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Mercer and CMHA join forces to address psychological health and safety in the workplace


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Canadian Mental Health Association’s national award winning Mental Health Works and global human resource consulting firm Mercer announce the launch of new learning series called Meet the Standard, designed to prepare employers to implement the new National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.



“The goal was simple,” says Kathy Jurgens, National Program manager of Mental Health Works. “We need to get as many organizations on the road to improvement in the area of psychological health and safety in the workplace as possible. Mercer can help CMHA reach this goal by joining forces. Over time, the benefits will be far reaching for both corporate Canada and our society in general.”



“Organizations must have a strategy to address employee health as well as the mental health related issues that affect productivity and competitiveness,” says Sue Brown, a Principal and Central Region leader of Mercer’s Health and Productivity team..



“Employers need to understand the implications of a claim of a psychologically unsafe workplace by an employee, but the bottom line is a psychologically safe and healthy organization will be more productive, improve employee engagement and attendance, reduce and prevent mental health disability claims, attract and retain the best employees and better service their clients,” adds Brown.



The Meet the Standard facilitated workshop series will take learners on an in-depth look at the new National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Issues facing organizations today are complex, but perhaps none more complex than mental health in the workplace. This roadmap makes it easier for employers to take steps to prevent mental injury, reduce psychological risk and promote a mentally healthier workplace.



The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has championed the development of CSA Z1003-12/BNQ 9700-803/2012 - Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. It is a voluntary standard intended to provide systematic guidelines for Canadian employers that will enable them to develop and continuously improve psychologically safe and healthy work environments for their employees. Development of this standard was undertaken collaboratively by the Bureau de Normalisation du Québec (BNQ) and CSA Group (CSA). With a focus on the hazards and risks associated with mental injury, Z1003 draws attention to this important and complex subject and provides comprehensive and systematic guidelines.



Training related to unpacking and understanding the standard will be paramount to organizational success in implementation of a mental health strategy for an organization. “The Standard is a tool to help workplace leaders build psychologically healthy and safe workplaces based on best practices. It will take time and effort to implement and fully integrate it into the fabric of the workplace. We are very pleased to see that Mercer and Mental Health Works will be offering training to help people understand and implement the Standard. CMHA’s strong history in the area of mental health and Mercer’s knowledge of client needs elevates the credibility of the collaboration.” Elizabeth Rankin, CSA, Project Manager.


Company information:

Mental Health Works is the leading go-to program for education, training and consulting needs of employers and employees within Canada and abroad on addressing mental health in the workplace. Mental Health Works an initiative of the Canadian Mental Health Association, with head office at CMHA Ontario Division. Mental Health Works is available across Canada, with services provided in English and French.

About Mercer
Mercer is a global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement and investments. Mercer helps clients around the world advance the health, wealth and performance of their most vital asset – their people. Mercer’s 20,000 employees are based in more than 40 countries. Mercer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), a global team of professional services companies offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and human capital. With 52,000 employees worldwide and annual revenue exceeding $10 billion, Marsh & McLennan Companies is also the parent company of Marsh, a global leader in insurance broking and risk management; Guy Carpenter, a global leader in providing risk and reinsurance intermediary services; and Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting.

For more information, visit www.mercer.ca.


Follow Mercer on Twitter @MercerInsights.



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