Olympic-sized challenges

In 2006, Chandra Crawford was on top of the world. At 22, the Albertan cross-country skier won gold at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, stunning the world when she out-raced the field in the women’s solo sprint.

Several years later, Crawford quit the national team after quietly battling mental struggles including acute depression and an eating disorder that stemmed from concerns about body image and self-worth.

“I was so embarrassed and ashamed and confused,” she said. “This stuff is very pervasive — all the pressures on female body image that are out there in the air — if you’re vulnerable, it’s very easy to succumb to them. That’s what I experienced.”

Eventually, she recovered with help from medication, meditation, books and the support of friends and family.

And in recent years, Crawford has realized that sharing the story of her struggle is perhaps more beneficial than discussing her earlier success that led to Olympic gold.

“It’s not enjoyable to share, but it’s meaningful and it’s making a bigger difference, which is what I really care about,” she said. 

Work stress rising

Crawford was one of several Olympians who presented at an Employers Connect 2018 event this month, hosted by Morneau Shepell. The HR consulting and technology company is providing total wellness support to members of Canada’s Olympic team at the 2018 Winter Olympics, beginning Feb. 9 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

In the last two years, work and personal stress have each increased by three per cent, with one in five employees likely to leave an organization because of this, according to a recent Morneau Shepell survey of 1,510 Canadian employees.

Workplace stress can include workload, long hours, co-workers and job responsibilities, while personal stress was identified as financial issues, aging parents and feelings of isolation, said Paula Allen, vice-president of Morneau Shepell’s health solutions and research group in Toronto.

As the traditional workplace rapidly changes, employers must be aware of the mental health pressures associated with the push for innovation and subsequent restructuring, she said.

“The workplace of seven years ago is not the workplace today, and certainly won’t be the workplace of seven years from now,” said Allen. “Even as we’re getting better, the bar is being raised.”

Organizational stress is the highest source of stress for Canadian workers, and presents strong correlations to employee retention, according to the survey.

In this environment, high-functioning depression can be a major issue, often going undetected until a crash, she said.

“This is a huge risk,” said Allen. “There’s a lot of pressure we do not see… Many organizations are still having difficulty managing engagement and productivity due to mental health concerns.”

Issues such as isolation can alter brain circuitry, making those affected more susceptible to depression, she said.

Co-operators, McCarthy Tétrault provide tools

Employers need to ensure they are giving ongoing support, including helping staffers identify any mental health conditions within themselves in order to seek help proactively, said Allen.

The first step down the road to better mental health could be as simple as talking to employees, then adjusting policy and strategy with practical solutions, she said.

Using evaluator tools and corresponding analytics is another option, said Allen. There are many interventions available to cope with today’s mental health risks, including medication, stimulation or cognitive behavioural therapy.

“Look at your data,” she said. “Integrate your data, but also look for things that are maybe not obvious.”

As a group benefits and insurance provider, the Co-operators sees first-hand the impact that mental health issues have on individuals and the workplace, according to Stacey Kennedy, program director of the company’s mental health initiative in Burlington, Ont., and panellist at the Employers Connect event in Toronto.

“The economic burden is staggering,” she said.

Co-operators has provided leadership support that includes mandatory training for management so they recognize issues within their staff and become a conduit for support, said Kennedy.

There is also a commitment statement from leadership and pledge posters — signed by the executive team and employees — displayed prominently in several offices, she said.

Methodologies for self-care and building resiliency have also been circulated among staff, ranging from an e-learning module providing a foundational understanding of mental health, to the establishment of a resource centre and formation of an employee champion group — essentially a collection of change advocates.

“We’re trying to develop that toolkit for people to turn to, even before they hit the point of crisis,” said Kennedy.

Other focus points include return-to-work and stay-at-work practices, in terms of accommodation and ensuring managers have tools at their disposal to help keep employees in the workplace, she said.

“Our belief is if people are at work, that’s a good thing,” said Kennedy. “They have the social interaction. They have the financial means to help them feel more stable. They feel like they’re contributing. Being at work is a good thing.”

“Our ultimate vision is really to make sure that the workplace is a pathway to positive mental health. We don’t want the workplace to be viewed as a problem, a contributing factor. We actually want it to be part of the solution where people have access to the resources and support that they require.”

Similarly, McCarthy Tétrault’s approach to workplace mental health began with a small step — an all-employee email indicating management’s support and prioritization of mental health, said Rita Apa, the law firm’s senior HR director in Montreal.

That was followed with lunch-and-learn sessions on topics such as resilience and caring for caregivers, and continues today with ongoing awareness and education, while leadership was brought up to speed with a mass training program, including a review of resources available within the firm’s employee assistance program (EAP), she said.

Getting personal with staff is key, said Apa.

“(It’s not about) getting into their personal lives, but actually having those touchpoints with your people on a regular basis. (Mental struggles are) very hard to detect, especially in a high-performing environment… We’re trying to weave this into every initiative that we put forth.”

“A lot of what we do for health and wellness is really related to mental health.”

The culture shift has included a revamp of the firm’s performance management process, making it mandatory for leaders to discuss not only work, but how employees are coping with their workloads, she said, noting managers are very important in both creating and maintaining healthy workplace environments.

While momentum has been created, “we’re still on this journey,” said Apa. “It’s not perfect.”

Pursuing the gold standard

While the world of sport differs from the average Canadian workplace, mental health still looms large, said Ben Titley, head coach of Canada’s Olympic swim team.

“You have a bad day at work? Next week could be better,” he said at Morneau Shepell’s Employers Connect event in Toronto.

“(A swimmer) puts her whole life into four years of work for 50 seconds of activity, touches a yellow touchpad, looks up and everybody sees and makes a judgment on how they have done, on how good they are at what they do — and, to a certain extent, what sort of person they are. That’s a real challenge, particularly for young people.”

Often, an athlete’s biggest challenge comes after success, said Titley.

“A swimmer on the Olympic level might train for however many years to achieve a lifetime goal, and then they achieve it. And then what? Does that define the rest of their lives?”

Part of Titley’s role as a coach is to assure athletes that challenges are normal, he said, noting that both communication and understanding are critical to ensuring optimal mental health.

And while the dynamics and transparencies around mental health are changing, many continue to fight their battles individually, projecting an image that they have it altogether, said former Olympic skier Chandra Crawford.

A little compassion can go a long way towards breaking down those silos, she said, recalling her own mental health journey.

Employers could start with a similar approach, said Crawford.

“Find that moment of connection, that moment of kindness, that moment of caring,” she said. “You cannot go wrong with a little compassion, a little kindness.”