Canadian HR Reporter Weekly

2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2018 CANADIAN HR REPORTER WEEKLY In 2006, Chandra Crawford was on top of the world. At 22, the Albertan cross-country skier won gold at the Win- ter 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. "is 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. at'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. e 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. "e 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. "is is a huge risk," said Allen. "ere'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. Work stress levels rising: Survey Manager training, self-care, touchpoints among initiatives Co-operators, McCarthy Tétrault using to combat mental health issues Credit: Alexey V Smirnov (Shutterstock) BY MARCEL VANDER WIER 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."

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