Safe Employer Award

The recipient of this year’s Safe Employer Award is Creative Options Regina (COR), a for-impact charitable organization that provides support to youth and adults experiencing disability and mental struggles in Regina.

For COR, safety is about more than just physical health. It’s about fostering a culture of psychological health and well-being. COR is rooted in the philosophy of gentle teaching, a philosophy of care built on the pillars of ensuring people feel safe, valued and loved. These pillars extend beyond the individuals that COR supports to include its nearly 400 workers, families and other community partners.

“Nurturing a culture of belonging is at the heart of our safety efforts,” says Michael Lavis, executive director of COR. “If we want the people we support to thrive, we must first focus on caring for the caregivers.”

Recognizing the emotional demands of caregiving, COR places a strong emphasis on creating a psychologically safe workplace where employees feel respected, confident and equipped. In addition to traditional safety training like crisis prevention or transfer, lift and reposition, COR offers extensive training opportunities in mental health first aid, suicide intervention, stress management and coping strategies.

“Our employees are often entering the caregiving profession for the first time,” Lavis explains. “We need to equip them not just with technical skills but emotional resilience and community connection.”

COR has built a “culture of gentleness” that shapes every interaction, from leadership to frontline support workers and in how they engage with families, funders and the wider community. Relationship-building is a key focus, whether it’s through community initiatives, physical wellness activities, hobby groups or simply creating opportunities for workers to connect over shared interests.

COR’s work spans more than 30 homes across Regina, offering 24-hour care, along with support in family homes and individual living arrangements. Throughout, the focus remains the same: creating not just houses but true homes where people feel a sense of belonging and connection.

“There’s a fundamental difference between a house and a home,” says Lavis. “At COR, we want the people we support, and the people who work alongside them, to walk into a home that feels welcoming and reflects their personalities. When our caregivers thrive, the people we support thrive too.”

For COR, nurturing a culture of belonging is the foundation of safety efforts, and a big part of why the organization is the 2025 Safe Employer Award winner.

Safe Employer Award Committee members
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board
Saskatchewan Safety Council
Canadian Society of Safety Engineering