Canadian winters have always been notoriously long, cold and dark, so employers understood why their staff might experience the January Blues, a feeling of deep unhappiness or depression. Today, smart employers and managers know those January Blues may have nothing to do with the weather and can happen at any time of the year.
What is mental health and why is it important?
Despite all the modern advancements, there is no substitute for live dialogue. As humans we crave emotional connectedness and sometimes that can only be satisfied by hearing someone’s voice or seeing them in person.
If someone showed up to the office with a mid-winter cold, an employer wouldn’t think twice about sending that employee home. Most managers would rather have an employee miss a day or two and come back to work fully rested, than attempt to work through a lingering cold and be unproductive for two to three weeks.
On the other hand, if an employee was exhibiting signs of a mental illness, the average manager may not be able to correctly identify those signs, or might just assume someone is ‘having a bad day’.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, “mental illnesses are health problems that affect the way we think about ourselves, relate to others and interact with the world around us”. Although they are more difficult to detect, long-term mental health issues are as real as physical health issues, and possibly more prevalent.
In 2018, claims involving mental health conditions represented 52% of all disability claims for federal public service employees. This is the first instance in which the percentage has exceeded 50% in the 49-year history of the federal disability insurance plan. The numbers will vary for each workplace but the reality is that mental health issues will continue to be an increasing concern that managers cannot afford to ignore.
For employers, it all starts with seeing behind the mask and recognizing the signs of mental illness.
What are the signs of Mental Illness?
Here are some of the common signs to be aware of with your employees and coworkers. Someone may be living with a mental illness if they begin to suddenly doubt their own abilities, or if they appear considerably less confident than they normally do. Other tell-tale signs of a mental illness could be in their performance, if they are having a hard time concentrating, learning new skills or simply making decisions. People who are experiencing mental health issues may also withdraw from others, act uncharacteristically, take an inordinate amount of time off, or be noticeably unproductive.
What are the origins of poor workplace mental health?
Why not schedule one “meeting” a week with a friend for a quick coffee or lunch? It can even be as simple as establishing a standing sushi dinner date with your girlfriends each month. A little balance will go a long way for your productivity in the end.
Poor workplace mental health can be exacerbated when employees:
- experience insecurity about their job
- bear an excessive work load
- are not recognized for their efforts and accomplishments
- endure a poor work-life balance
- live with bullying, harassment and discrimination
What can a manager or employer do to help?
When it comes to written memories, try using a journal instead. For photos, you can store them online using cloud services, or by using hardware devices like hard drives or USBs. If you want to go a little more old-school, print out your favourites and start a scrapbook or basic photo album.
Managers should strive to:
- be clear about their expectations
- provide an environment with opportunities for development
- allow employees to have some influence over their work
- recognize the efforts of their employees – be sincere, mention specific accomplishments
- strategize with their employees to help them achieve a better work-life balance
- establish a workplace standard in which bullying, harassment and discrimination are now allowed
Take action
The fastest way to gather your news in one place is to set alerts on Google based on your interests. They’ll send you an email once a day gathering all the news related to your alert. The other method is a little more old school (and potentially more expensive) but you can also note which news sources you like the most and visit their websites every day or have their publication sent right to your door, if they have a print version.
Mental Health Works, a social enterprise of the Canadian Mental Health Association offers a variety of workshops across Canada that introduce employers and employees to workplace mental health, to specific common issues like anxiety and depression and to elements of the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety.
Managers will also find a multitude of resources through the Government of Alberta
When an organization strives to become a psychologically healthy workplace, it benefits both employees and employers. A healthy workplace typically sees a reduction in absenteeism, presenteeism*, grievances, workplace injuries, medical leave and health costs. It will also experience better employee engagement, morale, productivity and workplace satisfaction.
When a company develops a reputation as a caring organization and a psychologically healthy workplace, it has a big advantage in the recruitment and retention of top employees.
*being present physically although unable to work productively because of illness or anxiety
