How to create a welcoming workplace

1. Creating Safe Mental Health
Workplaces
By Chris Hylton, MA,
CG Hylton & Associates Inc.

2. Introduction
 Chris Hylton
 MA, Principal of CG Hylton & Associates
 Over 20 years of experience
 Human Resource Consultant
 Benefits – individual and Group
 Insurance – individual and Group
 Workshops
 EAP

3. Agenda
 What is mental health?
 Types of mental health
 Addictions
 Mental health issues
 Solutions for a healthy mental health
workplace
 EAP
 Physicalsolutions
 Workplace solutions
 Managerial and Supervisor support

4. What is Mental Health?
 World Health Organization defines mental
health as "a state of well-being in which
the individual realizes his or her own
abilities, can cope with the normal
stresses of life, can work productively and
fruitfully, and is able to make a
contribution to his or her community”

5. What is Mental Health?
 People learning and be able to cope with:
 Stress
 Changes in life and the workplace
 Demands in the workplace
 Home life
 Work life

6. Types of Mental Health: What
Can Cause Stress
 Unbalanced work and home life
 Physical Illness – disease or illness
 Mental Health – anxiety, depression, anger,
etc
 Problems with coping with issues

7. Types of mental health :
Addictions
 Definition: being abnormally tolerant to and
dependent on something that is
psychologically or physically habit-forming
 Examples: alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping,
eating, etc

8. Types of mental health : Mental
Wellbeing
 It is important to find the balance in life:
family, work, school, and any other side
projects or important aspects of your life
 Canadian workers spend about 60% of
their waking hours at work

9. Types of mental health : Mental
Wellbeing
“Research shows that most
employees believe the
workplace is an appropriate
and effective place to promote
health and well-being issues.”

10. Solution: Prevention!
 Planned action to stop the development of
addictive behaviours, and promote health
enhancing behaviours

11. Physical Solutions
 Prevent physical illnesses by offering
employees time to stretch, walk, exercise, etc
 For example: offer gym memberships
 If one person is sick in the office, send them
home! One person sick is better than everyone
being sick.

12. Workplace Solutions
 Make the work place a positive place!
 Celebrate birthdays
 Celebrate holidays
 Team building exercises: staff day at the movies,
staff day in the park, etc
 Sit fighting co-workers down and help solve the
issues between them
 Have a zero tolerance policy

13. Companies can provide
programs
 EAP – Employee Assistant Program
 A program that offers:
 short-term, professional counselling and referral
services
 support in dealing with a wide range of stressful
situations (personal/work related)
 assistance and advise
 Services are free and confidential

14. Management Support
 Greet your staff
 Have an open door policy
 Listen to your staff and make sure they’re
happy where they are

15. Thank
You!
Questions
?