A seismic shift in workplace wellness: It's 'changing in ways we can't ignore'

Aquatera Utilities CEO Vaughn Bend’s approach to workplace wellness is pretty simple. Article content

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“If you take care of your people, they will take care of your business.”

For the 200 employees (union and non-union) that cover an area around Grande Prairie stretching to Jasper, Wetaskiwin, Hinton and Ponoka, that means a myriad of benefits including paid time off to volunteer for charities (supporting more than 120 local initiatives last year), a yearly hobby account to encourage participation in the community and mental health support benefits.

“It’s key we’ve made it OK to talk about mental health,” he says.

There’s also a defined pension, 100 per cent employer-paid dental/health/vision benefits, a matching RRSP program, an