Mental Health in the Workplace Matters
In This Issue
- Project Health Update
- Quick Fact: Mental Health in the Workplace Matters
- Mark Your Calendars
- Resources
Project Health Update
Thanks to all who participated in our ProjectHealth launch on June 2nd.
Participants were excited about the toolkit, despite its size and there was lots of anticipation about potential activities that could take place at worksites by using the toolkit. Thanks everyone, for your time and interest in this project – we couldn’t do it without you!
To support you in your efforts to use the toolkit, each Workplace Wellness Workgroup member of Together 4 Health has been matched up with a workplace.
You should have already had a call from your liaison person and if not, you should receive a call shortly. Please use this person as a resource to answer your questions and help you get started with the toolkit. If you would like your liaison persons information, please contact me at coordinator@together4health.ca
Mark your calendars - The next networking session for Project Health will be Thursday November 24th. The event will take place over the lunch hour from 11:30 – 1:30, location to be announced. At this event you will participate in a focus group for our evaluation, have an opportunity to connect with your colleagues and enjoy a complimentary lunch. You will receive more details about the event, closer to the date.
Coming soon – A ProjectHealth List-serv. As a follow-up to your request at the ProjectHealth launch, a list-serv is being set up to help you communicate with each other more effectively. Once it is set up and ready to go, you will receive an introductory message and details on how to use the list-serv.
Quick Fact:Mental Health in the Workplace Matters
Why mental health in the workplace matters
- Depression will rank second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020 1
- Disability represents anywhere from 4% to 12% of payroll costs in Canada; mental health claims (especially depression) have overtaken cardiovascular disease as the fastest growing category of disability costs in Canada 2
- Excessive stress has been linked to infectious disease and cardiovascular problems, higher incidence of back pain, repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), colorectal cancer 5
- Stress on the job can double the risk of heart attack 6
- Employees at three major American companies who displayed chronic symptoms of depression were twice as likely to miss work due to health reasons, and seven times as likely to report missed workdays at the time of the follow-up survey 7
- The costs for providing accommodations are fairly low; most cost well under $500 10
- For those who get access to treatment, the employer could save between $5000 to $10,000 per employee per year in the cost of prescription drugs, sick leave, and average wage replacement 11
- Employees who are diagnosed with depression and take appropriate medication will save their employer an average 11 days a year in prevented absenteeism 12
Courtesy of Mental Health Works
Mark Your Calendars
September 10 - World Suicide Prevention Day
Preventing suicide is everyone’s business. This year the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), invites the public, communities, societies, individuals, professionals and volunteers to conduct activities on this day to promote and demonstrate our joint responsibility to save lives that would otherwise be lost to suicide.
September 25 - World Heart Day
The sixth annual World Heart Day will be dedicated to the theme "Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape". Obesity and overweight are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, hypertension and stroke, and are reaching epidemic proportions globally. More than one billion adults worldwide are overweight and 60% of the world population does not meet the recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity. This year's World Heart Day will promote the importance of maintaining a healthy weight in decreasing the risk of heart disease.
October 3 – 10 - International Walk to School Week
International Walk to School Week gives students, parents, teachers and community leaders the opportunity to celebrate the many health and environmental benefits of walking and cycling. In 2004, thousands of students from across Canada walked in this annual celebration. The children learn safe routes to school and pedestrian and cycling skills – all while having lots of fun!! International Walk to School Week is a component of the national Active and Safe Routes to School program, supported by Go for Green.
October 3 – 10 - Mental Illness Awareness Week
Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness. The week was established in 1992 by the Canadian Psychiatric Association, and is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) in cooperation with all its member organizations and many other supporters across Canada. Campaign elements include: a grassroots public education initiative; a nationally-distributed poster and bookmark series; the 3rd Annual Champions of Mental Health Awards luncheon in Ottawa and an education initiative with federal Members of Parliament, both in their home ridings and on Parliament Hill.
October 24 – 30 - Healthy Workplace Week
The notion of workplace health and well-being has evolved significantly in recent years. The holistic workplace health systems of today provide support on many levels - physical, social, personal and developmental - to improve overall employee quality of life both within and outside the workplace. Employers who do this will see dramatic results, including improved morale, productivity and, ultimately, profitability.
November 1- 30 - Diabetes Awareness Month
Over 2 million Canadians have diabetes. By the end of the decade, this number is expected to rise to three million. Visit the Canadian Diabetes Association web site to learn more about the symptoms, effects and treatments for this disease.
November 14 - World Diabetes Day
The number of persons with diabetes in the world is swiftly approaching 200 million, and a vast majority have type 2 diabetes. By controlling obesity we can contribute significantly to preventing diabetes, a result that also benefits those with the condition, as it leaves health systems better able to cope with a smaller number of people with diabetes.
Resource Links
What is Health Promotion in the Workplace
Integrating health promotion in a workplace helps to encourage and increase the health of employees, as well as to improve the "health" of the organization as a whole.
Take Back the Lunch Break
You may think that you are accomplishing more by working through your lunch, but the literature and anecdotal evidence on workplace productivity and absenteeism suggest otherwise. In this case, more work is not better work.
Boost Employee Mental Health — Boost the Bottom Line!
A healthy workplace is critical to good employee performance. With depression on the rise, employers are investing more in staff well-being, lest they pay the much higher price of ignoring it.
Action Checklist for Building Healthy Workplaces
This resource will help you during the critical stages as you develop and implement a comprehensive healthy workplace program.
How Healthy is my Work Culture? - An Introduction to the Neighbour@Work™ Approach
An approach based on Martin Shain's Neighbour@Work™ philosophy has been shown, in a recent Health Canada sponsored study, to be able to produce advances in creating healthy cultures.
For more information or to suggest topics you'd like addressed in future bulletins, please contact Heidi Schulz of Together 4 Health's Workplace Wellness Work Group at (519) 742-1481 x 225 or by email at ebulletin@together4health.ca.
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