It isn’t just in the U.S. where we are concerned about how to best control stress both in the workplace and in our private lives. These concerns are faced by everyone all over the planet. As you will read, even the Canadians are working to control stress and anxiety.
On the subject of mental health concerns in Canadian workplaces, false information, fear and prejudice all remain much too commonplace. Even though businesses have taken steps to eliminate stigmas connected to mental health conditions, workers continue to be worried about disclosing a mental health problem to their boss, according to a new study conducted by the “Conference Board of Canada” review.
The Conference Board of Canada is a non-profit organization focusing on the analysis and study of both economic and company performance issues.
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According to this study, most people said they will feel awkward speaking with their particular manager, union representative or a colleague if they were suffering a mental health issue. The study observed a total of 1,010 Canadians (including 479 front line supervisors). Participants in the study said that they fear making this sort of disclosure because it might put at risk their own likelihood for advancement (54 per cent) and long term success (38 per cent) at work.
Forty-four per cent of the workers interviewed reported they were either currently experiencing (12 per cent) or had previously suffered (32 per cent) a mental health issue (like too much tension, being anxious, major depression, job burnout, substance addiction problems, bipolar condition and even schizophrenia).
This report also found that, in many cases, there is also a major divergence between the perceptions of management and non-management workers about whether or not their particular job promotes mental well being. While 82 per cent of senior company officials said that their own particular business does provide a psychologically wholesome workplace, just 30 per cent of personnel who are employed in such work classifications such as service, labor, and production agree. Merely 36 per cent of workers claim senior management honestly tackles the importance of mental health.
Managers perform a critical role in supporting employees and a sizable majority of the supervisors questioned said they are well trained in regards to mental health issues. However, their workers feel many are ill-equipped to aid them – just 26 per cent of workers feel their particular manager “effectively deals with mental health concerns.”
Additionally, there are the economic costs associated with stress and anxiety as well. In 2009-2010, seventy eight percent of short-term disability claims and 67 per cent of long-term disability claims in Canada were associated with mental health conditions.
The research specifies 4 places where companies may take action:
• Focus on education and communication to reduce concern, stigma and discrimination in the workplace.
• Ensure the business culture is beneficial to supporting employees’ emotional well being.
• Motivate senior management to exhibit demonstrable direction about mind well being.
• Build managers’ capability to assist workers through providing the tools and education necessary in their own position.
While this study was exclusive to Canadian workers can you doubt that the same problems exist in many American businesses? Of course they do and with the same human and economic toll.
If we can all learn how to better control stress in the workplace everyone, worker, manager, company and community will be healthier for it.
,strong>Control Stress.net
