Best Practices for Managing Obesity in the Workplace

Not a healthcare professional? This course is for you!

Are you seeking practical skills to support employees with overweight and obesity in your workplace? The Best Practices for Managing Obesity in the Workplace course is designed to enhance employers’ understanding of overweight and obesity while providing the tools needed to support affected employees. This course focuses on actionable skills you can learn today and implement tomorrow.

Developed with the needs of employers, HR professionals, managers, and leaders in mind, this course is also open to anyone interested in learning how to better support employees living with overweight and obesity. It offers guidance on how to implement changes in a respectful and sensitive manner, ensuring an inclusive workplace for all.

The course includes six sections, delivered entirely online and at your own pace. It combines self-guided learning opportunities such as videos and case studies. You will also have access to a Q&A, discussion board, and a list of helpful resources.

This course will soon be available in French. Please stay tuned for updates.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of all of these educational activities, participants will be able to:

1. Understand and describe the epidemiology of obesity in the workplace: By the end of this module, participants will be able to recount the increasing prevalence of obesity, identify key demographic factors influencing workplace obesity, and describe the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and societal factors contributing to this trend.

2. Analyze and apply strategies to combat weight stigma and discrimination: Participants will learn to evaluate workplace policies and their effectiveness in reducing stigma and discrimination against employees with obesity. They will also develop strategies to enhance workplace inclusion, ensuring a supportive environment that respects and accommodates all employees.

3. Develop and recommend workplace policies and programs that support chronic disease management: By the conclusion of this course, participants will be capable of designing and advocating for comprehensive workplace wellness programs that include support for chronic conditions such as obesity. This includes crafting policies that promote psychological safety, stress management, and physical accommodations in the workplace.

Structure and Time Investment

Pre and post evaluations with one asynchronous module. It will take approximately 2 hours to complete the program.

Faculty

Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley
Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam
Michelle McMillan
Pam Hung
Nicole Pearce

Funding Support

Obesity Canada received an unrestricted educational grant from Desjardins Insurance to develop this course.

DESJARDINS INSURANCE refers to Desjardins Financial Security Life Assurance Company. In addition, DESJARDINS INSURANCE and its logo are trademarks of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec used under licence.