Recent studies have shown that there is a high return on investment (ROI) for Canadian companies investing in mental health initiatives. With an average ROI of $1.62 for every $1 invested, even going as high as $2.18 for ever $1 after three years. Brandie Weikle’s article Workplace mental health programs deliver healthier bottom line completes an in-depth analysis of Deloitte’s Director of Sustainability and Social Impact, Sarah Chapman, latest findings. Regarding the benefits of investing in mental health, what proactive initiatives include, available assessment tools, and much more. Chapman’s research is not overly surprising, of course there is a correlation between happy employees being productive employees. In turn, creating a better work environment for everyone! As a whole, this article is very informative and well-written. Where it could be improved is if it went into further detail about the different capabilities of what big business verse small business can do to aid employee’s mental wellbeing. In this post I offer one short-term and one long-term solution to the mental health crisis that Canada faces, the first being having small business managers trained in mental health first aid and the second being having the government make mental health strategies mandatory for all Canadian businesses.

The primary issue being discussed by Weikle is as previously mentioned; Canadian companies investing in proactive mental health initiatives/mental wellness programs will see positive impacts on business. Proactive initiative encourages employees to participate in activates such as exercise and meditation. This is needed because approximately 500,000 Canadian a week cannot work, as a direct result of poor or deteriorating mental health. Equating up to $50 billion lost a year. Making it evident that Canada is facing a significant obstacle, yet unfortunately only one-third of Canadian companies have any executed mental health strategies! When investing in mental health program companies must consider aspects such as how to integrate employees back into the work force after taking mental health breaks, how to train individuals on mental health essentials, why all of this is important and much more. However, this is not as daunting as it may seem because companies do not have to come up with these various strategies on their own. The Mental Health Commission of Canada has generated a baseline framework for organizations to utilize called, The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. I participated in the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Mental Health First-Aid certificate and I can say from personal experience how useful their guidelines and practices are in real-life mental health crisis’s!

Determining how different interested companies approach this problem is what I am interested in and where my short-term solution comes in. Deloitte surveyed 10 companies for their research, but how many workers do these companies employ? Large corporations have more financial capital to put towards such initiatives, but there are many small and medium sized businesses with fewer capabilities that also want to invest in employee’s mental health. Some even suggest that mental health should be a higher priority for small companies mainly because they cannot have employees not working at their full potential (Smith, 2017). As small business employees are much less expendable. Smith suggests having small business managers be trained in mental health first aid, so that they are able to successfully recognize the signs of poor mental health within employees. On this, I would recommend that such managers be obligated to take the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Mental Health First-Aid certificate which I noted above. This would be a short-term yet effective step that businesses with less financial capital to invest in mental health could take, in order to display their commitment to the issue and their employees.

To take it one step further, a long-term solution would be to have the Ontario or Canadian government make it mandatory for all companies to have some form of mental health strategies integrated into their business model. A proposal like this would be complex and could be difficult to manage, nonetheless it is necessary. I would advise executing this in steps; firstly, making all strategies voluntary for all businesses. This would give companies time to experiment and figure out a framework that works best for their employees. After 5-10 years, all strategies would be made mandatory and legally binding. Companies would be subject to monetary fines if they did not cooperate. The government would then issue as taskforce, which would audit businesses mental health frameworks to ensure that all Canadians are protected under the law. Every few years companies’ strategies would have to be reassessed by the taskforce and updated if required. 

In terms of employment relations, these solutions will ensure that employees have a confident relationship with their employers. Employees will feel valued and know that their employer is someone or an institution that they can depend on. This would ensure that less Canadians are missing work because of mental health complications. It has been made evident that these kinds of investments are good for business as well, as the article states, “Some things make good human sense and business sense. This is one of them.” To conclude, there are countless standards regarding the physical health and safety of workers in Canada, and it is time for there to be just as many regulations monitoring mental health. This would be in the best interest of employees and business, a win-win scenario!

References

Smith, S. (2017, September). Small Companies Must Take the Mental Health of Workers More Seriously. Retrieved March 2020, from https://www.ehstoday.com/health/article/21919284/small-companies-must-take-the-mental-health-of-workers-more-seriously

Weikle, B. (2019, November 7). Workplace mental health programs deliver healthier bottom lines | CBC News. Retrieved March 2020, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/workplace-mental-health-programs-deliver-good-roi-1.5346872?__vfz=medium=sharebar

Unreliable hours, no right to unionize, no vacation pay, lack of labour regulations – these are just some of the characteristics of the workplace for non-traditional workers in the gig economy. Jim Stanford’s article titled, bring your own equipment and wait for work: working for Uber is a lot like being a dock worker a century ago, shines a noteworthy light on the history and complexities of Canada’s gig economy. I believe that the “voices” of Canadian Uber drivers are not being heard because the interests of Uber and Uber drivers differ too much, to reduce the negative affects of this Uber should open a better human resources department for its employees.

Stanford describes how the amount of people who depend on gig jobs in Canada is rapidly increasing. Predominantly, amongst Uber and Lyft drivers, with 100,000 in Toronto alone and many of which being minorities. The gig economy is considered more unique than the traditional economy because it is more innovative and has more flexible conventions. Stanford disputes how different these two industries genuinely are, as the title suggests he juxtaposes gig employment with employment positions of the past, such as dock workers, theorizing that they do not have many differences.

The biggest problem that I see between Canada’s gig economy and its traditional economy is the differentiated needs and wants of employee’s verse employers. Concerns that employees have that employers do not seem to want to negotiate, include, hourly wages, sick or vacation days, what is described as “normal” rights in the traditional economy. Stanford gives the example of Foodora employees fighting the Ontario Labour Relations Board for the right to unionize to display this. Employers have refrained from deploying such rights because it would take away their competitive edge, they are the “disruptors” who are facilitating the gig economy and do not want to assimilate into the traditional economy. From a third-party perspective both sides are completely understandable.

I argue that there is leeway for both sides to give, if only a little. I would propose having Uber develop some form of Canadian human resources department for its drivers. Stanford suggest that drivers’ complaints are currently filtered through the Netherlands, it is logical to assume this is not the most effective arbitration system. Having a more local department would give drivers a more adequate outlet when needed (as mentioned many drivers belong to various racialized groups, giving them this option would provide drivers with a platform to report any discrimination that they experience while on the job) and would extend them more normal rights, but would not compromise Ubers competitive place in the industry. This would obviously not resolve the tension completely but would create an equilibrium between some of the conflicting needs.

In the studies of employment relations, we learn about three main goals concerning change in the workplace, they are – efficiency, equity, and voice. Employees having a “voice” regards them having input on how work completed and workplace conditions. When it comes to Uber drivers in the gig economy, it is evident that their voices are being silenced, in order to uphold the values of the entire gig industry. Approaching the tensions between employees and employers is a difficult task because the pleas of both sides are incredibly polarized which makes brokering any resolution a challenge. However, compromise is possible! It is evident that both Uber and Uber drivers have a vested interest in the company as a whole being successful, can you think of any other ways in which the broken bridge between these two parties can be mended? Or do you think that the strategy that I proposed is practical or do you not see it producing much benefit?

Thank you so much for reading!

This article can be found at this link – https://www.thestar.com/business/opinion/2019/11/17/bring-your-own-equipment-and-wait-for-work-working-for-uber-is-a-lot-like-being-a-dock-worker-a-century-ago.html

Hello, my name is Sydney Wade, I am a fourth year Political Studies major at Queens University. I am hoping to go back to school in a year or two, I am leaning towards studying public relations or human resources, somewhere in Toronto. At Queens I am the event coordinator for Women in International Security (WIIS). I am also involved with Besties for Breasties as the logistics coordinator, which is the breast cancer awareness club on campus. I was interested in this course because being in fourth year (which is very daunting) I am going to be entering into the work force in the near future so I thought it would be beneficial to gain a better understanding of employment relations in Canada. I look forward to learning with you all!

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