In the fall of 1997, APEX conducted a study on the health status of the Executive (EX) Group in the Public Service of Canada. The Association had become very concerned about the impact of the working conditions and working environment on the health of federal public service executives, the
repercussions of which are both personal and corporate. APEX had already communicated executives’ thoughts on this issue to the “centre”, where our concern was shared. However at that point, our observations were largely based on anecdotal evidence from Association members and representatives of the medical community in Ottawa-Carleton. It was time to conduct a comprehensive survey to assess the physical and psychological health of executives so that the relationship between workplace conditions, work habits and the health status of those who are responsible for the implementation and management of the change process could be documented. The research was based on a review of existing literature on those workplace factors which influence employee health, particularly during and after periods of major organizational change. The work led by Gail Taylor through APEX’s Research Committee — in particular the Survey of Surveys — was an important influence on the study’s design.
