While ‘Blue Monday’ may highlight the importance of employee mental health, supporting workers’ psychological safety is a year-round duty, says Mara Notarfonzo, vice-president of total rewards at CAA Club Group.
“I think a lot of organizations definitely do concentrate on specific initiatives or events on that day and during that week — so do we, but we really make a point of looking at psychological safety throughout the year.”
Read: CAA Club Group wins award for holistic, data-driven wellness approach
Considered by many to be the most depressing day of the year — largely due to cold weather, minimal daylight and the arrival of credit card bills from holiday spending — the third Monday in January is also when many employees may slip on maintaining New Year’s resolutions, including those related to improving personal health.
Similar to previous years, CAA is hosting activities throughout this week to support employees’ psychological and social well-being, such as meditation sessions and cooking classes. The sessions are part of a wider strategy to foster connections between co-workers and support mental health, bolstered by meaningful work and mental-health benefits, she says.
“The most important thing we try to communicate is being there for each other and the importance of those social connections.”
Read: 38% of plan members experiencing loneliness, isolation, social disconnection: 2024 BCHS
The 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey found nearly two-fifths (38 per cent) of benefits plan members are experiencing a general sense of loneliness, isolation and social disconnection.
This result increased significantly among those with self-reported poor mental health (76 per cent), those who had divorced or separated in the past year (74 per cent), those with poor work-life balance (66 per cent) and those with poor personal health (62 per cent). In addition, plan members who weren’t satisfied with their jobs (55 per cent) and who were aged 18 to 34 (45 per cent) were also more likely to have felt lonely or disconnected.
Notably, the survey found more than half (54 per cent) of plan members who experienced feelings of loneliness in the past year also reported high or extreme levels of daily stress over the past three months and 47 per cent of those reporting poor social health said the same.
Notarfonzo says CAA’s wellness app has been particularly effective at boosting employee mental health. By participating in activities and challenges on the app, employees can win bronze, silver and gold badges that are directly tied to the company’s reward and recognition platform. In 2024, 62 per cent of CAA employees have registered for the app, an increase of 14 per cent from 2023.
Read: Employers can use ‘Blue Monday’ to reset workplace mental-health strategies
While all forms of employee wellness are supported through the app’s challenges, there’s the added benefit of mutual support through employees sharing their goals and victories with their colleagues. “People post about the things that they’re doing — they went for a run or they cooked a new meal — and these posts are so engaging for other employees. We’re getting a lot of people cheering each other on.”
She adds CAA’s mental-health strategy is driven by the C-suite, which has prioritized psychological safety in the workplace. This approach has resulted in an enhanced mental-health benefit (including combined annual maximums of $2,000 for psychologists/social workers) and expanded access to mental-health professionals through its virtual health-care portal.
“We try to provide our associates with immediate care when they need it and try to really be proactive in providing support for these kinds of programs.”
Read: Employers can improve benefits communication, highlight mental-health support for ‘Blue Monday’