Download Topic: Being OK is not Being Happy! The Slippery Slope

Theme: Workplace Mental Health Insights for Employers
Topic: Being OK is not Being Happy!
The Slippery Slope
About 21.4% of the working-age population (20-64 years of age) was living with a mental health
problem or illness in 2011 with prevalence peaking at 20-29 years of age among both males
and females.
Or 1 in 5 people in Canada lives with a mental illness each year
Making the Case for Investing in
Mental Health in Canada
The study conservatively
estimates that in 2011
annual direct costs
(healthcare, certain social
services and income
support) attributable to
mental illness reached over
$42.3 billion, increasing to
some $290.9 billion in 2041.
The cumulative economic
impact of direct costs alone
over the next 30 years is
expected to reach more
than $2.5 trillion.
ESTIMATED TOTAL C0ST OF MENTAL
ILLNESSES IN CANADA
The study estimates that
approximately 21.4% of the
working population experienced a
mental illness in 2011. The
potential impact of mental illness
on productivity includes
absenteeism, presenteeism or
leaving the workforce altogether.
The annual productivity impact of
mental illness in the workplace is
estimated to be over $6.4 billion
in 2011, increasing to $16.0
billion in 2041.
The present value of the
cumulative 30-year productivity
impact is expected to be $198
billion.
Happiness: AKA Mental Health
Mental health is an ideal state. It is a balance of mental,
emotional, physical and spiritual health. (e.g., caring
relationships, a place to call home, a supportive
community, and work and leisure all contribute).
Mental Health requires coping skills.
Happy – Discouragement – Risk
Activity – Estimate percentage of your workforce in each
of the five positions.
%
Happy
%
OK
%
Chronic
Strain
Risk
%
Mental Health
Issue
%
Mental Disorder
(Organic/
Cognitive)
Problem Statement: Current negative population
health trend
The Case of Sam:
– Sam is struggling to cope with job stress in his current role. He thinks he is trapped
with no options.
– He developed the habit of over-eating at night to feel better (e.g., chips, ice cream,
pop, and fast foods).
– His lifestyle choice after work was dominated by watching TV at night and snacking.
He has no structured pro-health habit (e.g., exercise, hobbies or outlets).
– This unhealthy coping resulted in this 44-year-old putting 60 pounds on his 5-8 body
frame over a period of 30 months.
– He drastically increased his body fat. At age 46 he was put on hypertension
medication.
– At age 48 he was put on medication for clinical depression.
– At 49 he became a Type 1 diabetic.
Happy – Discouragement – Risk
Happy
OK
Chronic
Strain
Mental Health
Issue
Mental Disorder
(Organic/
Cognitive)
Examples ONLY
Presents self in a positive manner
Typically enjoys engaging in pro-social behaviours (exercise, community, etc.)
Energy and drive are evident – presents to the world a positive light
Proven cognitive coping skills to manage and balance the challenges life and work present
Happy – Discouragement – Risk
Happy
OK
Chronic
Strain
Mental Health
Issue
Mental Disorder
(Organic/
Cognitive)
Examples ONLY
Presents as being content – and, yes, experiences happy moments
Self-disciplined to push through day – lives life M-T-W-T-F-S-S
Most days has enough energy to get through day
Able to cope with most days – but often has some script running ……….
Happy – Discouragement – Risk
Happy
OK
Chronic
Strain
Mental Health
Issue
Mental Disorder
(Organic/
Cognitive)
Examples ONLY
Feels pressure that often releases when changing environments (e.g., leaving
work)
Stress is often situational (e.g., peer conflict) and when away from stress can
feel OK. Find it hard being around stressors.
Increased fatigue (mental and physical)
Health habits slip and struggle to cope. Can appear in some situations not as
confident as some onlookers would expect.
Happy – Discouragement – Risk
Happy
OK
Chronic
Strain
Mental Health Issue
Mental Disorder
(Organic/
Cognitive)
Examples ONLY
Internally struggling more with internal dialogue to find options that
could give some relief
Symptoms starting to chronically have a negative impact on quality
of life – happiness and health
Stressful events harder to recover from; often just shut person
down. Symptoms increasing, stress
May be introduced to psychotropic drugs to cope with anxiety or
depression, or sleep medication
Happy – Discouragement – Risk
Happy
OK
Chronic
Strain
Mental Disorder
(Organic/ Cognitive)
Mental Health
Issue
Examples ONLY
Nature vs. Nurture: Some folks are born; some
develop; there is not one road!
Chronic symptoms to be managed, risk for self-harm
increasing, risk to others increasing
Some type of medical intervention is commonly
required. But not in all cases!
Greatly benefit from the development of coping
strategies to be able to function at full potential in
society
Happy – Discouragement – Risk
Estimate the percentage of your workforce in each of the five categories.
Happy
OK
Chronic
Strain
Mental Health
Issue
Mental Disorder
(Organic/
Cognitive)
Examples ONLY
Presents self in a positive
manner
Presents as content
– and, yes,
experiences happy
moments
Feels pressure that often releases
when changing environments (e.g.,
leaving work)
Internally struggling more with
internal dialogue to find options
that could give some relief
Nature vs. Nurture: Some
folks are born; some
develop; there is not one
road!
Typically enjoys engaging
in pro-social behaviours
(exercise, community, etc.)
Self-disciplined to
push through day –
too many live life
M-T-W-T-F-S-S
Stress is often situational (e.g., peer
conflict) and when away from stress
can feel OK. Find it hard being around
stressors.
Symptoms starting to
chronically have a negative
impact on quality of life –
happiness and health
Chronic symptoms to be
managed, risk for selfharm increasing, risk to
others increasing
Energy and drive are
evident – presents to
world a positive light
Most days have
enough energy to
get through day
Increased fatigue (mental and
physical)
Stressful events harder to
recover from; often just shut
person down. Symptoms
increasing, stress
Some type of medical
intervention is commonly
required. But not in all
cases!
Proven cognitive coping
skills to manage and
balance the challenges life
and work present
Able to cope with
most days – but
often have some
script running ……….
Health habits slip and struggle to
cope. Can appear in some situations
not as confident as some onlookers
would expect.
May be introduced to
psychotropic drugs to cope with
anxiety or depression, or sleep
medication
Greatly benefit from the
development of coping
strategies to be able to
function at full potential in
society
QWL ™ Predictive Health Index – Summary of Sam
Psychological & Physical Health Risk
<20th
Percentile
Stage 0 – Employee reports no negative distress, or any psychological or physical
symptoms impacting employee’s overall state of well being.
Sam’s
Progression
Entered job
Stage 1 – Employee reports low levels of stress, may report periods of fatigue due to
work-life balance challenges. There can be some psychological regret that in times
of pressures make it difficult to engage in activity of choice such as exercise,
hobbies. This can result in mild impairments to well being.
First six months
45-60th
Percentile
Stage 2 – Employee is experiencing chronic stress; more fight/flight responses result
in increased stress hormones. Strain increases risks for high blood pressure,
digestive problems. Common for employee to look for coping mechanisms. Strain is
also associated with decreased levels of physical health and moderate impairments
to well being.
Six months to
year two
Year two
61-75th
Percentile
Stage 3 – Employee is at risk for experiencing mental health symptoms that can
drastically disrupt quality of life, such as depression, anxiety and drug abuse. Risk
factors are higher and employee may be receiving some medical/prescriptive
interventions. The longer the employee stays in this state, the greater the risk for
permanent health issues. At this stage there are significant impairments to well
being.
Year four
75-100th
Percentile
Stage 4 – Employee is at risk for severe physical or mental health issues that may or
may not be diagnosed. Employee is at great risk and requires immediate mental
attention (if not already obtaining medical support). It is common for employees at
this level to have comorbidties and several health-related issues. The employee is
often off work or at risk to be in the near future if things go not improve.
21-44th
Percentile
Burnout
Did You Know?
• Though burnout is not a DSM disorder, the ICD-10 describes it as
“State of Vital Exhaustion”
• Negative impacts of burnout: job function, health outcomes (e.g.,
increase in stress hormones) and mental health (e.g., depression)
• Burnout does impact coping skills – research suggests it can result in
cognitive impairments
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Enthusiasm Stagnation
Stage 3:
Frustration
Notice any similarities?
Stage 4:
Apathy
Making the business case for action!
What is the cost of doing nothing?
Leaders are advised to act to fully understand the tangible and intangible costs of doing nothing for current
and YOY trends.
Examples:
Tangible Costs:
•
•
•
•
•
Percentage of disability claims linked to mental health
Population health trends (e.g., percentage of diabetics, obesity)
Absenteeism
Drug costs
Productivity (e.g., average employee puts forth 80% of their full potential daily)
Intangible Costs:
•
•
•
•
•
Negative gossip
Manager time correcting behaviour
Presenteeism
Lateness for work and returning from breaks
1-hour medical appointments through the shift
Go to www.howatthr.com and click on What is your cost of doing nothing? to get a benchmark for discussion
purposes only.
Game Changers
Are you ready?
•
•
The law is recognizing an increasingly demanding standard for protecting employees from mental injury at work
RCMP jail guard traumatized by harassment, awarded $500,000
– 2004: A judge of the Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court has awarded almost $500,000 in damages to
a former RCMP jail guard who developed post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression, and suicidal
tendencies as a result of workplace harassment.
•
Coming soon to workplace law near you… LIABILITY
– Such as BC’s BILL M 212 — 2012 WORKPLACE BULLYING PREVENTION ACT, 2012
– This bill targets the reduction and elimination of workplace bullying by modifying the Worker's Compensation Act. The bill
allows incidents of workplace harassment to be investigated, compensated, and dealt with in the same manner as
workplace accidents. It provides less strenuous requirements for the award of compensation for mental stress in
situations that involve harassment. It also requires employers of 10 more employees to write and implement a policy on
harassment.
•
Human Right – If the BC Human Rights Tribunal is any guide, all you have to do is fire an employee who is absent
from work for an extended period of time due to a medical disability by email and you could find yourself paying
damages of $35,000 (not including legal fees) for “hurt feelings” because the employee was not terminated in person.
•
Employee education on rights for accommodations
•
Mental Health is now providing a definable framework for workplace stress and a path for short-term disability claims
Liability Landslide:
How is your organization benchmarking and supporting the 13 factors?
National Voluntary
Standard for
Psychologically Safe
Workplaces*
Occupational
Health & Safety
Creates new
standard for due
diligence
Human
Rights
While the National Standard for
Psychologically Safe Workplaces* is
voluntary, it now offers a standard of
reference for employer due diligence in
protecting employees.
Employment
Law
Employer’s Duty to Keep
Employees Safe
*http://shop.csa.ca/en/canada/occupational-health-and-safety-management/cancsa-z1003-13bnq-97008032013/invt/z10032013/?utm_source=redirect&utm_medium=vanity&utm_content=folder&utm_campaign=z1003
Bill C-45
Bill C-45 is federal legislation that amends the Canadian Criminal Code. Bill
C-45 became law on March 31, 2004, and is now the new Section 217.1 in
the Criminal Code, which reads:
"217.1 Every one who undertakes, or has the authority, to direct how another
person does work or performs a task is under a legal duty to take
reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm to that person, or any other
person, arising from that work or task." The bill established new legal
duties for workplace health and safety, and imposes serious penalties for
violations that result in injuries or death.
See: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/legisl/billc45.html
National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the
Workplace (Standard)
The Standard is a voluntary guide for Canadian employers to ensure that their workplaces
are psychologically safe and healthy. The Standard identifies three key factors to be satisfied
in order to promote such workplaces, but does not offer a tool for measurement; Howatt
HR’s QWL™ Study can provide benchmarks for these factors.
“The requirements for an employee’s physical health and safety in the workplace are a longstanding
concern for Canadian employers. Now it’s time to consider the mental wellbeing of the workforce the
same way”.
Louise Bradley, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Psychological Health & Safety
Evolution of Occupational Health: the promotion and protection of employees’
psychological health and safety.
– Psychological Health – this goes beyond mere safety to describe a workplace
environment that supports and promotes resilience by mitigating sources of stress
and empowering employees to improve their coping skills.
– Psychological Safety – a workplace environment that does not directly cause
psychological injury or harm to employee psychological well-being. The goal is to
prevent risk for injuries that can impact one’s psychology mind (e.g., PTSD,
bullying, etc.)
13 Factors Summary Aligned to Five Key Themes
2
1
Self-Management
PF 8 – Involvement & Influence
PF 4 – Workload Management
PF 10 – Engagement
Safety
PF 1 - Psychological Support
PF12 – Psychological Protection
PF 13 – Protection of Physical Safely
3
Management
PF 3- Clear Leadership and Expectations
PF 7 – Recognitions and Reward
PF 11 – Balance Work & Life (Flexibility)
4
Culture
PF 2 – Organizational Culture
PF 4 – Civility and Respect
5
Strategic HR
PF 5 – Psychological Competencies and Requirements
PF 6 – Growth & Development
Workplace Conduct
Psychological Impact
Discretionary
Friendliness,
Kindness
Job Satisfaction &
Organizational Engagement
Responsibility
Respectfulness,
Civility,
Fairness
Loyalty
Commitment
Incivility,
Unfairness,
Rudeness
Tension,
Demoralization, Disengagement
Abuse (verbal, physical,
psychological),
Harassment,
Discrimination
Bullying
Anxiety,
Depression,
PTSD,
Suicide
Liability
Extreme Danger Zone
Risk Increases
Risk Level
Psychologically Unsafe Workplaces Produce Liability & Costs
•
Increased likelihood of mental injuries
– More incidents of depression, anxiety and PTSD
– Less chance of recovery from mental injury such as PTSD
•
Fewer successful returns to work
What is mental injury?
•
Mental injury (or mental suffering) is harm to a person for which another person is held
responsible.
– Results in either mental distress or mental illness
– Doesn’t always require medical evidence
•
Reasonably foreseeable that significant harm to mental health could result in temporary or
long-term inability to function as normal (work or home )
•
It is a legal ground for damages
Medical proof not needed
•
Employees do not necessarily need to prove they have a clinically
diagnosable mental illness in order to win a legal claim for mental injury or
suffering at work.
•
Psychologically unhealthy work conditions
– Excessive work demands
– Harassing, demeaning treatment
•
Where mental suffering is foreseeable.
What is ‘clinically diagnosable’?
•
Refers to clinical conditions defined under the current version of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM – 5)
•
Mental diseases or states of a debilitating nature, e.g.,
– Clinical depression
– Anxiety
– Bipolar disorder and
– Schizophrenia.
•
Only qualified professionals (physicians and psychologists) are entitled to
make such diagnoses.
Liability is Subjective
•
Intent to cause harm is irrelevant
•
Harm is a dual test of
– Victim’s subjective perceptions of the behaviors
– Whether a reasonable person would foresee potential for psychological
harm
Psychologically Safe vs. Psychologically Healthy
• Psychologically Safe
– Where every reasonable
effort is made to protect the
mental health of employees
• Psychologically Healthy
– Where every reasonable
effort is made to promote the
mental health of employees
The Solution – E & E Power
The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence estimates that improving the management
of mental health in the workplace including prevention, early action to combat stress and early
identification of problems could decrease losses to productivity by as much as 30% and result in
annual savings of £250,607 ($397,713) in an organization of 1000 employees.
Your Life at Work Survey
On February 3rd, The Globe and Mail, in conjunction with Howatt HR,
launched Your Life at Work. This study is using a short version of the
Quality of Work Life (QWL™) survey.
Today there are nearly 4000 completed surveys
To learn more go to: tgam.ca/yourlifeatwork
We want to start a conversation about what the risks in the workplace
can affect:
 Physical and mental health
 Productivity
 Job satisfaction
 Worker retention
 Staff-engagement
 Cost of doing nothing
Your Life at Work Findings
Self-Reported Productivity Levels
Employees who report their productivity levels are 50% or less
have a different profile than employees that report
productivity levels of 80% or higher.
The following was found:
• Lower coping skills were found to be a lead indicator in
predicting
•
Higher stress
•
Higher health risk Lack Indicator
•
Lower engagement Lack Indicator
Your Life at Work Findings
Estimated Cost of Doing Nothing per FTE
Average productivity 40% group (Assumption 60
percent lost opportunity) = CODN per FTE (45 k X .60)
= $27,000.00 per FTE
Compared to higher group average productivity 90%
(assumption 10 percent lost opportunity) = CODN per
FTE (75 k X .10) = $7500.00 per FTE
Note: Assumption does not include lost time due to increased sick
time or time lost due to injuries, or lost opportunity for productivity.
Our Key Finding
Perceived
Stressors
Intrapersonal
Coping Skills
Leading
Indicator
Employee
Health
Employee
Productivity
Success Metrics
Employee
Engagement
Lagging
Indicators
We Often Become What We
Happy
OK
Chronic
Strain
Mental
Health Issue
… Think
Mental
Disorder
(Organic/
Happiness – OK – Strain – Mental Health – Mental Cognitive)
Disorder
Coping Skills
Life and Work Stress
What do you
think?
Budgets vs. Beings
Tangible + Intangible
Activity
• Cost of Doing Nothing Calculator
– Math is simple. No pressure. No Grade.
Five minutes discussion with one or two neighbours:
• What other intangible factors could you have added?
• Whether the assumptions are defendable or not – what is the key
point for leaders to consider today?
• What could your organization’s potential cost of doing nothing
be?
Consider in your conversation how employees who are just OK may still
be at risk.
Facilitating Culture Change
Problem Statement
Best Practices
Business Case
Growing Mental
Health Problem
– 13 Factors
– Cost of Doing Nothing
1. Awareness &
Senior Leadership
Support
4. Improved
Outcomes
2. Benchmark & Educate
Attitudes and Behaviours
3. Supporting Best
Practices
Beyond Engagement - Culture Change
Problem Statement
Best Practices
Business Case
Growing Mental
Health Problem
– 13 Factors
– Cost of Doing Nothing
4. Improved
Outcomes
1. Awareness &
Senior Leadership
Support
Make your business case –
get buy in
2. Benchmark & Educate
Attitudes and Behaviours
Measurement
ROI analysis – that isolates
the effect of the
interventions
3. Supporting Best
Practices
Leadership development
Coping skills
PAS support
Strategic HR alignment
QWL study – employees
get feedback in real time
Report – strategy
Exploring the Benefits of
Green
vs.
Red
Percentage of
organizations that
have no process to
address significant
changes in
employee
productivity or
behaviour: 84%.
When You Are Ready to Go Beyond Engagement…
For more information on the Beyond
Engagement model, QWL studies, and
products, contact Dr. Bill Howatt
[email protected]
Pricing is driven by number of employees
and/or organization’s size.
Free E-book at www.howatthr.com
6585 Hwy. 221, Kentville, NS B4N 3V7 • t: 902.678.8668 • f: 902.678.6255 • howatthr.com
Keynote Summary
Dr. Bill will share his insights on the current conversations around employee stress, productivity, engagement, and mental health
in the workplace. He will share some findings from his national Globe and Mail study Your Life at Work. He will provide
leaders with the facts on trends in legislation and what employers may want to prepare for. He will attempt to influence
leaders to understand the real potential Cost of Doing Nothing. Good intentions and kind lip service will not be enough.
Leaders will benefit from obtaining insight and benchmarks that provide transparency into the variables that predict health
risk and costs. These insights and benchmarks provide the landmarks for setting and implementing strategic actions to
reduce risk and increase opportunities for employees to be happy, with or without a mental health issue. He will encourage
leaders to ask the tough questions that look beyond engagement for long-term workforce sustainability.
Dr. Bill Howatt – Bio
Reality started when Bill failed grade 2. This was the first sign of being different. From there, education, sports, social interaction,
and work have been interesting, with lots of stops and starts. Growing up with dyslexia and ADHD, there was no road map
for Bill. However, through caring mentors and a passionate mother he finally got the tools to figure out the reading, writing,
and focus thing. Bill went on to obtain more than seven post-secondary degrees, a Post Doc in Behavioral Science from UCLA
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, authored more than 60 books, became a business columnist for The
Globe and Mail, and spent more than 10 years consulting in the financial district of Wall Street. He is now returning to his
roots, helping employers and employees explore their thinking and how it will predict their future.
Bill is the founder of Howatt HR and TalOp® that offer services for solving complex people problems and facilitating organizational
productivity while keeping a keen eye on employee care. With respect to the conversation on mental health, not only living
with an issue himself, he has helped thousands of folks who learned there are left turns allowed. He is a Registered
Counselling Therapist, Registered Social Worker, and ICADC with over 20 years of clinical experience. He created the original
Nova Scotia Community College Addiction Counsellors curriculum and trained addiction counsellors for 15 years. He coedited the Wiley Addiction series, The Human Services Counseling Toolbox: Theory, Development, Technique, and Resources,
and The Addiction Counselor's Desk Reference. He is a member of the Editorial Committee of Counselor Magazine, and most
recently created the Beyond Engagement: Quality of Work Life (QWL™) Study – an applied research method for assessing
employee stress, coping skills, engagement, health, and mental health risk. www.howatthr.com