FYM-Fixing the Job, Not the Worker: The Psychology of Burnout & Workplace Wellbeing
Despite decades of research that have established burnout as a work-related syndrome, most work interventions focus on creating resilience or managing symptoms at the individual level rather than addressing systemic organizational issues. That is, organizations create conditions that lead to burnout, but they then expect individuals to 'fix themselves' rather than improve the system that creates the problem in the first place. In fostering workplace wellbeing and 'Psychologically Healthy Workplaces', we draw on psychology to understand the root causes of burnout and wellness, and to integrate individual-, group-, leader-, and organizational-focused solutions for healthier workers.
Dr. Arla Day is a Professor in I/O Psychology, specializing in Occupational Health Psychology at Saint Mary's University. She is the Director of the CN Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (www.cncohs.ca), a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, and she was a Canada Research Chair for 10 years. She has been awarded two Erskine Fellowships from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Arla served as an international advisor on the Stockholm Stress Centre’s Advisory Board. She was on the board of the American Psychological Association’s Psychology in the Workplace program for healthy workplace, and also chaired the NS Psychological Healthy Workplace Program for 15 years. She has worked with the Canadian Forces Leadership Institute and consulted with Canadian Armed Forces on a variety of work and health related projects.
Her research and consulting work involves developing and validating effective organizational initiatives to support healthy workers and workplaces. Her articles and books focus on psychologically healthy & inclusive workplaces, leadership, gender and EDIA, respect in the workplace, mental health, stress, burnout, and well-being, technology and work, and work-life balance. She works closely with organizations to share best practices to support healthy workers and workplaces.
Recordings of the session will be made available to OPA members following the session.