The latest in employee health: October 2024

Each October, World Mental Health Day serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of mental wellbeing; this year’s focus was centered around mental health at work. 

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, 70% of Canadians experience mental health concerns, underscoring the importance of supporting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace every day of the year. 

In this month’s edition of our newsletter, we take a deeper look at mental health in the workplace - from understanding signs of mental illness at work, to what employers can do to better support the wellbeing of their employees. Plus, learn how our very own Dr. Matthew Chow, Chief Mental Health Officer, helps TELUS Health focus on mental health and wellbeing so that people around the world can live their healthiest lives.

Understanding the impact of mental health in the workplace

In any given year, one in five Canadians experiences a mental illness. By the time we reach 40, half of us will have had a mental illness. Once perceived as a personal struggle, mental illness is now a globally shared health concern as the staggering costs of mental illness to individuals, society and businesses become more apparent.

 Not surprisingly, escalating cases of mental illness and costs related to lost productivity, absenteeism and disability claims have employers seeking to understand mental health and what they can do to support their people.

Mental health is integral to overall health.

Mental health influences every aspect of our lives. It can affect our thoughts, actions and interactions. Positive mental health helps us to better navigate life’s challenges, build meaningful relationships and make informed decisions.

Dr. Matthew Chow, physician and Chief Mental Health Officer at TELUS Health, says “the pandemic highlighted what has been on the horizon for a long time – mental health is not optional. There is no health without mental health.”

“It is clear that our collective mental health has declined over the past few years with multiple indicators such as the rising number of absence and disability claims, problematic substance use, and increased mental health-related visits to healthcare practitioners all flashing red.” Naturally, these declining mental health issues are rippling into the workplace, negatively impacting the bottom line. Chow points to costs associated with burned-out workers showing up but underperforming, increased turnover and replacing workers in a tight labour market. “A healthy workplace culture that promotes healthy boundaries, inclusivity and psychological safety is critical to preventing costly problems. It is important to keep people in the healthier part of the mental health continuum so they can bring their whole selves to work, benefiting their organization and all the people around them.”

Mental health in the workplace.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 60% of the world’s population is at work. A safe, healthy work environment is not only a fundamental right, but will also be more likely to minimize tension and conflicts, and improve staff retention, work performance and productivity.

Conversely, an unhealthy workplace and a lack of effective structures and support can affect a person’s ability to enjoy work and do their job well. Rob Wolf, a psychotherapist and senior consultant with TELUS Health Virtual Care, says that “while most employers are tuned into the need to protect and support employee mental health, others feel it is not their responsibility.” “An unhealthy workplace can cause or aggravate mental illness in a number of ways,” says Wolf. “They may be understaffed, forcing employees to take on excessive workloads. Other contributing factors are long, inflexible hours, people working in isolation, bullying, harassment, authoritarian behaviour, unclear job roles, job insecurity, and inadequate pay,” he says.

Signs of mental illness at work.

An individual in crisis may display some of these behaviours:

• Disengagement and isolation from others

•  Short temper

• Cognitive impairments - forgetfulness, decreased attention capacity, negative bias (guilt, blaming, shaming)

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Extreme fatigue

• Constant sadness or hypersensitivity

• Hyperactivity or perfectionism to compensate

• Change in work habits, frequent medical leaves or employees who stay late

What can employers do?

In any given week, 500,000 Canadians don’t go to work due to a psychological health issue. As it becomes clear that causes of poor psychological health can be directly attributed to factors in the workplace, senior leaders are asking, “What can we do to support our employees and protect their mental health?” Employers can implement effective actions that directly target working conditions and environments such as:

• Flexible work arrangements

• Frameworks to deal with violence and harassment at work

• Return-to-work programs

• Manager and peer training on workplace psychological health

• Peer support programs to help employees build resilience to manage stress and reduce mental health symptoms

• Leader accessibility, active listening and effective response to employee concerns

• Employee involvement in developing mental health programs

• Guidelines and training on respectful workplace behaviours

• Policies recognizing and protecting psychological health

Employers should also weave mental health resources into their benefits programs such as TELUS Total Mental Health, which allows employees to easily and proactively fit mental health support into their day-to-day lives, on their terms.

Total Mental Health offers employees and immediate family members access to unlimited personalized care by phone, text, video and in person. 

“Total Mental Health helps to close the gap between the needs of the workforce and the provision of affordable and accessible mental health supports,” says Wolf.

What about ROI?

There is also a very strong business case to be made. “Investing in workplace mental health programs can provide a positive ROI,” says Wolf. Research shows that employers see a return of $4 for every dollar invested in mental health support.

ROI is only part of the bigger picture. A workplace program that protects and promotes mental health can help employees feel supported, purposeful and able to thrive at work, at home and in their communities. It’s a gain that may be hard to monetize, but one that pays off for everyone.

To learn more about the impact of mental health in the workplace, read the original article on our TELUS Health blog. 

Get to know the TELUS Health team: Dr. Matthew Chow

In this installment of our series highlighting TELUS Health team members, meet Dr. Matthew Chow, Psychiatrist and Chief Mental Health Officer at TELUS Health. He provides clinical oversight, and contributes to the organization’s strategic thought leadership initiatives. His years of clinical expertise, and drive to innovate in the realm of mental health care is critical as TELUS Health pursues its mission of becoming the world’s most trusted wellbeing company in the world.

Q: How long have you been working for TELUS Health, Matt? What inspired you to join the organization?

A: I joined TELUS Health in February 2022 after a career in the public health care system punctuated by an unforgettable year as president of Doctors of BC from 2020-2021. I was attracted by the opportunity to make a difference on a national and global scale for people’s health. 

Q: What do you love most about your role with TELUS Health?

A: My favourite part is the variety in my work! In any given week I may be recording a podcast, listening to a pitch from a digital health startup, participating in team meetings with colleagues from around the world, or meeting with government and corporate leaders. I can say without exaggeration that I have done more, seen more, and met with more people in 12 months at TELUS Health than I did in the previous 3 years despite the senior roles I held previously. 

Q: Your role sounds so engaging and diverse – now, how do you think the work you do positively impacts the lives of individuals across the world? 

A: I help TELUS Health create, refine, and promote products, services, and solutions focused on mental health and wellbeing so that people around the world can live their healthiest lives. As a doctor, I know what it is like to make a positive impact on individuals and families. My role at TELUS Health is to translate that impact into something that can benefit millions of people. 

Q: It’s amazing that you’re able to use your experience as a physician in order to revolutionize how millions of people access care. How, specifically, do you believe you and your team are contributing to TELUS Health’s ultimate goal of creating healthier communities and workplaces? 

A: My colleagues and I create healthier workplaces and communities through three main avenues: educating about the importance of mental health and wellbeing, offering competitive services and solutions that directly address health needs, and influencing corporate and public policy to achieve better health outcomes. 

Q: And finally, Matt, how do TELUS'  values resonate with you and support your personal health and wellbeing? 

A: I am proud to see TELUS put team members’ health and work-life balance first by championing programs such as WorkStyles years before ‘work from home’ and ‘hybrid work’ were popularized. TELUS also offers very competitive mental health benefits to team members and their families—something that would have made a huge difference to me personally when I was a teen—and has a strong culture around giving back to communities. We work hard as a team and as individual team members, and there are certainly challenging days just as there are in any high-performing organization, but TELUS values shine through and help us carry forward to be both competitive and driven by social purpose— a balance that few companies ever find.

Visit our website to learn more about how TELUS Health supports the health and wellbeing of employees.

Looking for additional information on mental health? Visit the “understanding and coping with anxiety” microsite for complimentary resources including articles and webinars dedicated to help workers recognize and manage anxiety.