Uncovering the Unseen Mental Illness In the Workplace.
-
Upload
cassandra-davis -
Category
Documents
-
view
222 -
download
0
Transcript of Uncovering the Unseen Mental Illness In the Workplace.
Today’s objectives…• Overview of mental illness• Early intervention and basic first steps• The legal side of things• Focus on best practices• Meet Joe• Resources
True or False?
500,000 Canadians missed work today due to a mental illness.
$6.6 billion – annual cost of mental illness to BC’s economy.
Employers lose up to 12% of their workforce to employee disability
through lost productivity and sick leave.
Nobody I know…?
1 in 5 of us will have a mental illness in our lifetime.
2 out of 3 do not seek help
Mental Illness. Mental Disability.
A mental disability is a mental illness or a drug or alcohol addiction that limits a person’s activities. A mental disability may be temporary or permanent.
A diagnosed mental illness includes depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder,
but does not include “stress”.
Causes of Mental Illness
• Genetic predisposition• Psychological vulnerability (from
childhood)• Environmental adversity
‣ Work-related stressors‣ Non-work related stressors
Source: Dr. T.L. Myette, BSc(Pharm), MD, MPH, DABPM, 2015
Mental DisabilityOnset
Termination
Personal discomfort
Family and relationships suffer
Health complaints
Work and finance difficulties
Increasing health issues and psychological problems
???
By the time a disorder appears in the workplace, it’s been going on
for a long time
Source: Dr. Neal Berger, 2015
Assumptions we make…
• Has a bad attitude• Is lazy, doesn’t care• Lacks intelligence• Is just a difficult person• Doesn’t want to get along with everyone• Gets “special treatment”• Is private about their personal information
PROBLEM
Signs, symptoms, and behaviours…
• Look for changes in:‣ Physical health‣ Eating and sleeping patterns‣ Personal appearance‣ Sociability, energy‣ Errors, quality of work, number of accidents‣ Punctuality, absenteeism‣ Response to change in tasks‣ Working more, unable to take a break
Other signs…
• Lack of insight • Defending behaviors • Emotional issues• Minimizing and avoiding• Boundaries, confidentiality• Stigma
Does early awareness matter?
Early identification and treatment =
»Disability time» Treatment time» Severity of symptoms» Illness duration» Adherence to corporate values
Don’t wait for an incident to happen!
How do I start…?
• “I notice…” • “I’m wondering… why you did XXX last
Thursday?” • “I’m concerned…”• “How can I help you?”• “I care about you”
What if they push back?
• Accept their response and indicate:
“I will be there if you change your mind”
• Keep trying with offers of help with genuine care and concern later on, if appropriate
• Your offers of support have a positive impact that you may not see.
• Continue to reach out with care and concern
Should I send them home?
• Working contributes significantly to recovery:‣Routine and activity‣Social contact‣Contribution, meaning‣Sense of identity‣Part of the recovery process
Other positive impacts of working
• Confidence and self esteem• Connection to the team
• Feeling safe about making a mistake, not being fired or passed over
• Being able to handle change• Being able to handle workload
Create a respectful workplace
• Step back from assumptions, judgments, and labels
• Show caring behavior and offer support• Don’t gossip or share damaging stories
What if it were you?
The legal side of things…
Human Rights
WorkSafeBC
Psychologically Safe & Healthy Workplacewww.csa.ca/Z1003
Men
tal I
llnes
s
Discrimination
Discrimination happens in employment when:
1. An employee has a disability
2. The disabled employee experiences adverse treatment
3. The adverse treatment is connected in part or in whole to the disability
Duty to Inquire“An employer has a duty to inquire into whether an employee’s inappropriate behavior is linked to a mental health issue.
Where the employer fails to make such inquiries and proceeds to terminate, or otherwise discipline an employee, it runs the risk of being held in breach of the Human Rights Code and of failing to accommodate the disabled employee”.
Harris and Co.
Duty to Accommodate
• The law says that the employer should reasonably accommodate that individual’s difference provided they can do so, without incurring undue hardship, or without sacrificing a bona fide or good faith requirement of the job.
http://www.bchrcoalition.org/files/faq_DTA.html
Best practices…Engage participants to change behaviorHold employees accountableBe integral and confidentialCreate a respectful work environmentOffer continuing support to the employeeProvide leadership trainingUphold CORE values
Your turn…
1. What risks could undiagnosed or unidentified mental illnesses pose in our workplace?
2. What steps should we, as employers, take in the management of our workforce to reduce the risk of harm?
3. How do we start?
Be Proactive to…
• Increase employee engagement• Create loyalty and improve morale• Improve productivity• Lower absenteeism• Reduce costs• Minimize risk• Stay safe
Other benefits
to the organization….
Organizational level
Individual level
EAP/EFAP ProgramCritical Incident Response
Routine Health SurveillancePerformance Management
Accommodation
SAW PlanMH First Aid
Self-ManagementStress Management
Corp
orat
e Co
mm
itmen
t
• W
orkp
lace
Hea
lth
• E
mpl
oyee
Hea
lth
Em
ploy
ee H
ealth
Sur
vey
Com
pete
nce
Enga
gem
ent
Wor
k-Li
fe B
alan
ce
Protect
Select
Accommodate(WDP)
RTW Plan
Therapeutic Plan
Recover at Work
Early Intervention Strategy
- Contact with W
orker
- Contact with H
CPs
- Accomm
odation
Retain
Corporate Culture
Employer of Choice
Person-Environment Fit
OrientationPerson-Job Fit
“Biopsychosocial”
Ergonomics
Reintegration
Relapse Prevention
RIW Plan
Rehabilitation Policy
:
Career Support
Social S
upport
Technica
l Support
Detect
Restore
Source: Dr. T.L. Myette, BSc(Pharm), MD, MPH, DABPM, 2015
Join Us Monthly!MONTHLY PARTNER’S FORUMThird Tuesday of each month
May 19th, 9-10amTopic: Due Diligence
Call: 1-877-385-4099Participant code: 9964199#
Semone Ferrari, CHRP, MBA
Abilities Management Advisor