With a full time workload at her university, a part-time job and a few other extra-curricular activities, Jillian Coey was also battling with an eating disorder, anxiety and depression.
She was taken to the ER after an attempted suicide. She felt tired and defeated. She thought she’d have to quit her job, but much to her surprise, she was asked to take some time off and return to work when she was ready.
As millennials enter the job market, they bring conversations regarding mental health to the table.
One research found out that millennials are one of three groups that are at the highest risk of battling mental health issues; the other two being women and low income individuals.
Initiating Conversations about Mental Health
Conversations around mental health are important. So is mental health first aid training. An alarming number of 500,000 workers took time off work to take care of their mental wellbeing. This is an important indication towards the kind of stigma that exists around mental health within our work culture.
The onus of initiating conversations about mental health does not only lie with the employees. Managers and company owners should start considering their employees’ mental well-being. It is a difficult conversation to have, no doubt. However, supervisors can segue way into these conversations by arranging first aid trainings for mental health.
Here’s why mental health first aid trainings are important in the workplace:
Retention Rate
By conducting mental health first aid trainings in the workplace, companies can reduce turnover rate and maintain their retention rate. Around 40% of employees in Canada take time off from work due to mental health concerns.
If other employees know how to provide support to someone battling mental health issues, it creates a healthy support system for the individual.
Ensure Healthy Work Environment
Conducting mental health first aid trainings is one of the many ways to ensure that employees feel comfortable initiating a dialogue about mental health with their colleagues. This promotes a sense of trust and community among employees and gives rise to a more empathetic work culture.
Increase Productivity
Employees who have stable mental health tend to be more productive and focused on their work. Instead of making them feel bad about their mental state, employers should be more focused on how to provide support to their workers. It’ll not only make people feel understood but also motivate them to work.
Promoting mental health awareness in the workplace is important because it builds a community that can understand and empathize. Here at Metro Safety, we understand how mental health can be a tough subject to broach. But it’s a conversation that’s long overdue.
With our emergency first aid training, you can learn how to provide care to someone who is experiencing mental illness. We’re based in Surrey, Coquitlam, and Burnaby. Get in touch with us today!
