Mental Health & Productivity

Why do 61 per cent of organizations report they don’t have a mental health strategy?

The reasons can vary from lack of knowledge of the need, lack of financial and people resources and unclear on where to start.

It’s a well-known fact that mental health continues to be a major concern in Canadian workplaces, with no sign of any major improvement soon. Mental illness not only drains costs, it also negatively impacts productivity of employees who are experiencing mental health issues or illness.

New research by The Conference Board of Canada has found that improved treatment of depressed, employed Canadians could boost the economy by $32.3 billion a year, and better treatment of anxiety could add up to $17.3 billion a year.

This $49.6 billion impact to the economy from just two types of mental health issues doesn’t include addiction (e.g., alcohol, cannabis, opioids) or other types of mental health issues. The research makes clear that there’s a vast opportunity to improve productivity in the Canadian workforce.

Significant dollars could be gained if more organizations were to become committed and engaged in curbing mental health injuries such as bullying. They also could promote mental health by implementing a mental health strategy, focusing on prevention through resiliency and developing coping skills to eliminate stigma. Early intervention could be promoted with effective practices such as providing employees access to EFAP programs supported by internet cognitive behavioural therapy.

One discipline and mindset that can help employers take the idea of a mental health strategy and operationalize it is to adopt an occupational health and safety approach. This is the management system used to reduce the number of work-related physical injuries and accidents.

The National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard ) provides employers guidance on policies, processes and information on how they can curb risk of mental injuries and promote mental health.

One important strategy to facilitate an employer’s engagement is to provide an opportunity to learn and understand the benefits and how they can positively impact employees’ health and performance in the workplace.

In partnership with Morneau Shepell, The Conference Board of Canada, one of the leading organizations for educating employers on the topic of mental health, completed its second national conference tour called Leading Mentally Healthy Workplaces. The purpose of this one-day program was to provide HR leaders with a roadmap to improve or develop their organization’s mental health strategy, with the objective of improving employees’ health, engagement and productivity.

During one of the sessions in the national tour, Conference Board workforce productivity leaders provided coaching for how employees can promote mental health in the workplace by:

• Leveraging existing health initiatives
• Adopting a total heath model
• Being open to engage in formal and informal strategies for promoting employee health
• Committing to designing and implementing a mental health strategy
• Looking for opportunities to promote, prevent, intervene and manage

When implementing a mental health strategy, some proven steps can help ensure a program is implemented and can make an impact. Regardless of the organization’s size, don’t confuse a few activities as a strategy. One challenge is to avoid the check-the-box approach. Develop a mental health policy, train a manager in mental health and provide an employee and family assistance program. Don’t confuse tactics with strategy. A mental health strategy that’s likely to achieve desired results will work on a continuous feedback loop.

Following are coaching tips from the Conference Board for developing a comprehensive wellness program.

Set the stage:

• Get senior leadership buy-in and support
• Create a wellness committee
• Get a baseline measure
• Build a business case
• Develop a communication strategy
• Leverage partnerships with key stakeholders

Design the program:

• Plan targeted interventions to reduce health risk
• Develop a program for healthy employees
• Ensure organizational practices are consistent with health messaging
• Involve employees in the design

Implement the program:

• Carry out day-to-day management of all initiatives
• Measure and evaluate employee participation rates for all events
• Run monthly programs as needed to ensure participation

Evaluate the program:

• Measure impact on targeted outcomes
• Modify program design
• Report results to senior management
• Report findings to employees
• Complete an in-depth ROI every three years to measure the impact of all programs and initiatives

Seek feedback and make revisions:

• Seek feedback and review what was done that was essential and of high value and make a commitment to keep doing
• Complete this step at least once per year for all programs

The staggering statistics surrounding the absence of mental health strategies in organizations highlight an urgent need for action. With mental health issues persisting as a significant concern in Canadian workplaces, the economic ramifications are substantial. However, there is hope in the form of initiatives like The Conference Board of Canada's national tour, "Leading Mentally Healthy Workplaces," which equips HR leaders with tools to develop effective strategies. By embracing a holistic approach that integrates psychological health and safety standards, organizations can foster environments that prioritize mental well-being.