Healthy at Work
A work environment has its own set of mental health factors that employers need to address. According to a 2009 study of roughly 6,800 Canadian employees conducted by the Consortium for Organizational Mental Healthcare, 19% believe they’re in a psychologically unsafe workplace. When a set of 12 psychosocial risk factors (such as organizational culture, clear leadership and expectations, workload management and psychological job fit) are applied, this figure increases to 29%.
So how can employers improve these conditions? Experts say they need to consider three key elements: communication, education and accommodation.
Communication — To avoid a mentally unhealthy workplace, open, frank communication is key. In these tough economic times, employees don’t know what’s going to happen and don’t always understand why upper management makes certain decisions.
At all times — but especially after layoffs are announced—the manager needs to meet with staff regularly to look at work priorities. “The mental health of those [remaining] employees is at stake if suddenly they’re taking on more than they can chew,” says Alexandra Keay, project manager, Mental Health Week, with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). However, if the manager isn’t making a move, then the employee should. Generally, Keay says, if employees approach managers with constructive suggestions for workflow, most managers will be open to the ideas. “This is when collegial management style and teamwork are so important,” she adds.
Communication with a potentially distressed employee is important, too. If an employee’s behaviour has changed, initially, a manager may opt to deal with the employee through performance management instead of addressing the fundamental behaviour change. Seward says not all managers will take the time, or have the comfort level, to “check in” with an employee about his or her mental health. “Think about what that conversation would look like,” she notes. “It’s not like you can say, ‘Oh, I can imagine how you must feel.’ How many managers can say that with any credibility?”
Some managers, Seward continues, don’t want to have that conversation because then, they have to provide support. “It’s not enough [for a manager] to say, ‘Okay, thanks for telling me that.’ How does the manager provide support so the employee can deal with the issue?”
Education — Training is critical for a mentally healthy workplace. Employers need to ensure that their front-line managers are trained to recognize an employee who may be suffering, which often manifests as a change in the employee’s usual behaviour. “People in management positions have a unique responsibility to ensure that they have the skill sets to look out for the health and well-being of their employees,” says Michele Nowski, director, disability claims and disability management, with Desjardins Financial Security.
When managers don’t have the skill sets or the necessary training, there are resources to help them. Mental Health Works, an initiative of CMHA Ontario, for example, holds workshops on awareness of workplace mental health, managing return to work and assisting workers with mental health issues. Program manager Kathy Jurgens says Mental Health Works’ workshops rate consistently high with attendees, adding that there’s always one consistent piece of feedback: “All managers should have this training.”
However, drawing attention to mental health issues is particularly challenging because of the rampant stigma in our society. According to a 2008 report from the Canadian Medical Association, 46% of Canadians think people use the term mental illness as an excuse for bad behaviour, and only 49% said they would socialize with a friend with mental illness.
Donna MacCandlish, director, strategic partnerships, with the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, says eliminating the stigma is going to take time. “[During the] 1970s, you didn’t talk about cancer openly. And in the ’80s, people were very much in the closet around AIDS. These are now things people can talk about,” she says. “[I hope], over time, we’ll be able to talk about mental ill health in the same way we can be open about other aspects of ill health.”
Accommodation — The best way to avoid disability costs—and grief and pain for the employee—is prevention. But when an employee does go on disability, this means preparing to accommodate the employee’s return to work.
Even before the employee returns, a manager should communicate with her while she’s on leave, says Nowski. She adds that many employers are concerned about privacy, but that need not be a barrier. “You’re not going to ask, ‘Tell me about your condition.’ Your message is one of support—to let [the employee] know she’s valued.”
Similarly, employers should look at graduated return-to-work programs. “It’s really challenging for someone to be off for weeks and weeks, and then come back and be expected to maintain a full workday and 100% of their duties,” says Smeall. The manager needs to discuss workload and changes in responsibilities with the employee. And, when the employee returns, Smeall says the manager and employee should have a signal—a word, phrase or gesture—that the employee can use in case he becomes distressed. That way, the manager knows she has to take some kind of action—for example, stopping a meeting. Flexibility is also key, such as allowing the employee to telecommute or schedule necessary appointments during work hours.
Managers also need to inform and prepare co-workers for the employee’s return (although this doesn’t necessarily mean full disclosure of the illness itself). “They have all kinds of questions: What do I say? Do I talk to her?” says Nowski. “People’s first reaction is to stay away from [the returning employee] because they think [she needs space]. That can be the worst thing, because then the employee feels ostracized.”
On the flip side, if the employee discloses the illness to her manager and colleagues, they can then watch for recurrence of the symptoms. “That’s when you can cut back on the work hours [and] make sure the support systems are in place,” says Keay. “It is very helpful when staff and colleagues are able to be informed as proper supports and education can be implemented.”
Since mental illness is so prevalent in our society, employers need prevention programs as well as return-to-work and accommodation policies. “Employers [don’t] need to wait for developing a great strategy or for their CEOs to get engaged,” says Schwartz. “Explore the resources that are there, start small—and do something.”
That’s exactly what Liberman is doing. Now going on 12 years depression-free without relapse, she has become an advocate for those who suffer similar ordeals. “People who’ve been through this become a bit more highly attuned to people suffering, quite frankly—because we know it can happen to any one of us.
Brooke Smith is associate editor of Benefits Canada.
> click here for a PDF version of this article
© Copyright 2009 Rogers Publishing Ltd. This article first appeared in the July 2009 edition of BENEFITS CANADA magazine.