It is now common knowledge that employers, unions and employees all benefit from a safe and healthy work environment that protects workers’ mental health. However, workplace parties continue to grapple with the best way to proactively guard against poor mental health in the workplace beyond simply reacting and responding to concerns once they arise. In this panel, experts will discuss tools and practices that employers and unions can use to maximize employees’ psychological health and safety.

Questions to be addressed include:

• What is the difference between mental illness and mental health in a broader sense? Why is it important for workplaces to implement proactive measures that address both mental illness and mental health?
• What are an employer’s legal obligations to protect workers’ psychological wellbeing under occupational health and safety legislation?
• What are the key elements of a healthy work environment and how can employers effectively assess the health of their workplace?
• What are best practices for proactively addressing mental health in the workplace and what are the respective roles of the employer and union in this regard?
• What are the potential implications for employers should they fail in their obligation to provide a safe and healthy work environment?
• Can unions be held liable for failing to protect the psychological health and safety of their membership?
• What resources are available? How useful/reliable are they?