Mental health prevention, and support are key factors in all workplace environments. In the past mental health stigma has kept people quiet, living in agony, pain, depression while maintaining or taking absence from their jobs. This stigma around mental health at work, impacts both employers and employees.
Today, we support the mental health campaign launched by #BellLetsTalk. In 2010 Bell Lets Talk began a dialogue about mental illness. The research they conducted resulted in a desperate need of action and change for people. According to #BellLetsTalk, “Millions of Canadians, including leading personalities engaged in an open discussion about mental illness, offering new ideas and hope for those who struggle, with numbers growing every year”
Of the 4 pillars surrounding mental health, the workplace is a crucial aspect. Since every 1 in 5 Canadians will suffer with mental health, BellLets Talk.com Employers need to be paying extra attention to their employees whether in a small or large organization. There is a voluntary standard of psychological health and safety encouraged for corporate engagement at work.
A big hurdle for many is the ability to share with an employer or colleague the challenges they face with their mental health issues. Mental health issues can go beyond the workplace including; family, personal, financial problems. The corelation with these issues is, when people suffer alone the way they perform, interact and behave in the workplace affects everyone around them and the organization at large. Employees should have an open space, and access to support at work.
According to The Conference Board of Canada, http://www.conferenceboard.ca/ Mental illness is one of the driving cost for employee sponsored drugs. It also results in reoccurring absences, short and long-term disability claims. The Conference Board of Canada’s conclusion shows that the lack of information around mental health and support in organizations creates increased coverage costs and human rights claims against the organization.
Organizations can look at the benefits of talking about mental health and smashing the surrounding stigma. By introducing conversation in the workplace, having resources and creating an atmosphere of early intervention and prevention, employees will see a benefit to the employee and the employer.
What things is your organization doing to encourage the conversation around mental health issues? We encourage our Employers to take a stance and #Letstalk and support one another to have healthy workplace environments and people. Our employees should feel supported through an overall sense of well-being
