Mental health March 2013

It’s all in the mind

by Toronto Training and HR

March 2013

Contents3-4 Introduction to Toronto Training and HR5-6 Definitions7-8 Myths around mental illness 9-11 How does poor mental health in the

workplace affect performance?12-14 Costs of doing nothing15-16 Why are we not doing anything?17-19 Everyday changes which can make a

difference20-21 Creating a positive impact22-26 Mentally healthy workplaces27-28 Areas where a difference can be made29-30 Making things better31-32 Stress33-34 Reducing the instances of depression35-38 Training outcomes39-42 Front-line managers43-45 Encouraging managers46-48 Case studies49-50 Conclusion and questions

Page 3

Introduction

Page 4

Introduction to Toronto Training and HR

Toronto Training and HR is a specialist training and human resources consultancy headed by Timothy Holden 10 years in banking10 years in training and human resourcesFreelance practitioner since 2006The core services provided by Toronto Training and HR are:

Training event designTraining event deliveryHR supportServices for job seekers

Page 5

Definitions

Definitions• Mental health• Presenteeism• Depression• Stress• Anxiety

Page 6

Page 7

Myths around mental illness

Myths around mental illness • You brought it on

yourself so pull yourself together

• Mental health problems are for life

• People with mental health problems are weird and different

• People with mental health problems are stupid and weak

• People with mental illness are violent and dangerous Page 8

Page 9

How does poor mental health in the workplace

affect performance?

Page 10

How does poor mental health in the workplace affect performance? 1 of 2

• Find it difficult to concentrate

• More likely to get into conflict with colleagues

• Have difficulty in making decisions

• Find it more difficult juggling a number of tasks

• Take longer to do tasks

How does poor mental health in the workplace affect performance? 2 of 2

• Put off challenging work• Rely more on colleagues to

get work done• Find it more difficult to

learn new tasks

Page 11

Page 12

Costs of doing nothing

Costs of doing nothing 1 of 2• Increased absenteeism• Poorer physical health• Greater use of Canada’s

healthcare system• Employee turnover• Higher benefits costs• Greater use of

prescription drugs• Lower levels of

employee engagement and job satisfaction

Page 13

Costs of doing nothing 2 of 2• Less favourable

employer brand or reputation

• Fall in creativity and innovation

• Difficulties in recruitment

Page 14

Page 15

Why are we not doing anything?

Why are we not doing anything?

• The stigmatization of the issue

• Belief that “there is not much we can do”

• Belief that this is the person’s personality

• Belief that this is for the family to deal with

• Belief that it is not the role of Canada’s employers

• Don’t believe the data

Page 16

Page 17

Everyday changes which can make a

difference

Everyday changes which can make a difference 1 of 2

• Take the lead• Avoid clichés• Think about your body

language• Ask how you can help• Don’t just talk about

mental health• Don’t avoid the issue• Give them time

Page 18

Everyday changes which can make a difference 2 of 2

• Don’t tolerate language or behaviour that is focused on someone’s physical or mental characteristics

• Be flexible• Liaise with the team

about issues that may be raised by these adjustments

• If the workload is causing or exacerbating a mental health condition take reasonable steps to address

Page 19

Page 20

Creating a positive impact

Creating a positive impact

• Focus on education and communication to reduce fear, stigma and discrimination

• Create a culture conducive to good mental health

• Demonstrate leadership at the top

• Provide the tools and training to support managers in their role

Page 21

Page 22

Mentally healthy workplaces

Mentally healthy workplaces 1 of 4

• Workload• Work scheduling• Work-life balance• Work environment• Management style• Communication

Page 23

Mentally healthy workplaces 2 of 4STEPS TO TAKE• Develop a culture where

open and honest communication is encouraged, and support and mutual respect are the norm

• Encourage an ethos where people know it’s OK to talk about mental health to help reduce stigma and misunderstanding-allows them to tell you if they need any adaptations to working practice that will support them in doing their job

Page 25

Mentally healthy workplaces 3 of 4STEPS TO TAKE (CONTINUED)• Give employees control

over their work-lack of control is known to increase stress

• Ensure that every employee has the right level of skills for the job

• Make sure that people have a manageable workload

Page 26

Mentally healthy workplaces 4 of 4STEPS TO TAKE (CONTINUED)• Operate flexible working

hours (where business structures allow) so that employees can balance the demands of home life with work

• Check the work environment and eliminate unnecessary stressors such as flickering lights or unnecessary noise as these factors can aggravate anxiety in particular

Page 27

Areas where a difference can be made

Areas where a difference can be made

• Workloads• Technology• Managing change• The immediate

manager• The organization’s

culture

Page 28

Page 29

Making things better

Page 30

Making things better

• Adjusting working hours• Allowing more frequent

breaks than others• Providing a “workplace

buddy”• Changing how work

duties are performed• Redeployment into a

different role

Page 31

Stress

Stress

• Employer awareness and understanding

• Options for employers• Benefits of Employee

Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Page 32

Page 33

Reducing the instances of depression

Page 34

Reducing the instances of depression

• Setting unrealistic short work deadlines

• Giving people complex work responsibilities yet no decision making authority

• Giving people routine and monotonous jobs only

• Poor management practices where managers are seen to be unfair or unsupportive

• Failing to give praise and recognition to employees

Page 35

Training outcomes

Training outcomes 1 of 3• I have a better

understanding of mental health and work now than I had before the training

• I am confident in my ability to support people with mental health conditions in the workplace

Page 36

Page 37

Training outcomes 2 of 3• I am able to intervene

earlier through improved awareness of the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions

• My awareness of best practice in supporting employees experiencing a mental health condition is better now than it was before I took the training

Training outcomes 3 of 3• I feel able to change the

way my organization supports employees experiencing a mental health condition

• I want to learn more about mental health and work through further courses and study programs

Page 38

Page 39

Front-line managers

Front-line managers 1 of 3

• Up to date knowledge of support and resources available to employees with mental health issues

• Procedures or guidelines to follow if a direct report has a mental health issue

• Training on how to recognize mental health issues in employees and how to have conversations with such employees

Page 40

Front-line managers 2 of 3

ADDITIONAL TRAINING• Recognizing signs and

symptoms• Community supports

available• Medical factors influencing

mental health issues• Strategies for keeping

employees functional and successful in the workplace

• Responses to negative reactions

Page 41

Front-line managers 3 of 3

ADDITIONAL TRAINING• Insight into legal

requirements• Handling difficult

conversations• Softer skills• Creating an inclusive work

environment

Page 42

Page 43

Encouraging managers

Encouraging managers 1 of 2

• Challenge your own prejudices

• Be supportive• Keep any information he

tells you about his condition or impairment strictly confidential

• Use the right language to foster a positive and supportive environment

Page 44

Encouraging managers 2 of 2• Don’t tolerate language

or behaviour that is focused on someone’s physical or mental characteristics

• Be flexible• Liaise with the team

about issues that may be raised by these adjustments

• If the workload is causing or exacerbating a mental health condition take reasonable steps to address

Page 45

Page 46

Pointers for managers

Pointers for managers 1 of 2• Don’t assume work

pressures affect people in the same way

• Don’t assume it has to do with work-it could be something happening at home

• Make adjustments if a person is not coping

• Conversations should be positive and supportive

• Do’s and don’ts

Page 47

Page 48

Pointers for managers 2 of 2• Issues to talk about• Responding to distress• Communicating with

colleagues• Return to work action

plan

Page 49

Conclusion and questions

Page 50

Conclusion and questions

SummaryVideosQuestions