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Why Workplace Mental Health Matters

Mental health is an issue that impacts every workplace in Canada. The workplace can contribute positively or negatively to a person’s mental health.

Employers and employees both benefit from a psychologically healthy workplace:

Better employee

  • engagement 
  • morale
  • satisfaction
  • retention and recruitment
  • productivity

Reduces

  • absenteeism
  • grievances
  • health costs
  • medical leave/disability
  • workplace injuries 

What can employers do to help?

As an employer, there are many ways in which you can help create a psychologically healthy and safe workplace. Building a supportive work environment that promotes mental well-being has benefits for everyone and keeps your workforce strong and competitive.

Top 8 practices

  • Encourage employee participation and decision-making
  • Clearly define employees' duties and responsibilities
  • Promote work-life balance
  • Encourage and model respectful behaviours
  • Manage workloads
  • Provide training and learning opportunities
  • Have conflict resolution practices in place
  • Recognize employees' contributions effectively

Employer tools for preventing and addressing workplace mental health issues

Healthy Minds@Work from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has developed a hub of tools and resources to support workplace parties in their efforts to address psychological health and safety in the workplace.

National Standard of Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace is a set of voluntary guidelines, tools and resources intended to guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm at work.

Mental Health First Aid aims to improve mental health literacy and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend or a colleague

Mental Health Commission of Canada aims to build capacity with evidence-informed training and resources to empower and support people to effectively address mental health issues where they live and work.

Workplace Strategies for Mental Health aims to increase knowledge and awareness of workplace psychological health and safety, improve the ability to respond to mental health issues at work and provide practical strategies and tools for employers.

COVID Specific Workplace Resource:

Whether it’s helping your employees adjust to working from home, or returning to work, these website have many resources that can help you, help your staff.  


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