1. Federal Public Service Workplace Psychological Health and Safety
Union of National Defense Employees
February 23rd 2019
Denis St-Jean
Public Service Alliance of Canada
Co-chair, Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace

2. Membership Mandate
Over the years, we were asked to focus on various issues:
Strengthening Joint OHS Committees
Prevention Programs
Violence in the workplace (harassment – bullying)
Ergonomics
Psychosocial Hazards (Excessive Stress, Overwork, Shiftwork, Burnout, etc.)
Mental Health

3. Psychological H&S in the workplace
February Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (Senator Michael Kirby) undertakes the first- ever national study of mental health, mental illness and addiction
November Standing Senate Committee proposal to create the Mental Health Commission of Canada

4. Psychological H&S in the workplace
May Tracking the Perfect Legal Storm - Converging systems create mounting pressure to create the psychologically safe workplace (An update to Stress, Mental Injury and the Law in Canada by Dr. Martin Shain)
There is an emerging legal duty in Canada to provide and maintain a psychologically safe workplace

5. Psychological H&S in the workplace
September 30, 2010: A group of executives, labour leaders, OHS professionals, government agencies and experts in law and policy came together to look at the implications of Dr. Shain’s paper entitled "Tracking the Perfect Legal Storm“
The group was tasked with considering what employers need to know to provide a psychologically safe workplace in today’s economic environment

6. Psychological H&S in the workplace
January MHCC was awarded funding for the development of the proposed National Standard from:
Labour Programs (Enforcement of Canada Labour Code)
Health Canada
Public Health Agency of Canada
Bell Canada, and
Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace.

7. Psychological H&S in the workplace
January The Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) and CSA Standards initiated a project to establish a Technical Committee on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace
Standard was released January 16, 2013

8. Creating and Sustaining a Psychologically Safe Workplace = Goal #1 of the Standard
A psychologically safe workplace is:
One that allows no significant harm or injury
to employee mental health in negligent, reckless
or intentional ways
One in which every reasonable effort is made
to protect the mental health of employees [due diligence] 8

9. Psychologically Safe Workplaces and Psychologically Healthy Workplaces
……putting the horse before the cart……
A “psychologically safe” workplace is one where
every reasonable effort is made to protect the mental health of workers.
A “psychologically healthy” workplace is one where
every reasonable effort is made to promote the mental health of workers.
[= goal #2 of the Standard]
Safety first!

10. 7 Influences on the Duty to Provide a Psychologically Safe Workplace:
“Toward the Perfect Legal Storm”
Labour Relations Law
Employment Standards
Legislation
Human Rights
Legislation
Duty to Provide
a Psychologically Safe Workplace
Employment
contract
Law of Torts
(negligence)
Occupational Health and Safety
Legislation
Workers Compensation Law
Neigbour at Work Centre

11. Psychosocial factors in the standard
1. Psychological support
2. Organizational culture
3. Clear leadership & expectations
4. Civility & respect
5. Psychological competencies and requirements
6. Growth & development
7. Recognition and reward
8. Involvement and influence
10. Engagement
11. Balance
9. Workload management
13. Protection of physical safety
12. Psychological protection
14. Chronic stressors identified by workers

12. UNION INVOLVEMENT AND IMPACTS ON THE STANDARD
Worked on best practices and not on a multi-layered compliance plan (regular vs elite)
Incorporated full participation of workers and their representatives from the start of the process
Involvement of health and safety committees in implementing the requirements (where they exist by law)
We focused on organisational factors rather than personal worker behaviours (life style changes)

13. UNION INVOLVEMENT AND IMPACTS ON THE STANDARD
Protect the right of confidentiality of workers (data collection and data analysis)
Included the hierarchy of control measures in assessing risks
Included critical events preparedness (organisational and individual)
Included diversity statement (consider the unique needs of diverse populations and groups within the workplace)

14. Mental Health and the Workplace
Mental health is a growing issue in Canadian workplaces, affecting 1 in every 4 Canadians. Mental health has an impact on
individuals (e.g., distress, lack of engagement),
employers (e.g., losses in productivity) and
the economy (e.g., increased expenditures).
Recent survey results highlight important challenges across the federal public service.
2014 & 2017 APEX Reports and Surveys
2014 & 2017 Public Service Employee Survey Results

15. 20% 71% 75% 25% 19% 63% Mental Health in the Workplace 33-50%
Canadian Workplace
20%
33-50%
Encounter workplace stigma
in Canadian labour market
71%
Canadians will experience
mental illness
Short and long-term disability claims in Canada are related to mental health diagnoses
Public Service
75%
Executives report a higher stress level than 75% of Canadian adults
25%
Executives report symptoms of burnout
(e.g. emotional exhaustion, cynicism)
19%
Respondents faced harassment during the past 2 years, of which 63% reported harassment from an individual in authority
63%
Respondents would recommend their department or agency as a good place to work

16. Situational Context: Setting the Stage
…to address mental health in the workplace…
The Government of Canada and the Public Service Alliance of Canada established a Joint Task Force to address mental health in the workplace.
The Clerk of the Privy Council placed mental health at the top of the management agenda, and convened an advisory group with internal and external stakeholders to discuss mental health.
Building from their work, in June 2016, the Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy was released.
… to build a healthy, respectful, and supportive work environment that strengthens the public service

17. First report Third report Second report
Situational Context: Joint Task Force
First report
September 2015
Third report
January 2018
Recommendations on leadership, engagement, education, training and workplace practices, communication and promotion, and measurement and accountability
Step-by-step roadmap that will help organizations identify and assess workplace hazards that can affect the psychological health and safety of employees
Second report
APRIL 2016
enterprise-wide and organization-specific key findings and actions

18. Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy
Changing the culture
To be respectful to the mental health of all colleagues and to create an environment free
from stigma
…focuses on three strategic goals
Measuring and Reporting to frequently take the pulse of our workplace and workforce, and make necessary adjustments
Building Capacity with tools, training and resources for employees at all levels
…guiding organizations as they develop and implement their action plans on mental health 4

19. Strategy: Changing the Culture
…to be respectful to the mental health of all colleagues…
Authentic leadership and engagement towards mental health and wellness
Shift from out-put focused to people-focused environment
Sustained efforts to reduce stigma
Raise awareness to educate employees
Prevent psychological harm by identifying and assess workplace hazards
Engage networks and communities of practice and promote employee participation
Create healthy workplaces with trust, inclusivity, innovation, openness
Communication at all levels
…and to create an environment that is free from stigma

20. Strategy: Collaborating to Build Capacity
…with tools and resources for employees at all levels
Repository of leading practices
GCpedia
Canada.ca/
workplace-wellness
Guide to Implementing a Psychological Health and Safety Management System
Specialized training
for managers and employees
Informal Conflict Management System
Bargaining Agents Involvement
Centre of Expertise
on Mental Health
in the Workplace
Mental Health and Wellness Champions’ Committee
People Management Policy Suite
Employee Wellness Support Program

21. Strategy: Measuring and Reporting
…to frequently take the pulse of our workplace and our workforce…
Psychologically healthy workplace
Diversity
Respect
Awareness of mental health
Support for work-life balance
Support for innovation
Positive relationship with one’s supervisor
Reduce harassment and discrimination
A number of workplace factors are correlated with a psychologically healthy workplace.
…and make necessary adjustments

22. Mental Health in the Federal Public Service: The Strategy

23. #GCMentalHealth Map: Our Universe

24. Roles & Responsibilities for Centre of Expertise
Influence and connect other mental health related activities enterprise wide
Offer a best practice repository
Engage and educate via
Federal Speakers’ Bureau
Provide roadmap for alignment with the National Standard
Convene communities of practice and networks
Identify factors and gaps that may affect the psychological health and safety of the workforce
Provide expert advice, support and guidance
Have regional and national presence

25. 100+ Deputy Ministers Mental Health Pledge 2,000+ 70+
Our Reach in Numbers
100+ Deputy Ministers Mental Health Pledge
2,000+
Twitter followers
70+
Mental Health and Wellness Champions
2,000+
GCconnex
members
More than 20,000
public servants reached through Federal Speakers Bureau Testimonials
128,155+
web page
views
Canada.ca: Total Page Views: 103,039
Intranet: Total Page Views: 25,116
=128,155
Attracted 128,155 page views to the CoE’s web presence on Canada.ca/Gcintranet. Page views of the resources, tools, services and supports available.
GC vs Public access to site: 69% of visits to the site came from GC network computers
93% of federal organizations reported having a champion for mental health and/or wellness, thus providing the leadership called for in the Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy;
96% of federal organizations report offering awareness sessions that have reached employees and managers alike;
85% of federal organizations had offered mental health in the workplace training, with managers and supervisors being the most likely recipients of training;
Supported the Federal Speakers’ Bureau in delivering over 400 lived experience testimonials across 60+ federal organizations, directly reaching an estimated 20,000 public servants. The most visited page in the section is Federal Speakers’ Bureau: Speakers’ profile which got 22% of all the page views in the section.

26. Prioritizing Future Efforts
Strengthen the Best Practice Repository
Establish strong regional presence
Provide expert support and guidance
Build capacity and influence Measurement and Reporting
Launch OPI Network
Reinforce collaboration with unions and management
Expand Federal Speakers Bureau

27. canada.ca/workplace-wellness
To align, support and integrate with the broader work in the area of diversity, inclusion and wellness.

28. Questions or comments to mhstrategy@tbs-sct.gc.ca
Connect with us
Visit Canada.ca/workplace-wellness to find resources, tools and services for organizations, managers and employees on any device.
Visit GCintranet Mental Health in the Workplace for additional resources, tools and services, only available to public servants.
Join the CoE Mental Health on GCconnex to participate in discussions, share information, and leverage the power of networking.
Visit the GCpedia page to find multimedia tools and resources that can be tailored to your own organization’s realities, challenges and environment.
@CEMHW_CESMMT
Follow for the latest news, events, developments, and activities relating to mental health and psychological health and safety in the workplace.
Questions or comments to

29. MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE
What should be happening concretely in my department?

30. Building Success – A Guide to Establishing and Maintaining a Psychological Health and Safety Management System in the Federal Public Service
How do we get started? (CHAPTER 1)
Establish a Joint Sub-Committee on Mental Health (JSCMH)
Jointly identify 1 or more champions
Jointly determine the project sponsor
Jointly develop the JSCMH’s terms of reference
Jointly develop an initial communication strategy 7

31. Building Success – A Guide to Establishing and Maintaining a Psychological Health and Safety Management System in the Federal Public Service
Start by knowing your workplace… (CHAPTER 2)
Evaluate supports
Jointly identify and evaluate programs, policies and workplace practices that may affect psychological health and safety +
Train staff
Train staff to undertake the psychological workplace hazard analysis
Evaluate the workplace
Assess data
Jointly conduct an evaluation of the organization’s workplace psychological hazards
Jointly assess data to identify problem areas, and develop recommendations for the next steps 8

32. Building Success – A Guide to Establishing and Maintaining a Psychological Health and Safety Management System in the Federal Public Service
…continue with an implementation strategy… (CHAPTER 3)
Build a change management plan
Establish a resourcing plan
Create a training plan
Build an evaluation plan
Develop a communication plan
Prepare for critical events
Develop work plans 9

33. Building Success – A Guide to Establishing and Maintaining a Psychological Health and Safety Management System in the Federal Public Service
…and regularly assess progress… (CHAPTER 4)
INVESTIGATE AND REPORT INCIDENTS
This chapter focuses on:
Lessons learned by early adopters of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace; and
Tips for successful implementation.
MONITOR PERFORMANCE
CONDUCT A JOINT MANAGEMENT REVIEW
PRIORITIES INTEGRATION
…to continually improve activities. 10

34. Where can you find the standard?
CSA’s website: BNQ’s website