Work at Mental Health, for Mental Health at Work

Posted on: October 22 2026

Everyone benefits from a healthy workplace. While the Fall months may bring a start to the cold and flu season, events like World Mental Health Day on October 10 are a helpful reminder of the importance of taking care of our mental and psychological health as well. When it comes to the workplace, employers must further understand their role and responsibilities, and opportunities to ensure mental health is part of their organization’s healthy workplace practices.  

Mental health affects employees in any occupation and at every level of an organization and may influence attendance, performance, communication, workplace relationships, safety and an employee’s ability to remain at or return to work. For employers, workplace mental health also intersects with responsibilities relating to accommodation, harassment prevention, occupational health and safety, workers’ compensation, disability management and more.  

At Employer Advisor Nova Scotia (OEA NS), we’re often asked to support employers navigating these kinds of matters. Education and awareness are critical in addressing and preventing issues altogether. 

Why should employers be concerned about workplace mental health?

Recent findings shared by Mental Health Research Canada suggest that 26% of Canadians report feeling burned out most of the time, and 1 in 4 employees report being impaired at work due to their mental health. In 2025, WCB Nova Scotia recorded 173 psychological injury claims. While about half involved first responders, the rest came from workers across a range of occupations. Some injuries resulted from a single traumatic event. Others developed over time through repeated exposure to significant workplace stressors.

Although work may not be the sole cause of a mental health condition, workplace factors can have a meaningful effect on psychological well-being. Excessive or unclear workloads, unresolved conflict, bullying, harassment, poor communication, limited employee involvement and a lack of role clarity can contribute to psychological strain. Conversely, clear expectations, respectful leadership, appropriate workloads, and access to support can help employees remain productive and connected to work.

There's also a strong business case for taking workplace mental health seriously. When psychological risks aren’t addressed, organizations may experience: 

• increased absenteeism and disability-related costs 
• lower employee engagement and productivity 
• higher turnover and recruitment challenges 
• workplace conflict, grievances and complaints 
• greater difficulty supporting employees back to work 
• reputational and legal risks

Employers should approach psychological health and safety in much the same way they approach physical safety. Identify workplace hazards, take reasonable preventive measures, and respond promptly and deeply when concerns arise. 

What are an employer’s responsibilities?

An employer’s responsibilities will depend on the circumstances, but several important obligations may apply, including accommodating mental health-related disabilities, preventing and responding to workplace harassment, as well as participating and cooperating in Psychological Injury claims recognized through Workers’ Compensation, such as gradual onset psychological injuries (GPI).  

GPIs may result from repeated, significant workplace stressors, most commonly ongoing bullying or harassment. Ordinary workplace pressures and legitimate management decisions, such as reasonable performance expectations, changes to duties, discipline or restructuring, are generally not covered simply because they cause stress. However, employers should still ensure that workplace decisions are communicated and implemented respectfully.

When a psychological injury may be work-related, employers should follow applicable reporting requirements, protect employee privacy, and cooperate with the return-to-work process. Employers can support recovery by maintaining appropriate contact, identifying suitable work and considering reasonable accommodations that allow the employee to remain at or safely return to work.

Practical steps for a psychologically healthy workplace

Employers don’t need to become mental health professionals but they do need practical systems that help prevent psychological harm and support an appropriate response when concerns arise. 

Consider the following actions: 

• Review workplace policies and procedures: Make sure  that policies addressing harassment, respectful conduct, accommodation, attendance, disability management, and return-to-work are current, accessible and consistent with legal requirements. Employees should know where to find these policies and how to raise a concern. 
• Assess psychosocial hazards: Include psychological risks when reviewing workplace hazards. Consider workload, role clarity, communication, workplace conflict, civility, employee involvement, organizational change, and access to support. Seek employee input where appropriate and identify concrete measures to address recurring concerns.
• Train managers and supervisors: Managers are often the first to notice a change in attendance, behaviour or performance. Training should help them recognize potential concerns, hold respectful conversations, respond to accommodation requests, receive complaints appropriately and connect employees with available resources. Managers should not attempt to diagnose an employee. Their role is to focus on workplace impacts, listen without judgment, and direct the employee to the appropriate process or support. 
• Manage work clearly and respectfully: Set reasonable priorities, clarify responsibilities, and communicate changes as early as possible. Provide meaningful feedback and ensure that performance management is fair, objective, and well documented. Psychological safety does not prevent employers from managing performance. It encourages employers to do so consistently and respectfully.
• Establish a clear accommodation process: Employees and managers should know how to request accommodation, what information may be required, who will assess the request, and how confidentiality will be maintained. Accommodation plans should be documented, monitored, and adjusted when an employee’s functional abilities change. 
• Communicate available supports: Regularly remind employees about available benefits, disability management services, an Employee and Family Assistance Program, community resources and crisis supports. Information should be easy to access without requiring an employee to disclose a personal concern publicly.
• Monitor whether workplace measures are effective: Review complaints, absences, turnover, accommodation outcomes, and employee feedback for patterns. A policy or initiative should not be considered successful merely because it exists. Employers should assess whether it is understood, trusted, and consistently applied. 

Resources for employers

For additional support, explore these resources: Workplace Mental Health Toolkit (CCOHS), offers guidance on workplace assessments, psychosocial hazards, mental health programs and workplace conversations.

• National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (Mental Health Commission), provides a voluntary framework for promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm.
• 13 Factors: Addressing Mental Health in the Workplace (Mental Health Commission), a series of videos which identify organizational factors that can affect psychological health and safety.
• Duty to Accommodate (NS Human Rights Commission) explains employer and employee responsibilities during the accommodation process.
• Preventing Harassment in the Workplace (Government of Nova Scotia) provides Nova Scotia employers with regulatory information, policy guidance, training and practical resources.
• Psychological Health and Safety Resource Centre (WCB NS) provides information about psychological injuries, reporting, claims, accommodation and return to work. 

For an immediate emergency, call 9-1-1. Anyone in Canada who is thinking about suicide or is concerned about someone who may be at risk can call or text 9-8-8, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. 

Awareness should lead to action - OEA NS is here for you 

Awareness events can serve as useful reminders, but workplace mental health is an ongoing responsibility. Employees will measure an organization’s commitment through how leaders manage workloads, respond to concerns, address harassment, protect privacy, and support employees who require accommodation. 

A strong approach does not require employers to have every answer. It requires them to recognize psychological health as a workplace issue, maintain appropriate policies and processes, and respond to each situation promptly, respectfully, and consistently.  

Our Employer Advisors support employers in assessing workplace concerns and finding an appropriate path forward. Contact OEA NS today and see how we can help. 

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. The appropriate response will depend on the circumstances, applicable legislation, workplace policies, and any collective agreement.

Sources: 

1. Mental Health Research Canada (https://www.mhrc.ca/findings-of-poll-28)
2. Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia (https://www.wcb.ns.ca/resources/psychological-health-and-safety)
3. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/mh/mentalhealth_risk.html)
4. Employment and Social Development Canada (https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/health-safety/mental-health.html)
5. Mental Health Commission of Canada Report: “A Clear Business Case for Hiring Aspiring Workers” (https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/drupal/2018-04/Backgrounder_Aspiring_Workers_April%2012_eng.pdf)
6. Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia (https://www.wcb.ns.ca/employers/psychological-injury/gradual-onset)
7. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety [https://www.ccohs.ca/workplace-mental-health-toolkit]
8. Government of Canada - Public Health Agency of Canada [https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2023/11/9-8-8-suicide-crisis-helpline.html]
9. Government of Canada - Public Health Agency of Canada [https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html]