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] More than 60% of Canadian organizations report that they do not have a mental health strategy in place. Yet mental health continues to be a major concern in Canadian workplaces. Despite the positive effects on employees, greater emphasis on promoting mental health in Canadian workplaces can reduce presenteeism and absenteeism, thereby increasing productivity. Research by the Conference Board of Canada has revealed that improving the treatment of depression could boost the economy by $ 32.3 billion a year and that a better treatment of the disease. Anxiety could account for up to $ 17.3 billion a year. Mental health strategies focused on prevention (building resilience and coping skills to eliminate stigma) and early intervention (such as access to employee assistance programs and Family-based (PAEF) supported cognitive behavior-based Internet therapy) can lead to positive changes for both employees and employers.
Supporting measures are available to organizations to help them deal strategically with mental health in the workplace. The National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) provides guidance on policies, processes and information to employers on how to reduce the risk of mental injury and promote mental health. Canada, in partnership with Morneau Shepell and the Mental Health Commission of Canada, has held workshops on workplace mental health across the country since 2014. These workshops provide HR managers with a road map to improve or improve mental health of employees. If your organization is in the early stages of developing a mental health strategy or is looking to improve on its current plan, these five key elements of the series of workshops, Leading an Environment mentally healthy work, can help promote mental health at work:
1. Build on existing health initiatives
2. Adopting a model of total health
3. Be open to the idea of engaging in formal and informal strategies to promote employee health
4. S engage to design and implement a mental health strategy
5. Look for opportunities to promote, prevent, intervene and manage.
When implementing a mental health strategy, there are a few key factors to keep in mind. Prepare the ground by gaining support from senior management, creating a wellness committee, and developing a business case to understand why mental health is important. Formulate a mental health policy and develop a program for healthy employees. Ensure that employees are consulted during design and that organizational practices are consistent with messaging. As part of the strategy, consider providing managers with training and practical resources in mental health, including access to an employee and family assistance program. Whether your organization is small and local or large and international, it is important not to confuse some activities with a strategy. A "check-the-box" approach should be avoided
. One discipline and one state of mind that can help employers adopt a mental health strategy and operationalize it is to adopt a mental health approach. This approach uses a management system to reduce the number of work-related injuries and accidents. Increasingly, employers are turning to the discipline of health and safety when they are addressing mental health in the workplace.
Once a strategy is implemented, efforts must be evaluated. A mental health strategy that is likely to achieve the desired results will work on a continuous feedback loop. Tangible parameters for reports need to be identified and tracked for improving quality and raising efforts to senior management. Obtain comments at least annually and review what has been done and, if necessary, make revisions to program design.
Everyone has a role to play in mental health in the workplace. The direction of a mentally healthy work environment requires a team effort between the employee and the employer as well as the grouping of several disciplines
Charles Boyer is a senior research associate at the Conference Board of Canada.
Bill Howatt is the Senior Director of Research and Workforce Productivity Development at Morneau Shepell in Toronto.
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