Ex-Plasticity Labs execs lead YMCA’s new workplace initiative
WATERLOO REGION — The region’s YMCAs have long focused on improving an individual’s health and well-being.
Now, in the midst of the pandemic that’s ramped up stress levels and obliterated the line between work and home for many, the YMCAs of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo are extending that mission to the workplace.
A new program for workplaces will be developed by three people with extensive experience in workplace culture and employee well-being — Jim Moss, Dave Whiteside and Nate Robertson, all formerly of Plasticity Labs.
Financial problems forced the Kitchener tech company out of business in April. Founded in 2013 by Moss and his wife, Jennifer, the firm developed a platform to improve workplace happiness and employee engagement and performance.
As a Plasticity customer, the YMCA saw the benefits the platform brought to the charity’s own employees, said chief executive officer Peter Sweeney (the two YMCAs share a common organizational structure). “They helped us understand, through the insights of our employees, how best to make this a great place to work.” While the YMCA program won’t be focused on technology, the trio of ex-Plasticity staffers bring the experience needed as the Y embarks on this experiment.
“They know how to work within the workplace context to uncover the emotional needs of employees,” said Sweeney, who reached out to Moss to propose the idea.
COVID-19 has exposed some of the cracks in society, and some of those are rooted in the workplace, Sweeney said. Remote work has left many employees craving connection. Child care is a major strain on families right now.
Front-line workers in sectors ranging from health care to retail are under unprecedented stress.
“Would other organizations benefit from a non-profit like the Y coming in to help them understand what their employees need?” Sweeney asked. “This is an opportunity to test a theory.”
For Moss, the new program presents an exciting challenge that turns the page on the difficult decision to close Plasticity Labs, one that left him feeling he’d failed employees that found themselves out of work.
“I spent some time to distil what I learned about myself from the Plasticity experience,” he said. High on that list was the understanding that he cared deeply about improving the workplace experience for others.
Specifics about how the program will work and what services may be offered are being considered, but they know a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. “If you don’t come into it with an open mind, you’re in trouble,” Moss said.
“We don’t pretend to have all the answers that workplaces need,” Sweeney added. “We’re willing to take a risk to try it.”
Moss will lead the project, as vice-president, workplace wellbeing. Whiteside is a “powerhouse” in data collection and interpretation, Moss said, while Robertson, a skilled problemsolver with a background in design, will join the team parttime.
The program will serve the local YMCAs’ coverage area, which includes Waterloo Region, Guelph and Stratford. As a social enterprise, proceeds from program fees will be reinvested in the charity. While it will be fee-based, the YMCA wants to ensure that all organizations, including non-profits, can participate.
As the Y itself adapts to a changing COVID-19 landscape, “we have to be thinking about different ways to diversify our offerings,” Sweeney said. “We think it’s an innovative way for us to support our community.”