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Measuring the psychological health of an organization
Data review is a critical first step when considering any wellness initiative, including those aimed to help improve employee mental health. It not only helps to understand if, and where, your organization may have areas of concern, but it also provides a baseline against which you can measure the impact of any wellness initiatives.
Some key areas that may be considered when assessing the impact of mental illness to your organization include:
- STD and LTD claims volumes and trends (often available from your insurer)
- Employee and Family Assistance Program utilization reports
- Employee and customer satisfaction surveys
- Health Risk Assessments
- Casual absence (absence rates, number of incidences, durations, patterns)
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)/Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST)/Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) reports
- Employee turnover rates
- Grievances or complaints
- HR exit interviews
A review of your data may provide insight into the true costs of mental illness - whether trends exist with respect to incidence by region, department, or age band, and if workplace culture is playing a role. This type of assessment can help ensure the right strategies and programs are implemented for better outcomes for your organization employees.
Employee engagement surveys
For many employers, running an employee engagement survey has become an annual practice. What you may not realize is that there is potential to use this tool to collect information that may help you understand perceptions regarding employee mental health.
Specifically, questions that align with the 13 psychosocial risk factors identified in the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace will assist you in understanding how employees perceive their environment and the support they have.
The key strengths identified through engagement studies can help you understand what works well with the employee population. For instance, if you learn that a specific method of communication was the most effective for employees, using that model to disperse and collect psychological health-related information could also be effective.
ROI of One Life – Mental Health - As part of Benefits Canada’s The ROI of One Life series, this booklet delves into the employee and business gains of proactively supporting mental health in the workplace. Case studies give practical insights into the successful implementation of affordable strategies to protect employee mental health – with real results on productivity, absenteeism and lower costs. You can download a PDF of the booklet here.
Workplace Psychological Health Gap Assessment Tool- Manulife’s Workplace Psychological Health Gap Assessment Tool may help you assess your organization’s psychological health and safety risks. This free questionnaire is designed as a first step to help you prioritize areas of focus and complements the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace released by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ), and CSA Group.
