In May 2018, the Department of National Defence (DND) launched the Defence Workplace Well-Being Survey (DWWS) initiative, a comprehensive, proactive and systemic approach to addressing workplace well-being of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and DND employees. This novel initiative supports the Total Health and Wellness Strategy, the Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy, and helps the CAF/DND maintain its prominent role in this domain within the Federal Public Service. Dr. Morin, Concordia University, and Dr. Blais, DND, received funding to conduct analyses on the DWWS data and present findings. As a result of funding received through the CIMVHR True Patriot Love Research Initiative, this project has contributed to improved workplace well-being of CAF members and DND employees in multiple ways.

This research has first provided evidence for the continued use of the survey to measure workplace well-being within DND/CAF in both official languages. It then identified a set of work units level and individual level characteristics as drivers of personnel well-being likely to provide opportunities for intervention. Finally, the project has identified a series of profiles of workplace well-being. Some of these profiles seemed to require interventions, whereas some others reflected highly desirable states of psychological functioning. Importantly, the results also provided guidance in relation to which work unit characteristics were most likely to help nurturing more desirable profiles among employees. The sharing of these results with various stakeholders within DND/CAF will support targeted workplace well-being interventions with the ultimate goal of supporting the health and wellness of CAF members and DND personnel.