University of Calgary
PAE-T2-5: Employee Wellness Program

An Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is offered, free of charge, through Staff Wellness to benefit eligible faculty and staff as well as their immediate family members. The service is called LifeWorks. It is available 24/7, is completely confidential for those accessing it, and includes support for a wide variety of topics. Topics include: • Life – relationship counseling, mental health, addiction issues, grief, divorce, etc. • Money – dealing with debt, buying a car, buying a house, saving, will planning, etc. • Health – managing stress, quitting smoking, aging well, nutrition, exercise, sleep, etc. • Family – elder care, preparing for a new baby, parenting, finding childcare, etc. • Work – time management, career development, retirement planning, navigating change, etc. EFAP (i.e. LifeWorks) also includes: • A concierge service – this service saves faculty and staff time in their daily lives by gathering information on a specific topic as requested. For example, an employee looking to buy a dog wants to ensure it doesn’t come from a puppy mill can contact LifeWorks and LifeWorks will research reputable dog breeders in the area. • Trauma response services – this service provides on-site psychological support after a critical incident or crisis has occurred on campus. Examples of when this service would be used include death of an employee, serious accidents, and acts of violence (assaults, robberies, homicides, etc.). Currently, the utilization rate for LifeWorks is 6%. There is target to increase the utilization rate to 10% by the end of 2013. In addition to EFAP, Staff Wellness has a number of services to support the health and wellness of faculty and staff while they are at work and during periods of disability or illness. This includes health promotion, work-related health testing, ergonomics, ability management, and accommodation of employees with disabilities. University Health Services provides quality health care and education in a reassuring friendly manner. The clinic is staffed by registered nurses, psychiatrists, family physicians, chiropractors, a nutritionist and massage therapists. Its primary focus is centered on students, but is open to faculty and staff. Health care specifically is available for faculty and staff on an emergency basis. Eligible faculty and staff members also receive an annual credit allocation for their discretionary use to help support their overall health and wellness. The credits may be allocated to a Non-taxable Health Spending Account and/or Taxable Wellness Spending Account. Reduced rates for the University of Calgary’s extensive recreation centre to faculty and staff, which includes a fitness centre, gymnasiums, dance and activity studios, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, the rock climbing wall and other amenities. Additionally, the Students’ Union Wellness Centre takes a holistic approach to supporting student health by providing: ● Health Services – physicians, chiropractic, nutrition, massage therapy ● Dental Services – general and restorative dentistry ● Optometry Services – full eye exams, glasses and contact lenses ● Counseling Services – personal, academic and career development ● Faith & Spirituality Centre – multi-faith spiritual support and guidance These services are provided to all full-time and part-time students or are available at affordable rates through the student benefit plan in which every student is enrolled.