Mental illness affects everyone sooner or later—one in five people will experience a mental illness directly. Those of us who do not have a mental health problem ourselves, will have a friend, colleague, or family member who is dealing with a mental health issue.

Workplaces are heavily impacted by mental health issues according to the 2011 report, Building Mentally Healthy Workplaces: Perspectives of Canadian Workers and Front-Line Managers. Forty-four (44) per cent of the employees surveyed reported they were either currently (12 per cent) or had previously (32 per cent) personally experienced a mental health issue.

“Mental health is a significant business issue that requires the attention of organizations. People who experience mental health issues face incredible challenges in the workplace. Many are misunderstood, shunned and underutilized,” said Karla Thorpe, Associate Director, Compensation and Industrial Relations at the Conference Board of Canada. “In a world where shortages of critical skills are top of mind for many organizations, employers cannot afford to allow this situation to continue.”

Now is the time to address Workplace Mental Health

Building the Case

The Legal and Regulatory Case 

The Business Case

The Health Case

Corporate Social Responsibility

For more information about mental illnesses and supports, visit the Canadian Mental Health Association's website.