Best practices for a 'mental health ready' workplace

Posted June 22, 2016By Medcan For Business

A mental health ready workplace establishes a culture where people know who they can be comfortable talking about concerns, and asking for support when needed. This means having protocols in place for assisting someone who might be suffering, and knowing what an employer’s duties — and limits — are when it comes to providing accommodations for their employees.

In last week’s seminar Managing mental health issues in the modern workplace, Dr. Gina Di Giulio, Clinical Psychologist and Director of Psychology at Medcan, and Janet Ozembloski, Vice President, Legal at Medcan, tackled some of the proactive methods for organizations that are committed to employee wellness.

Encourage healthy relationships and two-way conversation

Company leaders can encourage open conversations for employees to talk about their mental health concerns, and ensure that they are comfortable enough to do so. Taking employees out of the workplace to chat in a less formal environment is a great first step. As is selecting employees in your organization with strong emotional intelligence to be mental health champions. They can watch out for, and talk about, mental health concerns with their peers. Champions don’t necessarily have to be in managerial positions, and can speak to team members  outside of their direct reporting lines.

Watch out for potential psychological hazards

Some potential hazards to avoid include:

• Negative organizational culture that lacks trust, honesty, and fairness
• Lack of civility and respect
• Lack of growth and development
• Lack of recognition and reward

Dr. Di Giulio encouraged creating a workplace culture with a palpable sense of support and community.

Provide conflict management training

This type of training is the first line of defence against a mentally unwell workplace. When employees know how to address conflict in situations that involve power dynamics, including challenging customer interactions, everyone benefits.

Most unhealthy relationships will have an impact on your mental health in some fashion and it is important to provide guidance on how to manage such relationships within the workplace. For example, regular group discussions that allow staff to discuss difficult workplace relationships safely.

Consider offering Mental Health First Aid

Workplace readiness training like Mental Health First Aid does not teach people how to be therapists; it instructs how to recognize signs and symptoms of a mental health issue and provide initial help and guidance to professional support when required.

Ensure awareness of available resources

Make sure that your employees are aware of any employee assistance programs, peer groups or other forms of support or accommodations available to them through regular and frequent communications.  Dr. Di Giulio spoke about companies that extended their focus beyond a standard employee program to training and support that encourages teams to think about their personal and colleagues’ health.

Recommended approaches when concerns arise

While signs of a mental illness can often go unnoticed, it is possible to recognize certain symptoms early. Here are some useful tools to help you learn when—and how—to approach a colleague.

Mental Health Continuum

Source: Mental Health Commission of Canada

The four-colour Mental Health Continuum makes symptoms easy to identify, without labels and stigma, making it easier to have these types of conversations integrated into workplace culture. It also provides recommended actions to take at each step.

When to approach an employee
Use measurable, objective observations when deciding to initiate a discussion with your employee. This includes any notable changes in emotional demeanor or changes in performance at work.

How to approach an employee?
Approach your employee in an open and kind manner. Ensure that they understand that you are coming from a place of concern. This mean providing support and avoiding judgment.

Finally, ask your employee how your organization can help and offer suggestions like time off or time to seek support, among other accommodations.

The employer’s duty to accommodate

After raising concerns about mental health, employers have a duty to accommodate any needs that their employee may have—whether that’s time off work, sourcing outside help, or simply moving them away from any concerning relationships with their coworkers. Although accommodation is a duty by law, Janet Ozembloski, Vice President, Legal at Medcan, notes that accommodation can be seen as a shared responsibility.

“Everyone involved—including the person seeking accommodation—should cooperate, share information and look for solutions together,” said Ozembloski during the seminar.

If you are unsure about accommodations, seek counsel from an employment lawyer or a psychologist early on. Legal proceedings and litigation can have a negative impact on both employees and employers emotionally, financially and organizationally if the wrong steps are taken, or if they are taken too late.

Undue hardship

If an employer has done everything they can to provide accommodation, they may have reached undue hardship. Some guidelines for gauging whether you have reached undue hardship are:

• If the cost towards providing accommodation is prohibitive
• When there are no sufficient outside sources of funding
• If there are health and safety requirements where that accommodation would interfere with anyone else in the workplace’s health and safety.

As to when an employer can no longer provide accommodation, every case is unique. For more on proactive approaches and building a mindful workplace, the full seminar is available below.

The information in this online seminar is for educational and information purposes only and is neither intended to be relied upon nor to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, or legal advice.