Employees still face mental health stigma

Mental health in the workplace is still very taboo, and many live with the stigma. This is what the Conference Board of Canada found A study Published on August 9 on Work Attendance and the Overall Mental Health of Employees.

According to Annie Boilard, president of the Annie RH Network, one in five Canadians suffers from mental health problems and one in three in Quebec has already received a diagnosis of mental health problems. She confirmed in an interview with TVA Novelles.

“Mental health is the other epidemic … there’s so much of it, and still wondering what it’s like?”, she adds.

An employee who continues to go to work despite mental health issues can have a negative impact on the company.

“It has three times the negative impact on company productivity than an employee staying at home,” Ms. Boilard said.

Annie, president of the RH Network, insists that in the long run, it’s better to stay home and take care of yourself than to force yourself to go to work. “Otherwise it can degrade employee health, which can create absenteeism and ultimately disability sessions,” adds Annie.

In Canada, one in three companies offer no benefits to people with mental health conditions. Employees are forced to come to work due to work attendance policy.

“The employer doesn’t realize that it has an impact and that it ultimately creates costs,” she commented.

Ms. According to Boilard, employers need to be aware of the stigma surrounding mental health.

“We need to talk about it, we need to prepare people to recognize the symptoms, we need to equip managers to ensure the mental health of teams, we need to review work attendance policies, we need to trust employees and provide flexibility,” concluded Annie RH president. network.