Mental health issues in the workplace are among the top concerns for organizations of all sizes. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), one in five Canadians experience a mental health problem or illness each year, equating to 500,000 employees unable to work every week because of mental health problems or illnesses. Seeking to understand how the daily experience of employees affects the workplace, consulting firm Morneau Shepell partnered with the Globe and Mail to create the “mental health experience in Canada’s workplaces” survey. Morneau Shepell and the MHCC have released a new white paper detailing the survey’s findings.
"Understanding Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Their Impacts in the Workplace" outlines a key finding that Canadian employees report workplace stress as the primary cause of their mental health problems or illness, with depression and anxiety noted as the top two issues. The joint white paper explains the effect of mental health issues on job performance, core coping strategies being used by employees, and the actions that organizations can take to better support employees.
Respondents were driven to the survey through a series of articles published in the Globe and Mail by Bill Howatt, chief research and development officer, workforce productivity, at Morneau Shepell, and various guest coauthors, such as Louise Bradley, president and chief executive officer at MHCC.