At the heart of new management approaches, employee recognition is regarded as an effective mean to inspire employees and managers. The Chair research  results revealed that employee recognition has a significant impact on stress at work.  To act upon this problem, words are not enough. In this perspective, the Chair in occupational health and safety management at Université Laval launches a kit and an Web site providing tangible tools to implement employee recognition.

Designed to meet the pressing needs of employees and managers, this kit is a response to organizations wishing to put more of a human face on human resource management practices. It provides tools to help people update their knowledge as well as strategies for implementing employee recognition practices. The documents included in the kit are part of a knowledge transfer process arising from a variety of research projects and practical workplace experiences. It consists of the following three sections: 1) sensitization tools, 2) implementation tools, and 3) suggested recognition activities. By and large, the kit's objectives and content make it a reference tool for demystifying employee recognition and promoting understanding and empowerment.

The Université Laval's Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Management and severals partners launched a prevention kit for work-related mental health problems. Entitled "Mental Health at Work...From Defining to Solving the Problem," this unique kit in Canada will allow workers and organizations to deal better with this problem which is the main reason for the increase in work absenteeism.

Office Work Using Computer Monitors

Sylvie Montreuil with the collaboration of Claire Bélanger

Ergonomics is concerned with adapting work to the individual. For example, it takes into consideration the way the individual performs the work activity in order to lay out the work space, design tools, equipment, software, furniture, regardless of the size of the organization and the types of tasks therein.

It gathers and deepens knowledge about the individual's task performance and optimal working conditions. It highlights and seeks to correct the elements of current work situations that affect the health, safety and effectiveness of workers or production systems.

Ergonomics is also concerned with the design of new means of work so that they are adapted to humans' physiological characteristics (e.g., vision, hearing, biological rhythms) and psychological characteristics (e.g., reasoning, information processing in decision making). Ergonomics is a young discipline in Quebec whereas in the United States and Europe, it has been well established since 1945.

This document thus mainly sets out the general ergonomic principles on work postures and vision applied to office work situations involving the use of a computer monitor.