Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces National Conference on Peer Support 2016 Karen Jackson, Senior Advisor, Excellence Canada

Our Mission To Help Improve Organizational Performance and To Recognize Excellence

Canada Awards for Excellence Excellence, Innovation and Wellness Healthy Workplace ® Mental Health at Work ®

Why use the Excellence Canada framework?  Provides the “right things to think about”  Ensures consistency of focus  Integrates initiatives  Everyone understands where you’re going and how you’re going to get there

Organizational Initiatives From this  To this

Framework 4 Step roadmap for implementation Practical methodology for evaluation External Validation & Certification Progression sustains ‘focus’ and provides opportunities for celebration Used to adjudicate the Canada Awards for Excellence Mental Health at Work®

1.Foundation Bronze 3. Role model Gold 2. Advancement Silver Framework for Excellence Roadmap Framework for Excellence Roadmap 4. Sustained World Class Platinum Excellence Canada Requirements Guide Certification

Mental Health at Work ® Sponsored by

Mental Health at Work® Requirements Guide Certification Canada Awards for Excellence

National Standard: Psychological Health & Safety in the Workplace Mental Health at Work aligns to National Standard Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace Standard links to the Excellence Canada Awards program Voluntary Guidance Standard Many of the same people involved in development of Mental Health at Work 11

New National Standard: Psychological Health & Safety in the Workplace Addresses 3 Key Drivers: –Risk to Health and Productivity –Risk to Corporate Reputation –Risk to Liability

Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace – Systematic Approach Strategic Pillars Prevention of harm Promotion of health Resolution of incidents or concerns Shared accountability 13

Awareness and commitment Strategy and Programs BRONZE – L1 SILVER-L2

Strategy and Programs Systemic Excellence SILVER – L2 GOLD – L3

From Role Model World Class Platinum – L4 GOLD - L3

Self – Assessment Identifying Strengths & Opportunities Approach Deployment Outcomes By what Method? How do you address this requirement? Implementation How embedded is it throughout the organization? Results Stay focused on the Requirement

Psychosocial Risk Factors Psychosocial Risk Factors (PSRs) are organizational factors that impact the psychological safety and health of employees. These factors include the way work is carried out and the context in which work occurs PSRs have the ability to affect employee mental responses to work and to cause mental health problems.

Does Work Cause Psychological Conditions?

Guarding Work FreeAccessible Evidence Based Universal Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (CARMHA) 2012

13 Psychosocial Factors 1. Psychological Support 2. Organizational Culture 3. Clear Leadership & Expectations 4. Civility & Respect 5. Psychological Competencies & Requirements 6. Growth & Development 7. Recognition & Reward 8. Involvement & Influence 9. Workload Management 10. Engagement 11. Balance 12. Psychological Protection 13. Protection & Physical Safety

Guarding Work identified the following 13 PSRs : 1.Psychological Support  coworkers, managers, supervisors all supportive Employees offered to give their up their own vacation days to a sick colleague

1.Establish mentoring, peer support and buddy systems 2.Create awareness of support systems (EAP etc) 3.Flexible work scheduling Examples of Psychological Support

Guarding Work 2. Organizational Culture  Trust, honesty, fairness  EXAMPLES  Open door where employees can feel safe coming with issues  Provide feedback mechanisms and “close the loop” with solutions or answers  Orientation sessions for new hires  Culture of accountability

Guarding Work 3. Clear Leadership and Expectations  Employees know what to do, how their work contributes to the organization and if there are any changes coming  EXAMPLES  Various communication channels  Job descriptions  Training sessions for managers  Performance and development reviews

Guarding Work 4. Civility and Respect EXAMPLES  Respectful workplace  Create policies dealing with respect, code of conduct, code of ethics  Adopt non-discriminatory language in communication  Equal opportunity  “Values” statement

Guarding Work 5. Psychological Competencies and Requirements EXAMPLES  Establish core competencies for managers  Hire the right people!  Provide job counseling for those struggling  Consider moving employees to jobs where they are more suited  Job fit

Guarding Work 6. Growth and Development EXAMPLES  Mentoring programs  Job shadowing  Offer training  Lunch and learns  Learning plans  Secondments

Guarding Work 7. Recognition and Reward EXAMPLES  Formal recognition programs  Informal initiatives  Highlight examples in newsletters  Breakfast with CEO  Peer recognition  Fun events

Guarding Work 8. Involvement and Influence EXAMPLES  Create venues for employees to communicate thoughts, concerns  Be approachable  Involve employees in hiring team mates  Make sure employees feel valued

Guarding Work 9. Workload Management EXAMPLES  Develop clear realistic goals  Have flexible work arrangements  Prepare employees if workload will increase temporarily and reward them for going the extra mile  Provide overtime pay or time off in lieu  Provide education on resiliency, stress management, burnout etc.

Guarding Work 10. Engagement EXAMPLES  Employees should enjoy and feel connected to their work and want to come to work  Feel motivated to do their job well  Involve employees in decisions that affect them  Conduct engagement surveys  Feed back results and develop plans for improvement, communicate, communicate, communicate

Guarding Work 11. Balance EXAMPLES  Recognize need for balance between demands of work, family and personal life  EAP  Provide personal days (not just sick days)  Allow paid or unpaid leave for medical appointments, or allow them to make up time  Family day open-house event where family is invited to join staff for fun  Subsidize daycare or summer camps

Guarding Work 12. Psychological Protection EXAMPLES  Risk management/policies/response  Mental Health “First Aid” training  Create safety culture with goals (accident free for x days)  Emotional wellness seminars  Zero tolerance for violence and harassment  Return to work (Stay at work) programs  Soft lighting, quiet rooms, sound-proofing, private space for calls, etc

Guarding Work 13. Protection of Physical safety EXAMPLES  Make sure appropriate action is taken to protect the physical safety of employees  Safety programs and policies  Equipment and training

Guarding Work 13 PSRs 1.Psychological Support 2.Organizational Culture 1 3.Clear Leadership and Expectations 4.Civility and Respect 5.Psychological Job Fit 2 6.Growth and Development 7. Recognition and Reward 8. Involvement & Influence 3 9. Workload Management 10. Engagement Balance 12. Psychological Protection 13. Protection of Physical Safety 5

Guarding Work 13 PSRs 1. Review each PSR 2. Consider the one’s that are higher risk within your environment/setting and why? Give examples 3. Identify examples from your area of work/team/organization that would contribute to reducing these PSR’s risk

Thank-You For Your Participation!

Karen Jackson Senior Advisor, Healthy Workplace Strategies