Psychological health and safety
The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace indicates that worker representatives have a significant role to play in promoting psychological health and preventing risks to psychological safety. The following resources can help you in this area.
Help develop or modify policy that eliminate or mitigate risks to psychological health and safety.
Addressing Domestic Violence
Bereavement Leave Policy
Building Emotional Intelligence
Framework to Help Eliminate Stigma
Impairment Policy
Inclusivity and Discrimination
Organizational Culture
Peer Support Programs
Preventing Chronic Mental Stress
Suicide Prevention
Violence Prevention
Workplace Trauma
Implementing the entire Standard is an ideal approach, but there are many other options to make positive change. You can effectively begin improving psychological health and safety in your workplace, even if you have limited resources and budget.
Get buy-in
Develop and communicate the assessment plan
Share results
Consider a range of appropriate actions
Suggested responses by factor
Plan for continual improvement
Collaborating with employers about psychological health and safety initiatives from the outset aligns with the recommendations of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace
A framework for workplace psychological health and safety that aligns with the National Standard.
This suite of resources supports better understanding, identification and assessment of factors that impact psychological health and safety.
Mental health concerns
Help support workers who may be experiencing workplace mental health concerns.
This may be a good place to start for basic information about mental illnesses and approaches to wellness.
Approaches to Wellness
Depression, Anxiety and Other Conditions
Exercises for Stress Reduction & Deep Relaxation
Mental Health Apps
Self-Assessment Tools
Significant Life Stressors
There are many ways a union representative can help support successful accommodation or return to work when a worker is also experiencing mental health concerns.
Gain a better understanding of the duty to accommodate mental illness and strategies to support success.
The Duty to Accommodate
Accommodation Strategies
Union Support
Supporting Employee Success - A Tool to Plan Accommodations
A process to help identify issues impacting a worker who may be experiencing mental concerns.
Identifying the Issues
Developing a Workplace Plan
Help develop and support responses to more challenging workplace issues.
Burnout Response
Dementia Response
Employees Who are Caregivers
Grief Response
Harassment and Bullying
Helping Employees Manage Change
Impairment and Substance Use
Leadership Crisis Response
Mental Health First Aid
Resolving Conflict
Sector Specific Strategies
Supporting Newcomers
Supportive Performance Management
Suicide Response
Free and credible resources to support organizations in planning cost-effective workplace wellness activities to help support mental health and well-being.