Special Promotional Feature

By Bev Gutray and Lloyd Craig

Few employers today will argue the importance of their employees’ physical safety, whether in the form of hard hats at a construction site or a first aid kit in the office. But it’s mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety that are behind the majority of work days lost to disability. In fact, billions of dollars a year are lost on health claims, disability leave and lost productivity as a result of psychological issues.

Workplace psychological safety is a relatively new concept, but one that’s quickly emerging as a responsibility of employers and labour leaders. The University of Toronto’s Dr. Martin Shain views a psychologically safe workplace as “one that does not permit harm to employee mental health in careless, negligent, reckless or intentional ways.”

Factors such as harassment and bullying, inadequate control over high demands, workplace conflict, poor or inconsiderate management practices, and lack of support from co-workers and supervisors all contribute to a psychologically unsafe environment. With one in five Canadians at risk of developing a mental illness in our lifetimes, promoting mental health at work makes sense for business success and productivity as well as injury prevention and cost containment.

While many employers recognize the benefits of addressing psychological safety, it can be daunting to start if one lacks the necessary knowledge and resources. That’s why the Canadian Mental Health Association is offering workplace leaders the opportunity to learn from experts and colleagues at the Bottom Line Conference March 2-3 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Led by Lloyd Craig, chair of the Business Roundtable for Workplace Mental Health, the conference and workshops will provide executives, human resource professionals, managers, and union leaders with the tools, skills and strategies to build a psychologically safe workplace.

Keynote speakers include Rona Maynard, author and former editor-in-chief of Chatelaine magazine; Mary Ann Baynton and LCol Stéphane Grenier from the Mental Health Commission of Canada; and CBC journalist Shelagh Rogers, winner of the 2010 Mental Health Voices award.

Also hear stories and solutions from real workplaces large and small across BC from panelists Shannon Blanleil, project lead, Interior Health, Doug Buchanan, managing director and CEO, BC Biomed, Greg Conner , VP/HR, HP Advanced Solutions and Darryl Walker, president, BCGEU, and more.

On March 3, choose from five workshops, including Assessing Psychological Safety in the Workplace with Dr. Joti Samra, a clinical psychologist and lead developer of Guarding Minds @ Work, and Looking Good; How You Can Implement Positive Workplace Mental Health Programs with Mary Ann Baynton.

For BC HRMA members, conference plenary and workshops may be eligible for CHRP credits. Learn more about Bottom Line 2011: The Psychologically Safe Workplace at www.bottomlineconference.ca.

Bev Gutray is CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s BC Division.

Lloyd Craig is chair of the Bottom Line 2011 conference.