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A safe workplace goes beyond physical health. Organizations must start to recognize the importance of promoting and strengthening mental health in the workplace. Judith was a departmental manager in a mid-sized corporation. She loved her work and maintained high standards for her own performance. But when the company deemed another manager's position redundant, Judith was assigned to run both departments. Her workload doubled and quickly became unmanageable, but she received little support from senior management. Despite logging long hours and bringing work home, she found herself unable to meet her own performance standards. Becoming increasingly discouraged and demoralized, Judith was diagnosed with clinical depression. Within six months of the change in responsibility, she took a disability leave. Judith's story is a common one. Scenarios like hers, in which workplaces impose unrealistic or uncontrollable demands and management provides insufficient support, is unfortunately all too familiar. Though work-life balance is often touted as an organizational priority, business decisions can affect the mental well-being of employees. This can lead to a domino effect of negative impacts for both workers and businesses. Unrealistic work demands can result in poorer performance, which leads to stress on the worker. The stress can then act as the catalyst for mental suffering, depression, and anxiety disorders. Additionally, sometimes the stress experienced at work interacts negatively with other stressors in their personal lives. These adverse health conditions can prompt disability leaves and a loss of skilled employees. The Canadian legal system has recognized and responded to this situation. The courts and regulatory bodies increasingly have been penalizing employers for exposing their employees to excessive psychological risk. According to legal scholar Martin Shain: "There is an emerging legal duty in Canada to provide and maintain a psychologically safe workplace... one that does not permit harm to employee mental health in careless, negligent, reckless or intentional ways… employers who ignore the omens are increasingly at risk of liability for mental injuries sustained by employees." [Tracking the Perfect Legal Storm, draft report for the Mental Health Commission of Canada] Beyond the legalities, organizations are empowered to proactively address mental health risks by being aware of the impacts of their business decisions. Just as employers across Canada understand their role in the protection of the physical health and safety of their employees, they are beginning to understand that they must also focus on workers' psychological health and safety. The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) Workforce Advisory Committee is collaborating with leaders in the Canadian business world to develop national standards for psychological health and safety. National standards will help employers to identify critical issues and take action to protect mental health in their workplace. The committee focuses on dismantling the barriers of workplace mental health such as job re-entry, finding employment, sustainable income, skill development, and housing. whats your opinion?

Public Comments

1. My opinion? You have overworked your question and, therefore, contradict yourself. Keep it simple here please. Just post a link.
2. MHCC hasn't come to my work place yet, it might take time since it is a government agency. Meanwhile, I would like to send an application to the businesses they have already visited and penalized the employers for their wrong doings. Unless, the government passes a bill, applicable to all businesses across the country to reform and restructure the wrongdoings on health issues in work places, the work is being done by MHCC may take forever to finalize on each of the businesses.
3. it way to long.