IS
Canada headed for a mental health
crisis? Considering the hardship and
anxiety that has accompanied the COVID-19
pandemic, it's not an unlikely prediction —
especially if second or third waves of the
coronavirus are still expected.
"This is a moving target for sure; we don't
know what all of the long-term mental health
consequences will be. But we're already hearing
reports of increased rates of anxiety disorder,
increased rates of depression… family violence…
alcohol consumption… a number of mental
health issues seem to be on the increase," says
Keith Dobson, a professor in the department of
psychology at the University of Calgary.
"When the whole pandemic first broke, there
was a lot of focus on anxiety and threat: 'What's
the future going to hold?' And I think now we
know what the future is going to hold. And
we're down to more things like depression and
hunkering down and just gritting our teeth and
getting through it… Without a doubt, we're still
seeing continued concern and anxiety about
the future."
It's a daunting prospect that employers
should be prepared for, given the likely
impact on employees when it comes to
key measurements such as productivity,
WWW.HRREPORTER.COM ISSUE 33.06
THE NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Are we headed for
a mental health crisis?
Readers' Choice Awards
For the fifth year in a row, we present the
top organizations that were standouts in
the HR community
/30
Learning roundtable
In an exclusive, a group of HR leaders
discuss the importance of learning and
development in times of crisis
/26
Bringing people back safely
How can employers boost safety
to reassure people as the economy
reopens?
/8
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE…
Online harassment
Will the rise of remote work lead to a
rise in online harassment? We look at
the importance of investigations and
discipline in the new world of work /12
6 steps for onboarding
There are several ways to ensure a new
arrival's success for the long term when
they're welcomed to a new employer
amid a pandemic /16
Mitigation after dismissal
Employees who are terminated without
cause are entitled to reasonable notice
— or pay in lieu — but that doesn't
mean they're not obligated to look for
new work during that period /48
> pg. 2
The incredible strain people have felt these past few
months has been exceptional. To combat the stresses,
employers can help by better understanding the issues
and impacts and providing much-needed support and
leadership, finds Sarah Dobson
