Mental Health Works: finding solutions at work

Imagine that you are an employer who has just learned that one in every five of your staff will develop sight impairments while working for you, but you don't know who or when. Now imagine that you learn that you can reduce the impact the condition has on your staff by ensuring clear passageways and providing special computer monitors that make productivity easier. You'd likely do your best to take these steps because they make sense - for the well being of your staff and the organization as a whole.

While that scenario may be imaginary, mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety do affect one in five Canadians directly, and most experience episodes in their prime working years. It's clear that mental health issues have a significant impact on workplaces; according to the World Health Organization, depression will rank second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020.

Businesses have recognized this impact; in a survey from Watson Wyatt, fully 56% of Canadian employers surveyed identified mental health claims as their top health and productivity-related concern. But many don't seem to know what to do about it. Only 31% indicated that they are likely to implement programs to address the issue - and only 5% have any plans to address the stigma associated with mental illness.

Responding to mental health issues in your workplace can seem overwhelming, but there is a program, called Mental Health Works, that can help.

Doing nothing is not an option

"Managers and employers are often afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing to someone experiencing a mental health crisis, so they do nothing," says Mary Ann Baynton, director of Mental Health Works, an initiative of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario. "What they don't know is that nothing is exactly the wrong thing." Ignoring the signs of mental health issues in a staff member often escalates the problem, worsening the symptoms and causing stress for other employees.

"Managers need to know that there are solutions," says Baynton. "They're not quick fixes, but they address challenges posed by distressed employees in a practical way." Mental Health Works provides these solutions by bringing together a range of resources to help organizations meet their obligations to employees experiencing mental disabilities such as depression or anxiety in the workplace, as well as helping workers who are distressed by any of life's many circumstances.

Every employer has what is called a "duty to accommodate" disabilities, including mental disorders, in the workplace. This means that there is a legal obligation to proactively eliminate employment standards, practices or requirements that discriminate against any employee on the basis of a number of criteria, including disability. The employer must do everything possible to the point of undue hardship - a very high standard - to meet that obligation.

Mental Health Works

The core of Mental Health Works is the team of expert trainers in communities across the country who are certified to deliver workshops that address common mental health-related issues. The first is the award-winning "Complex Issues. Clear Solutions." a full-day workshop that enables managers and employers to speak to their staff about behaviours or changes in performance that may be related to mental health issues. Moreover, the workshop provides skills and information to resolve conflicts more effectively, create accommodation strategies that work and avoid discrimination and human rights violations.

Eight additional workshops offer focused professional development opportunities for staff, union reps and employers. They are:

• "Awareness of Mental Health in the Workplace": 1-2 hour-intended for employees and general audiences.  Reduce discomfort and/or fear when faced with a co-worker who is ill and increase the ability to respond in a supportive manner. suitable for small and large groups of both employees and employers (available also in French).
• "Issues and Solutions": 1-2 hour- intended for the management team.  We share our stories about challenging, but successful cases that will change the way you think about these issues forever (available also in French).
• "Assisting Workers with Mental Health Issues: 3-hour- intended for union representatives and stewards.  If union members rely on you as an advocate and confidante in times of need, this workshop can help reduce discomfort or uncertainty in fulfilling this very important role. 
• "Human Resources: Return-to Work Strategies": 3-4 hour- intended for human resources personnel.  We use case studies to engage participants in considering approaches to the most difficult situations including behavioural issues, fear of violence, perception of "faking it", and the hostility of co-workers or supervisors. 
• "Workplace Influence": 1-2 hour- intended for all employees.  Help employees take control of their responses at work and be able to help co-workers who seem to be "stressing out". 
• "Affecting Workplace Mental Health": 3-hour- intended for those who have the power to influence or change workplace processes and wish to do so in a way that will positively affect the mental health of workers.
• "Occupational Health Strategies: Return-to-Work after Mental Illness": 3-4 hour- intended for occupational health professionals.  We address working with unclear physician notes, cynical supervisors, management who think you should 'fix' employees, and employees who do not seem able to access effective treatment.
• "Managing the Return-to-Work": 3-4 hour- intended for managers/supervisors who already have a good working knowledge of mental health and communication skills.  It looks at juggling the competing interests of the returning employee, co-workers, organizational demands, and time management, especially when the return-to-work issues, or behavioural problems.

"These workshops are practical, hands-on guides," says Baynton. "We want people to leave knowing how to recognize when an employee or colleague may be experiencing distress, how to talk to them about it and how to focus on solutions at work. It's about keeping the workplace productive and healthy."

According to companies who have participated in this training, Mental Health Works has met this goal. "Mary Ann realistically approaches the challenges that businesses face while helping us to gain a more in-depth understanding of mental health issues," says Stephanie Smith, Senior Manager of Employee Diversity at TD Bank Financial Group, which has received training for HR professionals and managers.

Mental Health Works also customizes workshops to meet the specific needs of any organization.

Consulting services that work

Some workplace issues are especially complex, involving challenging return-to-work situations, inter-personal conflict and poor workplace morale. Mental Health Works offers consulting services to respond to those needs. Experts meet one-on-one with each stakeholder, including the employee, the supervisor, colleagues and human resources personnel, to develop solutions that work for all involved. "It's so important that everyone involved participates," says Mary Ann Baynton. "The process is about commitment, not compliance." The consultation will result in an agreement between employer and employee that is respectful of the rights and obligations of both.

Diane Wescott, the Director of Employee Wellness at Ontario Power Generation, saw a consulting process resolve itself very successfully for a member of OPG's staff. "The collaborative approach that Mental Health Works uses is particularly well suited to complex cases and dispute resolution where there are behavioural issues involved, whether they are mental health related or not." She adds, "Having a third party can also be extremely helpful, and make the person feel safer."

Resources available 24/7

Another successful resource developed by the Mental Health Works team is "Working It Out: A Manager's Guide to Mental Health and Accommodation in the Workplace." "Working It Out" is an e-learning tool, which managers can use at their convenience by CD ROM or on-line. Working It Out is also award-winning and provides interactive exercises and scenarios that help managers understand the duty to accommodate and appropriately manage the accommodation process.

Clear solutions - not easy ones