Mental health is prominent topic in today’s society, but how is it being looked at in the work place? With most working Canadians spending a large portion of their day at work, it can be the place where their mental health can take a back seat to their bottom line.


It is estimated that up to 500,000 employees are absent from work due to mental health issues every day. With numbers that high, the Lacombe Chamber of Commerce decided to host a lunch and learn in order to educate people about the importance of proper mental health in the work place. The presentation was provided by staff from the Red Deer Suicide Information and Education Services.


Executive director for the Lacombe Chamber of Commerce Monica Bartman hosted the lunch and learn on Tuesday, and she explains why this issue is so important.


“I think this topic is huge, because, supervisors, and business owners and managers, need to have some knowledge of how to support their staff. But even coworkers, peer to peer, if we are working alongside each other, have some knowledge, and education about, maybe what to look for, or questions to ask if I can tell that someone is struggling. And that’s going to go a long way to make sure that the people are healthy and the environment is positive.”


Some of the topics covered in the session included warning signs of poor mental health in the work place, ways to combat negative mental health, and suggestions about how to have a more positive and supportive work place for all.
Lost work days due to mental health is said to cost the Canadian economy up to 50 billion dollars a year.


For more information on this topic, you can visit http://suicidehelp.ca/