Three-year project will encourage national expansion of Workplace Standard
The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), along with its partners, CSA Group (CSA) and Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ), joined Labour Minister Dr. K. Kellie Leitch alongside business and labour leaders today to announce new initiatives to improve workplace mental health across Canada. Following the successful launch one year ago of the world's-first National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, the MHCC has announced plans to partner with more than 25 Canadian employers on a three-year research project aimed at driving uptake of the Standard across Canada.
"On any given week, roughly half a million Canadians will miss work due to a mental health problem or illness," said Louise Bradley, President and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). "As a result, mental health problems have become more than a serious public health issue - it's also a major economic issue facing Canadian business. The Standard is aimed at preventing mental injury, reducing absenteeism, and supporting a healthier, more competitive workforce."
"Mental illness costs the Canadian economy $51 billion a year," said The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women. "That is why our Government is committed to promoting mentally healthy workplaces. We are proud to join with the MHCC and its partners to promote increased uptake across Canada of the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the workplace."
The new case study research project will track workplaces across Canada as they adopt the Standard over the next three years, creating a solid knowledge base to inform national expansion of the Standard. In one short year, the response to the Standard has been positive, garnering government support and endorsement from some of Canada's most prominent business leaders.
"Bell has embraced the Standard as part of our commitment to best practices in workplace mental health, a key pillar of the Bell Let's Talk initiative," said George Cope, President and CEO of Bell Canada and BCE. "We look forward to participating in the research project, sharing our own experiences and results with workplace mental health to help other companies understand the value of implementing the Standard within their own organizations."
