About us

Overview

Welcome to the Workplace Strategies for Mental Health website – where you’ll find tools and resources for workplace mental health and psychological safety.

Everything on our site is available for all Canadians at no cost, compliments of Canada Life.

At Canada Life, we help employers and employees reach their potential, every day. Workplace Strategies for Mental Health is a great example of this commitment. Designed with Canadians in mind, our tools and resources are:

  • Evidence- and practice-based
  • Easy to use – like turn-key workshop materials
  • Customizable
  • Produced in English and French
  • Available to download or print

Here’s an information sheet that gives you a glimpse into Workplace Strategies. You can download the PDF – then keep it handy for your reference and for sharing.

Keep our website address visible for you and others – download and print this poster for display in your workplace.

Workplace Strategies resources really are free

Workplace mental health is a win for everyone

Thought leaders since 2007

Workplace Strategies supports workplace mental health research and initiatives that:

  • Increase knowledge and awareness of workplace psychological health and safety
  • Offer practical strategies and tools to help employers turn knowledge into action
  • Help anyone in any organization respond to mental health issues at work

Since the beginning, Workplace Strategies (and its predecessor The Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace) has been vital in providing free and credible public resources. We:

  • Fund and sponsor research and initiatives to improve the understanding, prevention and management of mental health issues – especially in the workplace
  • Promote and share research, resources and survey results
  • Support and develop programs and resources

We work with experts across Canada. Get to know some of them on our Contributors page.

Workplace Strategies partnered with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group) and the Bureau de normalization du Québec (BNQ). Through this partnership, the voluntary National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) was developed. The Standard was championed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) to promote good psychological health and prevent psychological harm. We continue to work collaboratively with CSA and other organizations to advocate for using the Standard in workplaces across Canada.

All Canadians can access Workplace Strategies

Canada Life has a long history and deep roots in our communities. Individuals, families, businesses and organizations count on us to keep our promises. We believe it’s our responsibility to do what’s right and make a positive impact in everything we do.

All Workplace Strategies resources are available to anyone at no cost, compliments of Canada Life.

As a large employer and a leading provider of group benefits, Canada Life sees firsthand the significant impact of mental health issues: workplaces see increased absences and disabilities, presenteeism and decreased productivity.

In a healthier workplace, you’ll see significant and sustainable gains in productivity, recruitment, retention and operational success. At the same time, there may be lower costs due to lower disability and absentee rates, and less conflict.

We want to make it easier for you to share our free resources on your website or in your e-newsletters. Sharing resources provides templates for sharing Workplace Strategies resources.

Meet the Workplace Strategies management team

Executive Director

DIANE BEZDIKIAN
Senior Vice-President, Plan Member Services, Canada Life

Diane’s passion for health and wellness makes her a strong leader of the Workplace Strategies program. She’s a senior executive at Canada Life responsible for all Plan Member services, including claims. Overall, Diane oversees operations that employ 2,000 staff across Canada.

Director of Collaboration and Strategy

MARY ANN BAYNTON

Mary Ann has been the director since 2007, when the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace was born, the predecessor to Workplace Strategies. She’s also a principal of Mary Ann Baynton & Associates, where she consults with all levels of government and a diverse range of organizations that include unions, associations and institutions across the country. Mary Ann’s expertise includes workplace mental health, psychological safety, resolving conflict and addressing performance concerns. She strives to help people get unstuck, move beyond problems, restore productivity and improve working lives.

Liasion in Quebec and francophone communities across Canada

Samia Jarjoura
Organizational Health Consultant

Through coaching and speaking engagements, Samia helps people take steps to improve mental health in their organizations, often by introducing them to Workplace Strategies resources.

Samia works closely with organizations to provide support and resources related to workplace wellness and disability management. She helps employers leverage the practical strategies and tools available that best meet their workplace needs. Samia brings 20 years of experience in health and disability management. In that time, she has supported many large national organizations in the implementation of disability governance, including best practices and outsourced programs, as well as providing guidance and solutions to manage risk and drive significant cost savings. Samia has also led optimization of disability management plan designs, program policies and procedures, and the implementation and management of strategic solutions customized to a client’s unique needs. She has carried out several strategic mandates and internal and external audits to enable clients to achieve performance targets. In recent years, she has become an expert leadership coach, with a focus on mental health in the workplace and return-to-work best practices. Samia regularly presents at national conferences and is equally proficient in English and French. Samia holds a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) and is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP).

We want to hear from you

Contact us with feedback to help us create great resources for you.

Contributors

This page lists a fraction of those whose passion, expertise and thoughtfulness have resulted in the Workplace Strategies for Mental Health resources.

View Contributors