Manitoba's Top Employers

BY TODD LEWYS When someone experiences emotional difficulties, or in contrast, when a staff member goes above and beyond their call of duty, it can be all too easy to go unrecognized and fall through the cracks. With that in mind, Red River College (RRC) has undertaken a series of initiatives aimed at increasing support and appreciation for both staff and students across its campuses. Three of those initiatives are: the wellness initiative known as Healthy Minds, Healthy College, peer-to-peer recognition and a day-long professional development event called RED Forum. Healthy Minds, Healthy College — which was originally aimed at students — has also been well- received by RRC staff, says Laureen Janzen, RRC's Manager of Counselling and Accessibility Services. "The assessment phase of the initiative started in 2014," she reports. "Basically, the idea was to look at what RRC needed to do to become a solid, health-promoting college community. It started with the students. Then we said, 'Why not extend it to RRC employees, as well?'" The first step involved creating a partnership with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) and creating an advisory group comprised of a cross-section of employees and students. "We knew there would be diverse needs, and wanted to hear from as many people as possible," says Janzen. Ultimately, a list of recommendations was arrived at. One of the main recommendations was to develop a Mental Health Co-ordinator position. "It's a big job that deserves a designated position, as the person in the position would be solely responsible for co-ordinating mental health strategies," she notes. "Eventually someone with a background ideal for the position — Breanna Sawatzky — was chosen." Sawatzky started her tenure in October 2016. Since then, she's organized successful and engaging events like Thrive Week, a college-wide week of programming in which staff and students were able to access speakers and therapy dogs, and take part in painting and music therapy to help strengthen their mental health. "One of the speakers this year was Indigenous actor Kyle Nobess, who spoke about his past battle with substance abuse," Janzen says. "His message, as well as the messages delivered by other speakers, was very impactful. That openness really helped people talk about mental issues in a normal way." Sawatzky has also incorporated programs such as The Working Mind (for managers) by the Mental Health Commission, which encourages managers and employees to support each other in times of mental crisis, and offers a suicide alertness training program. She also writes a weekly blog that staff can read at any time. "Our employees — and students — are thrilled to see all this happening — the education, activities and conversation. They know help is available, and the conversation creates a greater feeling of normalcy," Janzen says. The employee/ student advisory group (plus a steering committee populated by the WRHA, Mount Carmel Clinic and the Canadian Mental Health Association) also advise Breanna on how to implement strategies. RRC's Peer-to-Peer Recognition program has also been a huge hit. "If a staff member goes out of their way to do something special, other staff — including managers — can fill out a Cheers card report. Managers receive a carbon copy of the card," says Lindsay Allan, Acting Director, Human Resource Services at RRC. The staff member who went above and beyond is recognized, and gathers points to use towards rewards. "We have different tiers of what we call homegrown awards," adds Debbie Sullivan, Human Resource Consultant at RRC. "Not only does the staff member get recognized, but they get to pick their reward." All RRC employees are invited to the Notre Dame Campus in April to participate in RED Forum, a one-day professional development event. "RED stands for Relationships, Education and Direction," says Allan. "There are usually around 30 professional development sessions to choose from, and staff really appreciate that." These initiatives, matched with a comprehensive benefits program, professional development support — for example, financial assistance to attaining Bachelor's and Master's degrees and Doctorates — and management's openness to employees coming forward with feedback on any issue, creates an ideal work environment that engages staff and reminds them their role is valued and an important part of the College's mission and values. Which is why RRC — with its innovative approach to creating the best workplace possible for its staff — is once again one of Manitoba's Top Employers. Red River College is Manitoba's largest institute of applied learning, with nine campuses and more than 200 full- and part-time programs — which encompass 22,000 full- and part-time students, and 2,300 full- and part-time staff. RED RIVER COLLEGE EMPLOYEES TAKE PART IN THE ANNUAL STAFF APPRECIATION BARBECUE IN SEPTEMBER. SUBMITTED PHOTO SUPPORT & APPRECIATION FOR STAFF, STUDENTS AT RED RIVER COLLEGE A WORKPLACE THAT WORKS With more than 2,300 full-time and part-time employees, Red River College is a place of energy, opportunity, and inspiration. We care about our employees and offer an innovative, progressive workplace. Review our current employment opportunities at rrc.ca/employment 20

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