Business in Calgary - June 2022

Page 56

MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK // WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY

MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK “IT’S OK NOT TO BE OK.” BY JOHN HARDY

C

algary employers are dealing with an insidious and challenging crisis: mental health in the workplace!

Throughout North America, mental health concerns and burnout have skyrocketed. Nearly six times as many employers report increased mental health issues among employees since the pandemic began, burnout being among the most common. Frighteningly, it may just be the beginning. Experts have predicted a tsunami of psychiatric illness in the wake of quarantining and distancing. The math is undisputable and alarming. On average, Canadian workers spend about 60 per cent of their waking hours at work, so what happens in the workplace can have a huge impact on employees’ overall health. According to recent stats, mental illnesses cost Canadian employers billions of dollars in absenteeism or sick days, disability and other benefits and lost productivity.

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JUNE 2022 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM


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