Mental Health Commission of Canada Offering Webinars on Workplace Mental Health

First workplace webinar a huge success: Don’t miss the next one on August 28

Last week, half a million Canadians missed work because of a mental health problem or illness. Just as many Canadians will miss work next week. Did you know that mental health is the number one cause of disability claims in Canada? The personal toll on employees, and the financial costs to their employers, is enormous. Many of these costs can be avoided by ensuring a mentally healthy workplace.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada links businesses to tools and resources to help address psychological health and safety in the workplace.

For example, the National Standard of Canada titled Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace – Prevention, promotion and guidance to staged implementation was officially released January 16, 2013. The voluntary standard, developed collaboratively by the Bureau de Normalisation du Québec (BNQ) and CSA Standards (CSA) and championed by the MHCC, has seen unprecedented interest.

MHCC will be hosting a series of workplace mental health-related town hall webinars on the last Wednesday of every month at 12 Noon EDT. The webinars will take stock of what employers are already doing to improve the workplace, as well as provide the opportunity to brainstorm ways to continue the momentum. Participants will have the opportunity to ask experts about the Standard and other tips and tools that help safeguard employees’ mental health. In addition, everyone will have a chance to learn from other organizations that are at different stages of their journey.

The first webinar with guest speakers Linda Brogden of the University of Waterloo and Mary Ann Baynton from Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace took place July 31 with more than 160 participants from across Canada.

The presentation, which focused on sharing experiences in implementing the Standard and discussing different ways to approach leadership and commitment, will be available on the MHCC website by the end of August.

The next webinar is scheduled to take place August 28 at 12 Noon EDT. Details on guest speakers and subject matter will be available shortly.