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Workplace mental health concerns carry up to $11-billion price tag

The rise of workplace-related mental health concerns across the country is reinforcing the need for business both big and small to take a close look at the problem, says Andrew Harkness, senior strategy advisor with the Industrial Accident Prevention
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In June, a Canadian report suggested up to $11 billion could be saved annually by employers by taking steps to reduce stress and mental harm.

 
The rise of workplace-related mental health concerns across the country is reinforcing the need for business both big and small to take a close look at the problem, says Andrew Harkness, senior strategy advisor with the Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA).

"Over the years, the safety world has focused primarily on physical safety," says Harkness, who oversees the IAPA's Healthy Workplace portfolio.

"If I have an understanding of what physical safety is, then it's a natural extension to say, what about the mental safety? What about the psychosocial risks where we allow bullying or a highly competitive workforce ... which is a health practice that is not conducive to creating a mentally safe workplace."

These types of concerns are being addressed not only through industry but also through the IAPA itself, which touches upon this and other issues in its upcoming Safety Solutions 2009 Health and Safety Conference and Trade Show.

Held at Sudbury's Holiday Inn on Oct. 6, the full-day event will feature discussions on corporate wellness, which is linked to the employer's bottom line.

The toll of mental health concerns on Canadian pocketbooks is severe. In June 2009, the Mental Health Commission of Canada released a report indicating occupational health specialists say as much as 60 per cent of their caseloads are related directly or indirectly to mental health concerns.

That same report found between $3 billion and $11 billion-per year could be saved if businesses were to take steps to reduce workplace conditions that create stress and other mental harm.

The human toll is no less dramatic. During the next 11 years, mental health is expected to be the single-greatest cause of early death and depression disorders, second only to heart disease, says Harkness.

In recent years, the courts have ruled against companies such as Honda Canada Inc., the Bank of Montreal and the RCMP in such matters. This means businesses should consider being pro-active, rather than waiting for the law to catch up either through legislation or arbitration, says Harkness.

Much can be solved simply through communication between employers and other workplace parties increasing dialogue to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health, he says.

Respecting the employees is a key component, but in order to fully grasp the issues, business leaders should carefully consider both the formal culture – developed through mission and policy statements – and the informal culture. This might mean conducting employee surveys, focus groups and townhall-style meetings to help determine the realities as perceived by the employees.

Examining other aspects of employee life, such as absenteeism and the more popularly-used components of the company benefit program, can provide other answers.

Employers need to identify business practices that are creating depression, anxiety, stress or substance abuse, says Harkness.

Such matters can boil down to something as simple as insufficient recognition of a job well done, or even the sense of a lack of control. Leaders should keep an eye open for such concerns, he says.

To understand the mental health of a workplace, business leaders have to examine the types of training and development they provide to their managers and supervisors.

Because people are typically promoted as a result of their technical expertise, their supervisory talents may be lacking, meaning an overwhelming number of staff in positions of oversight often lack the so-called "soft skills" of knowing how to deal with their people.

This can have a direct impact on the mental health of staff, not to mention a company's potential for a "revolving door" of outgoing workers as a result of stressful environments. As such, the importance of human interaction cannot be understated, he says.

"If there's any greatest factor in terms of what happens to cause turnover, it's the relationship the employee has with their direct supervisor. I can be in an organization of 20 or 2,000, but it's really my boss that will impact my sense of well-being, belonging, advancement and recognition."


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