BC Living
How to Support BC Wineries Now
Embark on Culinary Adventures: 5 Must-Try Solo Dining Experiences Around BC
You Gotta Try this in April 2024
4 Tips on Balancing a Nutritious Diet with a Side of Indulgence
Choosing Connection: A BC Family Day Pledge to Prioritize Presence Over Plans
Embracing Plant-Based Living this Veganuary and Beyond
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
7 BC Retreats Where Solo Travellers Can Find Inner Peace and Wellness
Protected: Spring into Fun in Kamloops: The Best Events in the City
Travel Light, Travel Right: Minimalist Packing Tips for Solo Explorers
Melodies and Museums: Solo-Friendly Entertainment for the Independent Traveller
Arts Club Theatre Company Celebrates 60 Years
Films and TV Series that Inspire Solo Travel
8 Gadgets and Gear for Your Solo Adventures
A Solo Traveller’s Guide to Souvenir Hunting in BC
Sḵwálwen Botanicals – Changing the Face of Skincare
How mental health aware are you? Here's how to help your co-worker (or yourself) deal with mental illness
In any given week, at least 500,000 employed Canadians are unable to work due to mental health problems. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, the average public sector worker missed 13.5 days of work last year (the most ever), while private sector workers missed 8.3 days.
While statistics like this are fairly easy to find, what often goes unreported is that one reason for sick days is due to a deterioration in mental health.
Mental illnesses cost Canadian employers billions of dollars in absenteeism or sick days, presenteeism (coming to work, even when the employee can’t work well), disability and other benefits, and lost productivity, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
While many organizations these days are taking steps to create mentally healthy workplaces for all employees, the feelings that can arise from mental-health problems can mean facing a normal work day can be overwhelming.
One way to overcome the challenges is to tell a supervisor or member of your workplace’s human resources team. This is called disclosure, and while in Canada, the law says that you don’t have to tell your employers what is causing a disability, you do need to say that you’re experiencing health challenges and you have to describe what you need to work well.
For more information visit Mental Health Works.