Mental Health @Work

Not a Difficult Value Proposition

The topic of this blog is mental health at work and my (our) objective is to see if we can use social media (blogs, twitter, etc.) to connect to people who are interested in this issue and are active on the Web.

In the short period that I’ve looked at mental health in the workplace, I’ve come to see it as the 21st century version of physical safety, that was a major issue fought by concerned people and trade unions to create safer workplaces. Our mines, factories and work sites are now much safer in this country than they were 50 years ago. My step-father died several years ago from emphysema which was partially due to time working in the silver mines of BC without any respiratory filters. Most workplaces today have good policies and practices on workplace safety.

In this century we are moving to a post-industrial economy and many, if not most, of our products and services are intangibles. Also, most of the work that we do is knowledge work, requiring more brain than brawn. Even farmers need knowledge on a wide spectrum of disciplines (weather, markets, genetics, financing) in order to run a successful operation.

Our brain is our primary means of making a living and keeping a healthy mental state just makes sense. The concept of work/life balance is not just a feel good strategy but is essential for any knowledge-intensive workplace. So, do we really need all the numbers to justify a mental health policy for the workplace? All of the data, such as the Facts section on this website, really should not be necessary to “convince” any executive of the importance of mental health.

Instead, I would ask:

Can you say that good mental health is NOT necessary in your workplace?

Then I would quickly move on to the real question that anyone in a position of responsibility should be asking: What can I do about it?

Peer Support & Input

My recommendation, based on what I’ve observed so far, would be to start with something that does not cost any money. Reduce the barriers in seeking and getting help by increasing access to information and knowledgeable people. That’s a role that this website is attempting to fill – connecting. I also think that a critical way of enabling change is through peers. Studies show that when we have a problem in the workplace we first turn to our peers, not our bosses. To reduce barriers to communication, or in seeking help, people at all levels need to have a trusted peer who they can contact. So find people who are already motivated about promoting good mental health, help them get access to information and resources and then let others know that they are available. With motivated peers, you will have an excellent source of expertise to develop policies that work for your organization.

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