How the life and health insurance industry has taken a leadership role in promoting mental health in the workplace.

The principles were designed to provide a set of standards and best practices that contribute to health and productivity. Following the release of the principles, Frank Swedlove, president of the CLHIA, said, “The life and health insurance industry has clearly demonstrated its commitment to supporting the mental health of Canadian workers. One of our primary goals is to raise the profile of mental health issues and bring increasing awareness of its importance to the work environment as well as to all Canadians.”

The five principles embrace the following:

• working to improve knowledge and awareness of the impact of mental health in the workplace;
• encouraging development and promotion of best practices and programs;
• supporting practices that facilitate prevention, early detection and intervention;
• promoting fair and effective disability management practices; and
• focusing on products and services that address the needs and issues related to mental health.

CLHIA members are committed to adopting these principles as part of their operations. Employers prepared to work with them can expect to benefit.
Look for evidence of the guiding principles in the following initiatives.

Make Information Available – Creating awareness to reduce the stigma of mental health in the workplace. For example, insurers may make information available to employers and their employees through brochures, websites and training sessions, endorse or disseminate recognized materials and support mental health awareness campaigns. Expect to see data that demonstrate the societal costs and productivity losses of mental health issues in claims experience reports.

Support Early Intervention – Promoting the value of early intervention through wellness programs, employee assistance programs and other disease and absence management programs.

Work with Stakeholders – Assisting employers to make informed decisions for the investment of resources to cope with mental health-related issues and to reduce lost productivity costs related to absenteeism and presenteeism; working with healthcare professionals, employers and individuals to reduce mental health-related disabilities by supporting recovery and return-to-work programs.

Ensure Fair and Equitable Claims Practices – Committing to equitable claims practices for all disabilities, regardless of origin; applying sensitivity in communications on mental health issues and acting accordingly in their claims functions; recognizing the need for specialized claims handling for those with mental disabilities.

Promote Products and Services – Continuing to make products and services available for a good mental health strategy; working to ensure best co-ordination of health and disability coverage to optimize recovery; ensuring that plan sponsors are aware of the products available to their employees.

Value Own Employees – Ensuring that a good mental health strategy is adopted for the insurer’s own employees.

Develop Standards and Best Practices – Developing a set of standards and best practices designed to improve health and productivity; supporting best management practices to encourage good mental health in the workplace; continuing to play an active role as part of the solution.

The CLHIA has adopted these guiding principles and acknowledges the importance of working with its members to incorporate them into their operations.
For more information, go to clhia.ca. BC

Irene Klatt is vice-president, health insurance, with the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.
iklatt@clhia.ca

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© Copyright 2010 Rogers Publishing Ltd. This article first appeared in the October 2010 edition of BENEFITS CANADA magazine.