Workplace Mental Heath, Wellness, Well-Being, and You

  MINDFUL PRACTICES TO DE-STRESS AND FOCUS YOUR THOUGHTS IN A MEANINGFUL DIRECTION  Improved Mental Health in the Workplace Mindfulness is helpful in setting priorities and de-stressing. Mindfulness is taking control of your thoughts and focusing them in a rewarding and healthy direction. Just because you think, doesn’t mean you are right or even thinking rightly. Take the path to mindfulness. Self-development, self-insight, and personal growth is continuous. It’s a wonderful journey that has no destination. Ideapod has a valuable list of things that mindful people subscribe to and engage in. The more items that you own and practice, the more fulfilling your life will be. They are presented here:  They don't believe all of their their thoughts - and they don't take them all that seriously. They don't try to avoid or deny emotions. They understand that all things come and go. They do one thing at a time. They turn everyday tasks into mindful moments. They pr...

  PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY “It's not psychological safety if people can only voice what you want to hear. The goal is not to be comfortable. It's to create a climate where people can speak up without fear. Psychological safety begins with admitting our own mistakes and welcoming criticism from others.” - Adam Grant, Organizational psychologist at Wharton, #1 NYT bestselling author of THINK AGAIN, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife A book by Amy C. Edmondson , November 20, 2018 The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth (write-up by Amazon)  offers practical guidance for teams and organizations who are serious about success in the modern economy. With so much riding on innovation, creativity, and spark, it is essential to attract and retain quality talent—but what good does this talent do if no one is able to speak their mind? The traditional culture of "fitting in" and "going along" spells doo...

  THE LID IS BLOWN OFF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN WORKPLACE – EVERYONE IS NOW TALKING ABOUT IT! AUTHORED BY: WARREN SHEPELL | PUBLISH DATE: OCTOBER 11, 2017 Canadian plan sponsors can no longer hide in the shadows about sexual harassment. The Harvey Weinstein case has blown the lid off sexual harassment – reports are all over the media that he had sexually harassed women for years. His case, as a sexual predator in power, is a turning point for the workplace. Workplaces need to take notice and be very clear about their zero tolerance for all types of harassment, including sexual harassment. All types of workplaces, whether it is retailing, manufacturing, communications, hospitals, or hospitality, need to put an abrupt stop to this bad and despicable behavior. Each province has slightly difference procedures for confronting sexual harassment and you should review the exact procedures in your province or territory, but they all agree on one thing – there is no place for sexual harassment i...

  TAKING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS MUCH TOO CASUALLY We know that stress, anxiety, and many other mental health problems affect employee job performance, productivity, communication, absenteeism, and short and long- term disability; therefore employers need to better support their workers who are experiencing lowered mental health issues. In this period of COVID-19 (where mental health issues have increased ten-fold in number and in intensity) and then, after COVID-19, attention to employee mental health is critically important. In Teira Gunlock's article, published September 28, 2020 in benefits-PRO, barriers to obtaining mental health counseling and therapy are summarized. These barriers must be removed and erased. I have studied and consulted in employee selection and retention. On average, each employee you hire must be productive on the job for 18 to 24 months before the costs of the person are recouped if they leave. Companies must not be casual an...

 My interview on Workplace Harassment was published in Canadian Business Journal several years ago.  Smaller organizations are as responsible to prevent harassment as are larger organizations. All organizations are randomly open to compliance audits according to their varying provincial and state Department of Labor regulations.  More importantly, your employees are your most valuable asset and an unchecked harassment culture can deleteriously affect their mental health and well-being. A zero tolerance for harassment is a good beginning and a safe and "no recrimination" pathway for reporting harassment is essential.  Action taken has to be seen. As I say in the interview, "creating a harassment free workplace is paramount. Creating a “safe” and employee friendly and respecting workplace environment is vital to the strength and productivity of the workplace." WORKPLACE HARASSMENT CAN COST YOU PLENTY By Mark Borkowski Dr. Warren Shepell is a pioneer in Employee Assist...