Mental health at work

As more workplaces adopt remote working policies, organizations have an important role to play in ensuring that psychological health and safety extends beyond the physical workplace.

With Canadians spending more than half of their waking hours at work, employers play a significant role in promoting positive mental health for their employees. Workplaces that implement systems and processes to avoid risks to psychological health and safety can create a supportive environment for the employee.

The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) can help workplaces promote mental health and prevent psychological harm at work.

As a leader in supporting youth and adults struggling with mental health or addictions as they seek meaningful employment, Stride represents the Alliance as an active member of Halton Psychological Wellness at Work Coalition, a group led by the Region of Halton. The coalition is dedicated to:

• Increasing workplace understanding and knowledge of Psychological Health and Safety (PH&S) and encouraging adoption of the Standard.

• Expanding its capacity to promote PH&S to organizations across Halton.

• Strengthening its impact in supporting workplaces to foster a culture of psychological well-being.

On November 26th, Bonnie Trimble represented Stride as a panelist at Halton Region’s Mental Health Summit.

As part of the panel, Bonnie Trimble, Manager of Specialized Employment Services at Stride joined other leading experts, including Mary Ann Baynton, co-chair of the Technical Committee for the National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and a renowned authority in workplace psychological health and safety. Together, they explored key aspects of the National Standard, including:

• Best practices for implementing the Standard.

• Strategies for fostering a psychologically safe work environment.

• Insights into the tangible impact of Psychological Heath & Safety initiatives.

The summit highlighted the importance of collaboration and education in driving progress toward healthier, safer workplaces. The insights shared during the summit will continue to inspire and guide our collective efforts in promoting psychological health and safety across workplaces in Halton.