Canadian HR Reporter - Ontario

CANADIAN HR REPORTER JUNE 2018 30 INSIGHT First aid more than cuts, bruises W hat do you think of when it comes to first aid? Bandages, defi- brillators and CPR, most likely. For generations, that has been the essence of first aid. But I recently completed a first-aid course that instead focused on mental health. Mental health first aid might be relatively new, but it's just as critical as physical help in saving lives and — in a workplace context — helping workers stay fit and on the job. It was also a fascinating course to take, and hats off to omson Reuters for investing in employ- ees in this manner, and to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) for developing such an innovative and practical 12-hour program. How it works Mental health first aid has five basic actions. And, like anything else, they are tied to an acronym. In this case, it's ALGEE. When someone shows up at your door with an issue, there are five basic actions to take: 1. assess the risk of suicide and/or harm 2. listen non-judgmentally 3. give reassurance and information 4. encourage the person to get appropriate professional help 5. encourage other supports. e training does not make you a professional — just as first-aid training doesn't qualify a person to be an emergency room doctor. But it gives you the tools to stabi- lize a person and get her help. The program was originally developed in Australia, and the MHCC adopted its manual from the Australian and Scottish ver- sions. It gives participants a solid grounding in five critical areas. Mental health problems: e statistics are stunning — in any given year, one in five Canadians will have a major mental health disorder — that's nearly 6.8 mil- lion people. More than four mil- lion will have mood or anxiety- related disorders, two million will have a substance abuse disorder, 750,000 will have cognitive im- pairment and dementias and 210,000 will have schizophrenia. From a workplace standpoint, it's estimated 3.5 days are lost per employee each year due to men- tal health issues. at adds up to a significant total. Substance-related disorders: Pretty much everyone uses some type of substance — ranging from alcohol to nicotine to prescription or illegal drugs. But that can take a dark turn when use continues de- spite physical, mental, social, legal or financial consequences. Mood-related disorders: There are two types of mood- related disorders — depressive and bipolar. Outward signs of depression include looking de- jected, speaking slowly in mono- tones, an unkempt appearance or decreased energy. Symptoms of major depressive disorders in- clude loss of enjoyment, changes in weight, and inappropriate feel- ings of guilt and worthlessness. Anxiety and trauma-related disorders: Everybody has some level of anxiety, and the course is quick to point out it's a natural response that is "useful in helping us avoid dangerous situations and motivating us to solve everyday problems." But anxiety can spiral into a disorder that interferes with everyday life. It also covers off things like panic attacks and post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychotic disorders: is is a severe mental health issue that causes a person to lose touch with reality. e course covers off con- ditions like schizophrenia and its related symptoms, including hal- lucinations and delusions. How to help e course teaches participants practical ALGEE techniques for each of the disorders. ere was some advice I found quite sur- prising. Before taking this course, I would not have asked someone directly if he was feeling suicidal. But you should ask questions such as "Are you thinking of kill- ing yourself?" and "Are you having thoughts of suicide?" Why? Ask- ing directly shows you care and you're ready to talk about it. "e opportunity to discuss the feelings and emotions surround- ing thoughts of suicide is often a great relief to people," according to the course manual. If there are thoughts of suicide, the questions probe deep. Do you have a plan? Have you made the preparations? What items are you going to use? If there is an immediate risk, you call 911 — calmly explaining what you're doing and staying with the per- son until help arrives. But the less dramatic tech- niques are just as interesting. Lis- tening is incredibly powerful, and it's important to avoid glib advice such as "Pull yourself together" or "Cheer up." Encouraging other supports — including talking di- rectly with family and friends after hours can help. Exercise is also a surprisingly powerful tool — go- ing for a walk, hitting the gym or getting the old gang back together for a game of touch football can go a long way. ere is a sign hanging outside my office at omson Reuters that states I have been trained in men- tal health first aid. It states I can provide immediate support and guidance in a safe environment; I can comfortably have a conversa- tion about mental-health-related issues; and you can ask me about professional and other supports — or anything else you have on your mind. We don't hesitate to seek first- aid treatment for cuts and bruises. e same should be said for men- tal health issues. For more information, visit www.mentalhealthfirstaid.ca. HUMOUR WITH A MESSAGE KENSINGTON, P.E.I. – A small police force in Prince Edward Is- land is using humour and pop- culture references online to gain a wider audience — both nationally and internationally, according to the Canadian Press. A recent post by the Kensington Police Force on April 20 (known as Weed Day) was viewed by more than a 250,000 people. It showed a trap with snack foods and video games as the bait, and the caption: "Snowy and blustery out, but undercover #420 operations are all ready to roll out. Now we just sit and wait…" However, the force did run into trouble in late 2016 when it said drivers arrested for drinking and driving would be forced to listen to Canadian rock band Nickel- back. at post had more than 23 million views. UNWELCOME EYE SPY CALGARY – A recent initiative by WestJet to have customers review their in-flight service has not gone over well. e airline apparently asked frequent flyers to capture their experience through an app where they could type comments, snap a photo or record video, ac- cording to CBC. "The ask was aimed at understanding the ele- ments of their journey that stood out and/or impressed them, as well as understanding where we can do better," wrote a member of West- Jet's research and insights team. Union officials called the practice "unacceptable" and a violation of privacy rules, and WestJet said the program has since ended. But Marvin Ryder, an assistant pro- fessor of marketing at McMaster University, said it's common for companies to solicit this kind of feedback. "Although I've not heard of this in the context of other air- lines, what WestJet was asking people to do is not that unusual." 'MEN PREFERRED' CHINA – Big tech companies in China were in the hot seat re- cently after a Human Rights Watch report highlighted discrimination in job advertising in the country, according to CNN. "Nearly one in five job ads for China's 2018 nation- al civil service called for 'men only' or 'men preferred,' while major companies like Alibaba have pub- lished recruitment ads promising applicants 'beautiful girls' as co- workers," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. In analyzing more than 36,000 job ads, Only Men Need Apply revealed sexist ads from Alibaba, Baidu, Huawei and Ten- cent. All of the companies named promised to make improvements, but China's legal framework is also to blame, said the report: "e laws lack a clear definition of what con- stitutes gender discrimination, and provide few effective enforcement mechanisms... As a result, the level of enforcement is low and Chinese authorities rarely proactively in- vestigate companies that repeat- edly violate relevant laws." THEY'RE NO TOM CRUISE ITALY – Bartenders beware: e cocktail bars on some Royal Ca- ribbean cruise ships have been taken over by robots, according to the Daily Mail. e bionic arms sit on a countertop and can reach up to a variety of beverages hang- ing from the ceiling to make up to 30 different cocktails. ey can mix up to two drinks per minute or 1,000 per day. Guests choose their drinks electronically from a tablet and can pick the flavours and spirits they prefer, along with a choice of muddled, stirred, shaken or strained. e orders for patrons are shown on-screen, with a time illustrating when their order will be ready. e cocktails then slide automatically towards customers at the Bionic Bar. e robots were developed by Makr Shakr in Torino, Italy, and their movements were modelled after a ballet dancer. SUSPENSION AFTER DROWNING MARION COUNTY, FLA. – A high school teacher has been placed on administrative leave with pay after a video surfaced showing Dewie Brewton drowning "nuisance" animals during class. e agriculture teacher is seen dumping a raccoon in a metal cage into a large garbage bin filled with water. "We received statements that the teacher drowned multiple animals in front of students, and with student participa- tion, because the animals were nuisance animals to the ag program at the school," said Kevin Christian, spokesperson for Marion County Public Schools. Brew- ton was removed from class "pending the outcome of a district investigation," said officials. e Florida Fish and Wild- life Conservation Commission also said it was looking into the incident. Credit: Sonsedska Yuliia (Shutterstock) Vol. 31 No. 6 – June 2018 PUBLISHED BY Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. One Corporate Plaza 2075 Kennedy Rd. Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 ©Copyright 2018 by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. 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