MindsMatter is a free mental health workplace assessment

Vol. 6, Issue 2, June 14, 2018

Hamilton's Labour Market Connection

Your weekly news & updates from WPH!

In this week's edition: WPH event helps to educate employers and service providers regarding mental health issues; CivicAction offers a free mental health tool for the workplace assessment; Why studying the humanities is important for future job seekers.

Breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health at Supporting Healthy Minds at Work

Workforce Planning Hamilton and our partner the City of Hamilton, Public Health Services, Healthy Environments Division, Healthy and Safe Communities Department held a successful mental health event on June 8, 2018 at McMaster Innovation Park.

Over 70 employers and service providers attended and listened to an outstanding keynote address by Nick Petrella, a professor and mental health advocate from Mohawk College.

By sharing his own story Nick seeks to dispel the myths and stigma surrounding mental illness. His advice was to reach out today via text message to any of our friends who we feel might need some support.

Two workshops followed by Stuart Hooper, Workplace Safety and Prevention Services; and by Catherine Howson, Catholic Family Services.

Guests had time to network and visit displays by mental health service providers.

A takeaway from the event was a handout listing how to help employees and clients who may have mental health issues; a list of crisis lines and programs; and resources for service providers and for employers.

You can access the How to Help handout here.

MindsMatter tool: Free online assessment for mental health in the workplace

An estimated 1 in 2 people in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area’s (GTHA) labour force have experienced a mental health issue, and 82% of people surveyed report that mental illness impacts their work. Over the next decade, current mental health issues could cost the GTHA almost $17 billion in lost productivity.

Beyond compassion, there is a strong business case for supporting better mental health in our workplace and the appetite to do more.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, while 32% of Canadian business leaders are taking action to support workplace mental health, 42% more are interested, but haven’t taken action due to lack of time, resources, or know-how.

The MindsMatter assessment is an online tool designed to help overcome these barriers, letting you quickly know where your organization is at with mental health.

When you have completed it, you will receive a tailored report you can download with key actions and recommended resources to take the next step.

The tool is free, confidential, easy to use and takes under three minutes to complete.

Click here to access the MindsMatter tool.

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How a humanities degree will serve job seekers in a disruptive economy

Communication, observation, empathy and logical thinking: these frequently undervalued skills can be called “essential skills,” because we all need them every day, though we don’t always use them well.

They are the foundational skills that allow us to learn and live and work productively with other people. They are the skills that determine our chances of succeeding. They are the skills of leadership.

These essential skills are the ones most sought by some of the largest, most successful organizations. Those blue-chip employers recognize that their future leaders are people who can understand and communicate about the world around them.

People learn to do this by studying the humanities, the academic fields that have somehow fallen from the nest of subjects considered most worth studying.