The inability to concentrate, an unusual increase in errors, frequent tardiness, increased sick days and lack of enthusiasm—these are all signs of depression. In order to have a healthy workplace, managers and employers need to be aware of these signs and know what to do when their employees exhibit these behaviours.
“Part of raising awareness is being more knowledgeable and astute to these signs,” explained Sandy McLeod, director, human resources with Desjardins Financial Security at the Mental Health Summit hosted by Working Well in Toronto last week. “As managers and employers, you are not expected to diagnose an employee’s problem. What the expectation is, is to be aware, offer assistance and support and to guide them to the programs and resources that are required to help them work through some of the issues they might be having.”
According to research presented by McLeod and her colleague, Michele Nowski, director, disability claims, depression is the second leading cause of disability in Canada. Although it affects nearly three million Canadians, employees strongly mask depression at work. While mental health is a serious issue that employers should be addressing, mental and physical health are connected. Programs and initiatives should encompass both aspects and focus on improving overall employee health.
“On average, Canadian workers report to work, despite being sick or exhausted, six times a year. This and other factors are increasingly being recognized as a drain on productivity,” said Nowski. “In a workplace with 500 employees, this translates into 3000 workdays annually that are being lost.”
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So why are employees coming to work when they should be staying at home or getting help for their issues? The top reasons people come to work sick or exhausted are: deadline pressure, increasing workloads, fear of increasing their colleague’s workload and that they are too stressed to stay at home.
By ignoring the physical and mental health of employees, employers can risk having lost productivity, higher turnover, decreased morale and higher health claims and costs. “Skeptical employers may still be concerned by the amount of effort and expenses that may be required to make these improvements in these areas,” explained Nowski but, growing evidence has shown the cost/benefit ratio for investing in health and wellness initiatives is $1.15 to $8 for every dollar invested. “The challenge for employers is to recognize that investments in technology, process improvement and supporting a healthy work/life balance for their employees will—in the long term—increase productivity and significantly impact their ability to attract new talent and retain the expertise they already have.”
Both speakers urged “a healthy organization is more than what is in the financial statements” and that proactive, preventative measures and early intervention is key in aiding and eliminating workplace health issues.
To comment on this story, email april.scottclarke@rci.rogers.com.