August 30, 2016
Disclaimer: SickNotWeak does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content contains explicit and sensitive information that may not be suitable for all ages.
It’s estimated that 1 in 5 Canadians will suffer from mental illness each year, with an estimated cost to the overall economy of $51 billion. Much of that overall cost comes directly from government-run organizations like hospitals, care facilities, and treatment centres. There are, however, many privately funded costs associated with the overall burden that come from things like loss of productivity and privately funded healthcare. So when companies cite lack of resources to start mental health initiatives, they should probably look at overall figures to see what really costs them money.
Private insurance disability claims totaled $1.3 billion in 2007-2008. Coupled with loss of productivity, wage-based loss for a company is estimated at $6.3 billion. That’s a huge amount of revenue loss for illnesses that could be better treated with more care.
So what are major Canadian corporations doing to stop this problem? Many of them have begun implementing policies and initiatives to prevent the illness before it begins, help it when it does, and live and work with it if it won’t stop.
Bell Canada has already proven to be a major champion of mental health through their Bell Let’s Talk program; one of the major things they are dedicated to is workplace mental wellness. They were one of the first major companies to voluntarily adopt the Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. They are striving to meet this standard, which companies can use to better serve their employees suffering from mental illness.
Private companies are the least likely to have initiatives for mental wellness.
According to a report by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), nonprofit organizations are more likely to have mental health policies, followed by public organizations. Private companies are the least likely to have initiatives for mental wellness.
There are so many things that organizations can do to foster better mental health for their employees. The main way that many companies have been focusing on mental health is through seminars to keep employees better informed and to reduce the stigma that might stop them from reporting mental illness. Other ways focus more on creating better working environments as part of a preventative approach. This includes an environment where employees and leadership treat each other with respect, where employees feel their work is recognized and appreciated, where workload task management allows for everything to be completed within the time given, and where a work-home-family balance is respected and acknowledged.
The Canadian Mental Health Commission Рin partnership with Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Group and the Bureau de normalization du Qu̩bec Рdeveloped the standard that Bell Canada uses for their own policies. It cites many of the things that make a workplace unwell, but unfortunately is still a voluntary standard for companies to adopt. While many companies might choose to use this guide, without a firmer hand there can be no guarantee that workplace mental illness will be taken seriously by all companies.
The CMHA report indicated many employees feeling as though their organizations’ leadership teams talk about supporting mental wellness, but don’t actually follow through. The reasons their employers gave for not starting initiatives involved not wanting to spend the money on programs.
Other organizations have adopted mental health policies and goals to better strengthen their work environment. Carleton University has a mental health and wellbeing strategy that focuses on changes that will be made throughout 2015-2018. Their strategy relies on three guiding principles: Both the university and the individual play a role in maintaining strong mental health; workplace mental wellness is based on trust, respect and fairness; and that the workplace wellbeing initiative is based on best practices that are regularly reviewed in order to maintain relevant programming.
Other universities that have similar healthy workplace initiatives include McMaster University, Ryerson University, and the University of British Columbia.
Many corporate giants, such as Canadian Tire and Loblaws, do not have mental health initiatives for their employees, but have outside programs for mental health in the community. While this might be good practice to strengthen relationships outside the workforce, it also shows that they might not be focusing on the right thing for their organization’s overall wellbeing.
Mental illness is a terrible battle that many Canadians face every day, and it’s important that places of employment acknowledge and help fight this. With such a high cost to the overall economy and to each individual corporation, it’s time for all organizations-be they nonprofit, public, or private-to step up and make the necessary changes for the benefit of their employees.
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It’s great that we are talking about this but more action is needed. My husband’s last employer was great at saying whatever we can do to help and then punishing him by asking for more and more frequent and detailed documentation for time off, suspensions for time off certified by a doctor and constant discipline for whatever small reasons and the union was no help. He finally had enough and quit then couldn’t qualify for employment insurance because he didn’t have a good reason! He finally got disability for short term, after getting notes from the doctor, and now needs to look for a new job. He is understandably nervous.
A very interestsing time for this to come up with Sicknotweak. Yesterday one of my favourite clients and I had the chance to chat, best part of my job. I asked how the business was going and she said “there is an employee that has been off for 2 months now, I think she NUTS and just wants the summer off, she’s trying to pull the depression card. Now we’re stuck with her and have to allow her to come back to work. I’ll tell you one thing, as soon as the two month mandatory period is up, she’s fired”. The next sound in the room was my heart breaking. We must continue to stand together and help spread the word.
This article is so poignant for me. I’ve been off work for over two years with severe mental illness after suffering 12 years of what can only be seen as abuse by my employer. I begged for help. Told them I was suffering with a workload that was unmanageable for anyone and still they piled it on. I was on call virtually 24/7. I was told again and again that at my level of pay there was no 9 to 5 and I needed to give 110%. Eventually I ended up giving them my soul and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same.
It’s amazing how often you hear employer say do what you need to do for your health in one breath but in the next there belittling you or making you feel like it’s all in your head.
I work in education and I’ve explained it to my principal a number of times that just because I seem very happy, outgoing and willing to do things doesn’t mean that I’m not struggling personally with my own mental health.
I try not to take things personally and I understand sometimes that they don’t understand why I may seem to “over react” but in truth when faced with confrontation it automatically triggers my anxiety which then produces self as tears. I am not weak I have anxiety. I am not afraid of doing what needs to be done I have anxiety. I am willing to do what needs to be done but sometimes tears will happen. I work throughout.
Time to end the stigma #MentalHealth #SickNotWeak #TimeForAChange #ERFP #IAmNotWeak
Like a few others who have commented, I’ve been on long-term disability for mental health issues for the last 28 months 🙁 It is and has been very much a fight this entire time. The constant barrage of forms, intruding questions and silent judgement first with my employer and then with the LTD insurance carrier has caused me even worse symptoms in my ongoing battle with PTSD. I actually had to spend $3,400 in legal fees to first get my LTD denial overturned and now, the change in definition date to the policy is in November and I am just waiting with baited breath what hoops I have to go through to get approve. Not to mention CPP has denied me twice and I have to go through Social Tribunal in order to satisfy the needs of my insurer. Whose needs should be looked after anyway? I thought they should be mine but apparently not. I’d throw in the towel on the LTD if I didn’t need the funds. So not worth the stress.