Today@Dal

This is the latest entry in our series to showcase the departments and faculties nominated for the 2014 Healthy Workplace Award.

With a work force of 525, who actually stretch from one edge of Dal’s campuses to the other, the Department of Facilities Management would need to offer a wide range of initiatives to have people feel involved and connected, right? Well, that they do. From supporting community causes to playing intramural Slo-pitch to engaging in university-wide activities, the “FM” crew actively participates in ways to promote a healthier workplace.

“The theme of ‘team’ runs through everything we do in Facilities Management,” says Jeff Lamb, Assistant Vice-President of the largest administrative department on campus. “We are the fabric that makes up the campus, we touch every aspect of what happens at Dal. Working closely with our internal and external partners helps us perform better.”

Connecting with a large group of employees who work across the university is a challenge. Bulletin boards, digital screens, and departmental meetings help keep people informed. “Kudos” and showcasing their work in an annual Year-in-Review recognizes individual and group efforts. Employee donations to the Facilities Management Scholarship help ease the financial burden of tuition for the child of an FM employee. Participation in the Pride Parade and fundraising activities for things like United Way and “Movember” connect individuals and groups to our broader community.

Facilities Management is a key partner in Dalhousie’s annual “Pink Day” to promote the university as a respectful working and learning environment.  “Each of the five years that we’ve held a Pink Day, the involvement of Facilities Management has grown,” explains Janice MacInnis, Manager of Organizational Health. “They come out in droves to the barbeque and organize more of their own activities for that day each year. The result of this year’s collaborative art project, under the direction of FM’s own Zeqirja Rexhepi, now hangs in LeMarchant Place – a terrific reminder of both a great initiative and the great message of respect at Dal.”

Watch for future department profiles and contact HealthyDal@Dal.ca to explore how to advance the health of your workplace.