2. 1. Strategies
a. Range of Problems
b. Range of Programs (Worksite Wellness/Health Promotion,
Organizational Factors, Clinical Services)
2. Practicalities
Worksite Mental Health for Managers
3. Types of problems
• Diagnoses
– e.g., Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
– As per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5)
• Broad range of problems – hassles, feeling anxious or sad, family stressors, etc.
• Problems of the workplace – stress, morale, cohesion, absenteeism
Objectives
• Reduce absenteeism
• Increase presenteeism
• Increase morale, productivity, customer satisfaction
• Raise reputation of company as a good place to work and progressive, reliable/stable
• Reduce health care costs (mental health major driver itself and contributor to physical health
problems)
Problems and Objectives
4. Psychological / personalized Counselling
• Staff counselling
• Family Counselling-if needed
Layers of Programs
Objectives
• Reduce absenteeism
• Increase presenteeism
• Increase morale, productivity,
customer satisfaction
• Raise reputation of company as
a good place to work and
progressive, reliable/stable
• Reduce health care costs
(mental health major driver itself
and contributor to physical health
problems)
Worksite Based Resources & Activities
For Problems “We all Have”
• Workshops, Classes
• Group Programs
• Promotional Campaigns
Policies and Practices
• HR
• Supervision and reporting relationships
• Organizational climate
5. Range of Activities
• Wellness and peer support group and individual activities
• Incorporate mental health into general management practices, e.g., Quality Circles
• Employee engagement in program direction and implementation
• Employee steering committee – workplace weekly or monthly topics for monthly wellness
meetings)
• Quaterly picnic for admin staff
• Encouragement of participation of activities organized by other healthcare organization.
Skill building activities.
Worksite as Community
7. Perspectives of Employees vs Management
• For management: stress management to teach employees skills that will increase
productivity/decrease absenteeism
• For employees: stress management = fix my boss!
Framing and Promotion
• Organize around common concerns, e.g., weight, exercise, feeling down, rather
than clinical concerns, e.g., diabetes, depression.
• Provide company time for activities (assume gains in productivity will balance out
lost time).
• Develop with employee input and employee exemplars in promotion.
• Critical roles of supervisors: endorsing vs “grudging” permission.
• Roles of managers: As participants? Setting tone. Clarifying commitment.
Wellness and Related Services
9. Organizational Risk Factors
• Poor organization of work plays a significant role in development of
mental health problems
Content of work
• Workload
• Participation and control
• Job content
Context of work
• Role in organization
• Reward
• Interpersonal relationships
• Working environment
• Workplace culture
• Home-work life balance
10. Content of Work
Workload • Excessive workload
• Insufficient work
Lack of participation
and control
• Inability to participate in decision-making
• Inability to choose how to complete work
Job content • Monotonous tasks
• Unpleasant tasks
• Aversive tasks
• Killer combination: High demand with low control
11. Context of Work
Role in organization • Role conflict
• Role ambiguity
Lack of reward
(recognition)
• Lack of recognition of work (e.g., through appreciation certification)
• Low status
• Inadequate social support in the workplace
Inequity (lack of fairness) • Perception that workplace is not just or equitable(e.g., in terms of workload, salary, or promotion)
• Poor management of organizational change (e.g., downsizing)
Poor interpersonal
relationships
• Unsupportive supervision
• Poor relationships with colleagues
• Bullying, harassment or violence
• Isolated or solitary work
Working environment and
conditions
• Inadequate physical environment (e.g., noise, pollution, light, danger)
• Irregular working hours (e.g., shift work or excessive working hours)
Workplace culture • Poor communication
• Poor leadership
• Lack of clarity about workplace objectives and structure
Home–work life Balance • Conflicting demands at home and at work
• Lack of support for home at work
• Lack of support for work at home
12. Beneficial initiatives
• Encourage employees to use their vacation days
• Use lunchtime for social activities or walking with colleagues
– Map out a walking route for employees to help them get started
• Train managers to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health
problems among team members
• Team-building with physical activities.
• Meaningful retreats (initiate dialogues around workplace values,
culture, and mental health)
• Clear leadership support.
13. Involve Employees
• Solicit feedback and ideas from employees on:
– Things that stress them out at the workplace
– Things that they love about the workplace
– What changes would make them feel happier in the workplace?
– Do they have positive experiences from other companies that might be
adopted?
• Create a workplace wellness committee
14. Clinical Services & Resources
• Free to reach out for counselling services.
Counselling Services
