Labour Day is coming up next week. Yay long weekend!  (And also boo hoo cuz it means summer fun will be ending, school starts up & lazy sun days are gone.

So what exactly is this Labour Day business?

Well this day honours the fight & work accomplished by our union-predecessors. Because of them, we have a:

• Shorter work week
• Right to safety at work
• Right to parental benefits
• Right to unemployment benefits, etc.

We are incredibly lucky to have all of these rights in Canada.

Rights Asia & Pacific

Hmmm safety at work… many peeps think of this as only as physical issues.

How many places have you worked at that gave poor-to-zero support in times of need? Mental Health Commission of Canada has co-developed standards for creating psychologically healthy workplaces  The places that Kells & I worked together, and on our own, had multiple issues. We often barely had a chance to piddle or eat. Now Kells and I both love working with our clients.  We also love the variety in the work – that you never know what a day will bring.  It keeps you alert and focused. After a while, though, the psychological strain catches up.  This compassion fatigue is an inevitability for any helping pro.  And when you add things like poor sleep, bad traffic, back pain, triangulation, lack of collabs and disrespect, Compassion Fatigue will either initiate sooner or it will be harder to combat. To manage this, at our worksites, K&I checked in with each other, colleagues.  And we didn’t forget our senses of humour. (Ohhh and the pranks!  Kells in particular quite the  prankster, the little minx!) K&I eventually moved on to other positions.  This was partially due to outgrowing the old position, and a lot to do with the non-collegial worksite. Currently, we work in warm, nurturing environments.  Is it perfect? Of course not.  There are shitty days and we work with people who don’t want to drink the Team Spirit koolaid.  This is life and that is ok.  Cuz we have our positives.

Thanks to unions and Labour Day for keeping us all safe.

Don’t forget:  you have to do your part and take care of yo-self, N&Kers.

For more info: Psychologically Healthy Workplaces  R U Ok? National Institutes for Mental Health Footnotes 

1 We are not making light of the very real physical dangers.  We are lightening this concept for easier reading. Probative value

How many places have you worked at that gave poor-to-zero support in times of need? Mental Health Commission of Canada has co-developed standards for creating psychologically healthy workplaces  The places that Kells & I worked together, and on our own, had multiple issues. We often barely had a chance to piddle or eat. Now Kells and I both love working with our clients.  We also love the variety in the work – that you never know what a day will bring.  It keeps you alert and focused. After a while, though, the psychological strain catches up.  This compassion fatigue is an inevitability for any helping pro.  And when you add things like poor sleep, bad traffic, back pain, triangulation, lack of collabs and disrespect, Compassion Fatigue will either initiate sooner or it will be harder to combat. To manage this, at our worksites, K&I checked in with each other, colleagues.  And we didn’t forget our senses of humour. (Ohhh and the pranks!  Kells in particular quite the  prankster, the little minx!) K&I eventually moved on to other positions.  This was partially due to outgrowing the old position, and a lot to do with the non-collegial worksite. Currently, we work in warm, nurturing environments.  Is it perfect? Of course not.  There are shitty days and we work with people who don’t want to drink the Team Spirit koolaid.  This is life and that is ok.  Cuz we have our positives.

Thanks to unions and Labour Day for keeping us all safe.

Don’t forget:  you have to do your part and take care of yo-self, N&Kers.

For more info: Psychologically Healthy Workplaces  R U Ok? National Institutes for Mental Health Footnotes 

1 We are not making light of the very real physical dangers.  We are lightening this concept for easier reading. Probative value

But what about mental health?  These are some of the issues that can affect our mental state: How many places have you worked at that gave poor-to-zero support in times of need? Mental Health Commission of Canada has co-developed standards for creating psychologically healthy workplaces  The places that Kells & I worked together, and on our own, had multiple issues. We often barely had a chance to piddle or eat. Now Kells and I both love working with our clients.  We also love the variety in the work – that you never know what a day will bring.  It keeps you alert and focused. After a while, though, the psychological strain catches up.  This compassion fatigue is an inevitability for any helping pro.  And when you add things like poor sleep, bad traffic, back pain, triangulation, lack of collabs and disrespect, Compassion Fatigue will either initiate sooner or it will be harder to combat. To manage this, at our worksites, K&I checked in with each other, colleagues.  And we didn’t forget our senses of humour. (Ohhh and the pranks!  Kells in particular quite the  prankster, the little minx!) K&I eventually moved on to other positions.  This was partially due to outgrowing the old position, and a lot to do with the non-collegial worksite. Currently, we work in warm, nurturing environments.  Is it perfect? Of course not.  There are shitty days and we work with people who don’t want to drink the Team Spirit koolaid.  This is life and that is ok.  Cuz we have our positives.

Thanks to unions and Labour Day for keeping us all safe.

Don’t forget:  you have to do your part and take care of yo-self, N&Kers.

For more info: Psychologically Healthy Workplaces  R U Ok? National Institutes for Mental Health Footnotes 

1 We are not making light of the very real physical dangers.  We are lightening this concept for easier reading. Probative value

But what about mental health?  These are some of the issues that can affect our mental state: How many places have you worked at that gave poor-to-zero support in times of need? Mental Health Commission of Canada has co-developed standards for creating psychologically healthy workplaces  The places that Kells & I worked together, and on our own, had multiple issues. We often barely had a chance to piddle or eat. Now Kells and I both love working with our clients.  We also love the variety in the work – that you never know what a day will bring.  It keeps you alert and focused. After a while, though, the psychological strain catches up.  This compassion fatigue is an inevitability for any helping pro.  And when you add things like poor sleep, bad traffic, back pain, triangulation, lack of collabs and disrespect, Compassion Fatigue will either initiate sooner or it will be harder to combat. To manage this, at our worksites, K&I checked in with each other, colleagues.  And we didn’t forget our senses of humour. (Ohhh and the pranks!  Kells in particular quite the  prankster, the little minx!) K&I eventually moved on to other positions.  This was partially due to outgrowing the old position, and a lot to do with the non-collegial worksite. Currently, we work in warm, nurturing environments.  Is it perfect? Of course not.  There are shitty days and we work with people who don’t want to drink the Team Spirit koolaid.  This is life and that is ok.  Cuz we have our positives.

Thanks to unions and Labour Day for keeping us all safe.

Don’t forget:  you have to do your part and take care of yo-self, N&Kers.

For more info: Psychologically Healthy Workplaces  R U Ok? National Institutes for Mental Health Footnotes 

1 We are not making light of the very real physical dangers.  We are lightening this concept for easier reading. Probative value