With roughly 20 per cent of Canadian workers missing three or more work days a year due to depression, stress, anxiety and other mental health-related disorders, and the costs of mental health problems to the Canadian economy estimated at $15 Billion (two-thirds of which are borne by employers), doing all you can to create and promote a mentally healthy workplace is not only the right thing to do, but a legal, business and health necessity.
The Evolution of Workplace Mental Health in Canada: Report
HRPA is proud to have sponsored newly-released research about the evolution of mental health strategies in the workplace that shows the great strides Canadian companies have taken toward creating psychologically safe and healthy workplaces.
The focus of the Evolution of Workplace Mental Health in Canada: Research Report (2007-2017) was to examine the evolution of Canadian workplace mental health policies and strategies over the past ten years.
Although there is, of course, more work to be done, the findings are encouraging. In 2016, 77% of working Canadians indicated attitudes toward workplace mental health issues are better than they were in 2007 (Samra 2017). Additionally, those Canadians who say their workplace is psychologically unhealthy or unsafe (10%) has been cut in half, down from 20% in 2009 (Ipsos 2016).
Developments were examined across several key thematic domains, including: Legal and Standards; Business; and, Sector-Specific Evolution. Significant developments were observed across each thematic area. The project was commissioned by the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace to support research through the University of Fredericton, led by Dr. Joti Samra, R.Psych.
The following resources will help HRPA members protect and promote psychological health and safety in the workplace.