Stigma can be one of the greatest barriers to psychological health and safety (PHS) at work. This is especially true for employees with mental health issues such as depression or anxiety. Eliminating stigma while increasing mental health awareness and inclusion can support employees to seek help sooner, recover faster and maintain productivity.
While this approach primarily refers to mental health, stigma can be related to any number of issues. These can include age, gender, race, and language. Your plan should address any factors that arise in your assessment of the current state in your work environment. Many resources can help you with this, including Guarding Minds at Work, Psychologically safe team assessment, Discrimination prevention and inclusion and Inclusions strategies for leaders.
The business case for reducing stigma
Supporting employees struggling with mental health concerns can benefit the organization. These benefits can include:
- Reduced turnover and costs associated with recruitment and training.
- Attraction of qualified, talented people who prefer a work environment that supports mental health.
- Reduced sick leave as employees are supported to remain productive at work.
- Avoidance of violations related to human rights.
- Corporate and social responsibility in providing a work space that's supportive of all employees.
- Enhanced customer service when employees are healthier and happier at work.
- Improved performance by supporting employees to contribute their best work.
Employees may be afraid to reach out for help. However, the majority of mental illnesses can be treated. This would allow employees to recover and remain productive at work.
Assess the current situation
A survey or other method of assessment of stigma at work should look at:
- The level of understanding employees have about mental health and mental illness.
- Experiences of both discrimination and diversity. Examples can be found under Discrimination prevention and inclusivity.
- Unjustified fears of violence related to mental illness.
- Perception that employees with mental health issues can’t function or perform their duties.
- Fear or shame that may prevent someone from seeking help.
- Rates of promotion or career advancement for employees who have mental health issues, as compared to employees of similar qualifications.
- Management's usual response to an employee who has mental health issues.
- Potential legal concerns like discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, trauma, burnout and other negative impacts to employee health and well-being.
Create a plan of action
- Identify champions. Who's going to lead this initiative within the organization?
- Estimate resources. What will the staff effort and time commitment be for each activity?
- Include a timeline and budget. The more directly the organization addresses key areas of concern, the better the return on investment can be.
- Create a timeline for all activities.
- Set milestones to celebrate results.
- Estimate the cost for each activity. This can include training, special events and promotional and support materials.
- Identify key issues.
- Set goals. Include measures for success.
- Develop key messages. These should resonate with employees, be clear and consistent and support goals. The language should always be respectful.
- Draw on others’ expertise. Find out about local chapters of organizations to assist employees with mental health concerns. Some examples include the Canadian Mental Health Association, Mindful Employer Canada, Mood Disorders Society of Canada, Schizophrenia Society of Canada and Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments.
Implement and communicate the plan
- Engage employees. Share goals, benefits and details of how staff can become involved as well as how results will be measured.
- Build momentum. Post awareness materials, listings of staff training opportunities and events in visible locations. This might include coffee rooms or staff intranet.
- Communicate often. Include key messages throughout all staff communications.
- Recognize achievements. Follow through on plans to recognize accomplishments and progress.
Evaluate the plan
It's important to make sure the plan is effective and efficient. It should remain flexible enough to allow for changes or improvements.
- Take stock. Review accomplishments and progress.
- Respond. Address challenges and celebrate achievements.
- Reassess. Repeat the original survey to assess change and progress.
- Modify. Analyze new survey results and modify strategies as required.
Maintain the plan
Plan maintenance should include a focus on long-term outcomes. These efforts should:
- Be clear and consistent about the organization's position on stigma reduction.
- Validate staff efforts by sharing the results. This can be with posters or on the intranet.
- Be flexible and responsive to changes that affect the work environment.
- Include training and support for leaders to continue the effort.
- Assign champions to keep the initiative alive.
Adapted from Developing a Stigma Reduction Initiative courtesy | PDF courtesy of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA Pub. No. SMA-4176. Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2006.
Stigma statistics
- 47% of employed Canadians say that if they admitted they were suffering from a mental illness to a boss or co-worker, they feel their ability to do their job would be questioned (Simpson, 2020).
- When asked why they’d be reluctant to admit struggling with a mental illness, some of the top reasons included fear of being treated differently (45%), not wanting to be judged (44%) or considered weak (33%), along with a desire for privacy (50%) (Hango & Moyser, 2018).
- In 2020, although 51% considered mental health issues broadly to be a disability, working Canadians were actually significantly less likely to consider depression, specifically, as a disability than the year previous (47%) (Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2018).
Workshop materials
Implicit bias workshop
A self-reflection workshop that explores the attitudes and stereotypes that affect our actions, decisions and unconscious understanding towards or against a particular person or people group.
Additional resources
The following are links to resources that may be of interest to you.
- Implicit bias. Learn to identify and understand implicit bias, microaggressions and intersectionality. Whether the bias results in poor morale or discrimination, identifying it is the first step to eliminating it.
- Indigenous teachings for leaders. This page shares insights and strategies from Indigenous leaders, managers, elders and colleagues. It also explains how the Seven Sacred Teachings and the Medicine Wheel can benefit culture and employees at all levels. These teachings can be used to encourage employee confidence, engagement and well-being at work.
- Impairment and addiction response for leaders. Information to help identify the signs of impairment and respond effectively. These strategies can also help accommodate an employee’s return to work after treatment.
- Together Against Stigma | PDF. From the 5th International Stigma Conference, Ottawa, 2012. Mental Health Commission of Canada.
- Opening Minds Interim Report | PDF. This report is the result of the largest systematic effort to reduce the stigma of mental illness in Canadian history. It’s from the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (MHCC) anti-stigma initiative, Opening Minds. Information courtesy of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.