• Healthy Workplace Series • The following article is adapted and reprinted with permission from the LifeWorks website www.workhealthlife.com Investing in your Team’s MentalHealth Perhaps the greatest threat to employee morale and productivity is poor mental health. When employees feel overworked, underappreciated, passed over for career opportunities or bullied, they will disengage. They can also become stressed, anxious and depressed. That is when absenteeism and disability leaves increase, customer service deteriorates and productivity plummets. One in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime; the other four are indirectly affected through a family member, friend or colleague. So it is very likely you already have, or will have, employees who are either suffering from common mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, or panic disorders themselves, or are concerned about a loved one who is. It is vital that business owners invest in their employees’ mental health. This does not have to cost great sums of money or consume a great deal of your time. Fostering good mental health among your team members can be as straightforward as: • Creating a healthy work environment. Do not tolerate malicious gossip, bullying, self-serving actions, negativity, aggressiveness, or any other destructive behaviors. These create toxic workplaces that make everyone miserable. Take fast action to resolve conflicts and disputes so they do not escalate. • Monitoring workloads. While most people enjoy being busy and challenged, they do not like to be constantly overwhelmed with work or unreasonable deadlines. This can cause stress, errors, absenteeism, burnout and can contribute to physical and mental health problems such as high blood pressure and depression. Make sure team members are not drowning in work or frustrated with hard-to-meet deadlines. • Promoting work life balance. While every manager wants enthusiastic, dedicated and hardworking team members who are happy to work long hours if it benefits the company, the truth is that regularly spending 16 hours a day at the office is a quick route to physical and mental exhaustion. Be TheMembers’AssistanceProgram (MAP) is sponsoredbyCDSPI and provides confidential short-term counselling support, professional guidance, resources and referrals for dentists, dental office staffand immediate familymembers.MAP services are complimentary and accessible24/7/365. ContactMAPat 1.844.578.4040 or visit theirwebsiteat workhealthlife.com. MAP is operatedbyLifeWorks (formerlyMorneauShepell), the largestCanadian-basedEmployee andFamilyAssistanceprovider in the country.Available services vary by region.UseofMAPservices is completely confidential within the limits of the law. 40 | 2023 | Issue 2 SupportingYour Practice
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