Being ready for work means that you:
- Start your day prepared to work safely.
- Can stay safe at work the whole day.
Be healthy and safe at work
To stay healthy and safe, it’s important to look after your physical (body), mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Taking care of yourself can give you more energy and help you manage stress.
When you’re healthy, you’re less likely to get sick or have accidents on the job. You may also recover faster if you do get sick or hurt.
Ready for work
To be ready for work:
- Eat healthy food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep.
- See your doctor for regular checkups.
- Try to cut down or stop things that may harm your health like smoking, drinking alcohol, using other substances, or gambling.
- Find healthy ways to handle stress, like exercising or learning a new hobby.
- Ask for help from your friends, family, co-workers, and your spiritual community when you need it.
- Talk to a counsellor if you need help dealing with personal problems.
- Join wellness programs at work.
Substance use and work
Even one time of using alcohol or other substances in an unhealthy way can mean you’re not ready for work.
You may have a problem if substance use is affecting:
- your work
- your finances (money)
- your family and friends
- other parts of your life
Gambling and work
Gambling may be affecting your work if you are:
- spending a lot of time gambling during lunch hour or after work
- feeling distracted, missing deadlines, or not coming to work
- having mood swings
- keeping secrets or lying about gambling
Help and support
Workplace support
If you’re worried about your health or being ready for work, talk to your healthcare provider or use an employee assistance program.
For concerns about a co-worker's health, talk to a supervisor or a union representative.
Recovery Alberta
Recovery Alberta: Mental Health and Addiction Services can help if you’re worried about your own or someone else’s drinking, substance use, or gambling.
Services across the province provide private, professional, and caring support.
