WSPS.CA | 2022 Annual Report | 3
As Ontario – and the world – enters a new age of challenge and
opportunity, the focus on people, the changing ways we work and
"what's next" is top of mind for businesses and workers alike.
More people are recognizing that a strong health and safety culture is key
to future success. According to the results of Workplace Safety & Prevention
Services' 2022 Health and Safety Leadership Survey, 39% of employers
surveyed believe prospective employees ask about their health and safety
program. In contrast, 73% of employees surveyed say they would need to
know about it before accepting an offer of employment. In organizations
that are health and safety leaders, more than half of respondents said they
would be reluctant to leave even if they were offered more money elsewhere.
To attract and retain talent – the biggest challenge employers are facing
according to the survey – prioritizing health and safety is critical.
Within this environment, WSPS has been evolving its approach in better
serving the health and safety needs of businesses and workers in Ontario's
agricultural, manufacturing and service sectors. The year 2022/23 represented
the second year of momentum under the WSPS Strategic Plan 2021-2023.
At the inception of the plan, WSPS set its vision on what the organization
would look like by 2023. The goal posts included:
Reaching and connecting with more businesses across the province
Engaging directly with Ontario workers through digital and social
media channels
Offering a modular product shelf to customers, tunable to their needs
and profiles
Providing direct and virtual services based on what is most convenient
for customers
Integrating physical occupational health and safety and psychological
risks and harms into one holistic approach
Continuously measuring what is needed and what works for customers,
productizing the learning, and then scaling it for more customers
Upskilling employees in areas such as digital fluency, social responsibility,
forward planning, and customer experience
WSPS is on track to achieve its goals. In this report, we review accomplishments
at the end of year 2, under the objectives of the 2021-2023 strategic plan.
The importance of workplace health and safety
has never been more in the spotlight.
