Social
Policy Related to Workplace Depression in Workers
A recent article on cbc.ca titled “Employers alone can’t fix
workplace depression”, discusses the issue of depression in employees working
in Canada as a result of increasingly stressful work environments and demands
on their labour.1 The article criticizes employers for not paying
enough attention to their worker’s mental and emotional needs and putting the
profit and success of their companies before the well-being of those who work
for them.2 For example, Steve Horvath, President and CEO of the
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety states:
"It’s a difficult challenge for employers because,
ultimately, they're going to have to address the issues of their own
organization's culture.”
I think this quote highlights the current view of social
policy that employers use in the workplace when dealing with depression in
their employees or other forms of mental illness that may arise as a result of
a stressful work environment. In our capitalist society there is a strong
emphasis on economic gain for businesses at any cost. This need for constant
gain of profit and advancing in the market creates many demands on workers that
may be unrealistic for them to complete in a business day. It seems as though
many CEO’s of companies have to turn a blind-eye to employee mental health
because they are too pre-occupied with corporate gain.
This article also argues that it is the responsibility of
the worker to take care of their own mental health needs individually as well.3
I do agree this is true but I think it also highlights our countries current
neo-conservative ideology, which is very individualistic with a focus on profit
and freedom to earn as much as a company possibly can. I think in order for
employees to acquire better mental well-being in the workplace employers need
to take a step back and acknowledge the importance of mental health for their
workers and take less of an aggressive approach to corporate profit and gain.
-Maggie Turpin
1,2,3: Mayer, Andre. "Employers Alone
Can't Fix Workplace Depression." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 11 Oct.
2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/09/f-workplace-depression.html>.
I agree with you Maggie, and can sympathize with employees. Sometimes leaving your personal life at home is virtually impossible especially for people suffering with PTSD or depression. It would be helpful if workplaces would incorporate wellness programs into their workday even if it were only for half an hour.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting point, Maggie, and one that definitly needs to be addressed. I think it is very unjust in any circumstance where money or material gain is valued as more important than an individual's well-being. Sometimes I feel as though CEOs or people in charge in a company lose sight of the fact that it is people they are destroying to earn just a little more: individual people with their own ideas, problems, dreams and goals. It seems like these people in power view the workers merely as steps to walk all over to attain their goals.
ReplyDeleteThis assesment can be true of any worker, not just those with a mental illness. If mental illness is something that a person is dealing with as well, owners and managers should take even more measures to ensure that workers are having their needs met and that they are feeling safe in a comfortable environment. I agree with Tara that a wellness program would be an excellent way to go about doing this.
-Selina
What I have notice recently is that more and more companies are giving their employees a “mental health day”, which is like a sick day, but it under the mental health category. I found our blog interesting and made me wonder if more employers should implement mental health days, allowing their employees an extra day off to restructure themselves. Some would argue that mental health days are a waste of time and if people cannot handle the job they should quit. I feel it would be a good idea, because as you mentioned it seems like employers are demanding so much from employees and this can take a toll on a person, especially in our field of work, when the burn out rate of a social worker is roughly 5-10 years. Employers need to be more aware of their workers and making sure they are not playing unrealistic expectations on their workers, at the risk or stress, burn out which can create depression or more severe mental illness.
ReplyDeleteChristine- Timmins
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ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with what you are saying. If a company is constantly driving results and profit they need to ensure their employee is being taken care of especially if they want these results to continue. If a company does not make sure that their employee’s mental health is stable they cannot expect to get the same results. I feel that some companies are taking a step in the right direction. I work for TD Canada Trust and they have several different programs to ensure that their employee’s mental health is cared for. They have several programs for counseling free to all of the employees is only one example from TD. This program allows everyone to access the help that they need and if there’s something further you need they will help you get there. This may only be one company but the first step in change in one person standing up and others will follow.
ReplyDeleteBritney (LGBT)
Maggie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post 100%. I think that awareness of mental health is extremely important and will become more and more recognized in the future. I think with current attitudes and current progresses in mental health awareness we will one day allow for work places that will be more and more accommodating to individuals that are suffering in mental health.
In the past few years in the news there have been more and more "celebrities" coming forward with their own mental illness stories. This is a step in the right direction because one of the biggest issues with mental illness is social embarrassment. A lot of people do not take mental health seriously. I dont think all workplaces will be free of stigmatization or restricting demands of those suffering because not everyone will allow themselves to be educated in this area which in turn is leaving them ignorant of the importance of their workers well being, but I definitely think that within the next few years we will see more and more progression.
Geraldine
I personally think that depression in employees working in Canada is both the employers’ and employees’ responsibility to work through and hopefully overcome. I believe that employers need to make counselling support and/or opportunities to access other services more available to their employees to help ensure their well-being. An employee can only do their job properly and effectively if their mental well-being is looked after. Due to the increasingly stressful work environments and demands on labour, employers should focus on ways to make the working conditions better for their workers rather than focus solely on profits. Sadly, I strongly agree with your point that “in our capitalist society there is a strong emphasis on economic gain for businesses at any cost”. Awareness and education for companies may help with addressing the needs of their employees.
ReplyDeleteKristen – Mental Illness Group