• HR Consul tant,Specialized in mental health and

wellbeing in the workplace

• + 25 years in retail (Project Manager ,Director of

Operations, Planning & Allocation Manager, Assistant

Buyer and Store Manager)

• Certification – Managing Quality of life in the

Workplace, Université de Montréal (2021)

• Psychological Health and Safety Champion Training

program- Canadian Mental Health Association (2021)

“ I su p p o r t o r g a n i z a t i o n s i n t h e a n a l y s i s , i m p l e m e nt a t i on

a n d m o n i t o r i n g o f so l u t i o n s , c r e a t i n g h e a l t h y ,

c o m m i t t e d a n d e f f i c i en t t e a m s . “

Profound

change: the

world of work

Importance of wellbeing at work

Agenda

Mental health claims are the fastest growing category of disability costs in Canada.

They account for an estimated 30 to 40 % of the disability claims recorded by Canada’s major insurers and employers.

3/4 of employers say mental health issues are the leading cause of short and long-term disability claims in their organization.Canada Safety Council 2021

Did you know?

Organizations that champion employee well-being

• Engaged

• Motivated

• Productive

• Higher retention rates

Statistics Canada 03/21

• Absenteeism

• Presenteeism

• Employee burnout

• Workplace injuries

What is Employee Wellbeing ?

• Before: about health benefits and absence of illness

• Now: about optimizing the health of all employees

(Physical, Career, Social, Financial, Community, Emotional)

Organizations that champion employee wellbeing (mental health)

• Bringing mental health out of

the shadows has helped

employers and employees talk

about what is really

happening. “people now

understand mental health. “

Workplace - Most Common Psychological Problems (mental health)

• Stress

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Burnout

•47% of Canadian workers work is the most stressful part of their dayCanadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Mental Health. 2016

•81% Canadian workers is negatively impacting their mental health

•30% of disability claims are related to mental health illness Statistics Canada 03/21

•1 in 5 Canadians are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety or posttraumatic stress disorder Statistics Canada 03/21

•Only 23% of Canadian workers would feel comfortable their employer Canadian Standards Association. 2013

Why support mental health in the workplace?

Statistics- Employees Retail Industry

• Experience more mental health issues than the average (54 %

vs 44 %) of the broader workforce

• Less likely to receive mental health information from

employers and less likely to feel comfortable asking for

support.

• The Human Resources Issue, Canadian retailer 2017

Question

Question

Support mental health in the workplace ($)

• On average, mental health issues cost businesses almost $1,500 per

employee, per year

• Loosing an employee can cost an organization 1.5 to 2.5 X the

employee’s salary (direct, hidden costs)

• Organizations that support mental health see a return of $1.50 to $4 for

every dollar invested

Lee, Sooky. April 12, 2016. “Why Canadian companies can’t ignore the cost of mental illness.” Globe and Mail. https://www. theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/leadershiplab/why-canadian-companies-cant-ignore-the-cost-of-mentalillness/article29604730/

Stress

Curve

Mental Health

Survey - Senior

Leaders (1-2 levels below

CEO or equivalent)

Source of stress

for leaders (1-2 levels

below CEO or equivalent)

Causes of stress at work

• Recognize your own limit

(personality , genetics,

resilience, personal life,

physical and mental health)

• Ability to refill your energy

(daily wellbeing)

• Identify cause(s)of stress

• What do I have control over?

Recognize signs of burnout

• Absences, arriving late

• Missing deadlines, commitments

• Errors

• Lack of interest in professional responsibilities

• Personality change

• Difficulty concentrating

• Irritability (colleagues, clients)

• Avoidance, isolation

How to help a colleague, an employee?• Kindness, active listening, non-judgment, empathy

• Reassure (situation, confidentiality)

• Share your observations

• Help them see clearly (the situation, priorities)

• Encourage them to ask for help (professional, personal)

• Continue to include them (activities, outings)

• Ask them a SIMPLE question ......

• Your own limits

• Play the role of the psychotherapist

• Take on the extra tasks

• Deny the situation

• Fall into judgment (self and employee)

• Wanting to protect the employee

Direct positive impact on mental health

Work-life balance, well being and psychological safety

We need psychosocial safety

Psychological safety is the idea that we can feel safe

bringing our whole selves to work, that we can take risks,

make mistakes and be vulnerable without the fear of being

judged, shamed, humiliated or punished.

Question

Why is psychological safety important?

• Teams feel empowered to share their perspectives

• More likely to take initiative, innovate and find effective

solutions

• Critical to a team's ability to give and receive candid,

respectful feedback

Question

How to create a culture of psychological safety?• Model healthy behaviors

• Build a culture of connection through check-ins

• Offer flexibility and be inclusive

• Communicate (more than you think you need to)

• Invest in training

• Best practices, policies, evaluations

• Pilot

AND THEN ……Measure

Ecosystem

System

Policies & Benifits:

clearly identified,

accessible, meet the

needs and

comunicated

Mental health & psychlogical safety : Daily practices & support

Next steps?

• Survey employees

• Wellness committee

• Ambassador

• Pilot groups

• Upstream approach

• Training program on mental health & psychological safety

• Implement mental health policies

• Review EAP

• Employees return to work

Healthy Workplace

employers and employees feel respected

and safe, are productive, and have the opportunity to

perform to the best of their ability.

Create the right work environment

Specialized in mental health and wellbeing in

organizations

“ I suppor t o rgan iza t ions in the analys i s ,

implementat ion and moni to r ing o f so lu t ions ,

c reat ing heal thy , commi t ted and e f f ic ien t

teams.“

mar ie- josee@gorh .co

L inkedIn Mar ie-Josee Nucci