Mental Health Matters: Stress at work

Last week, we talked in general terms about stress.

Today, we look specifically at stress at work.

According to a survey by Desjardins Financial Security, an astonishing 83 per cent of Canadians reported showing up for work while sick or exhausted an average of six times in the past year.

Meanwhile, 89 per cent reported that instances of stress-related mental health problems have increased over the years.

Here are some other noteworthy facts to consider:

n Employees with a high degree of stress in balancing work and family life missed 7.2 days of work a year — double the absentee rate of those with little stress.

n Employees suffering clinical depression miss an average of 40 days a year.

n Mental-health claims (especially depression) are the fastest-growing reason in Canada for days lost to disability.

n Depression is linked to diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune disorders.

What can be done to make the workplace less stressful?

If you’re an employee, you need to take some responsibility and control and take regular breaks, make sure you eat well, organize your work to make it manageable, structure your time for e-mail or phone messages so you’re not available at everyone’s whim, take vacations regularly and, most importantly, maintain a positive and healthy attitude.

Where your attitude goes, so goes your mental health!

For employers, where it is possible, consider these measures: Offer flexible hours, allow workers to work from home where possible and appropriate, train managers on how to support work/life balance, encourage staff to stay home with sick children when needed, eliminate unnecessary meetings, communicate expectations clearly to staff and allow employees to control their own priorities as much as possible.

Although the bullying and intimidating style of management is known to be ineffective, it still exists.

If you have a boss like this, adjust your attitude or find work in another organization.

After all, your mental health matters!

If you or someone close to you is experiencing stress at work, we at the Kamloops chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association would love to hear your story — and we will never publish your name or private information.

You can e-mail us kamloops@cmha.bc.ca and check us out online at kamloops.cmha.bc.ca.