This episode is the first in a two-part series. Host Kim MacDonald and guest Dr. Leah Ringwald discuss the Conference Board's study into social connection in Canadian workplaces, titled, Real Connections in a Virtual World: Designing Remote Workplaces for Social Connections. Dr. Leah Ringwald is the Conference Board of Canada's associate director of health and human capital and research lead on workplace mental health and well-being. In this episode, Kim and Dr. Ringwald discuss phase 1 of the study, the topic of social connection and its relationship to psychological health and safety, workplace mental health, and well-being. Dr. Ringwald will return as a guest following the completion of phase 2, a Canadian national survey and in-depth qualitative research to be released in the fall of this year. Useful resources from the episode: - The study's phase 1 report (discussed during the podcast): https://www.conferenceboard.ca/product/real-connections-in-a-virtual-world_2024/ - To reach out to Dr. Ringwald: https://www.conferenceboard.ca/team-members/leah-ringwald/ - The Conference Board's Human Resources research: https://www.conferenceboard.ca/focus-areas/human-resources/ - The Conference Board's Workplace Mental Health Research Centre: https://www.conferenceboard.ca/research-centre/wmhc/