only one wellbeing specialist for a large organisation
- Challenges in reaching and engaging all leaders and teams
- Perception of wellbeing as “puppies and popsicles” by some leaders
- Difficulty in measuring wellbeing impact without standardised metrics
- Risk of burnout for leaders and wellbeing champions
- Potential for confidentiality and privacy concerns in peer support
- Resistance from leaders who view wellbeing as extra work
- Rapidly changing external context and wellbeing trends
Top tips for listeners:
- Maintain a connection to your purpose and motivation for wellbeing work
- Reconsider how you define success – even small impacts are significant
- Identify champions and sponsors to support wellbeing initiatives
- Prioritise self-care to sustain yourself through challenges
- Tailor language and framing to resonate with your specific audience
- Build on existing frameworks like safety to expand wellbeing concepts
- Set clear boundaries and guidelines for wellbeing champions
- Gather both quantitative and qualitative data to assess impact