Publications

You have a right to be accommodated in the workplace

Under Canadian law, employers have to make every reasonable effort to accommodate workers with disabilities, including mental illness in the workplace. You may need your employer to make some changes or accommodations, so you can continue to do your job. Some people need permanent accommodations, but many people with mental health challenges will only need temporary measures to help them…

What happens if you need to take time off work?

Working when you are dealing with mental health challenges can be very difficult. It may also lead to other problems at work. If you are feeling depressed and overwhelmed, for example, you may find yourself not responding at your usual speed or falling farther behind in your work. Or you may simply be unable to face your regular tasks. If…

Who can you turn to?

Your closest union contact is probably your steward. The steward is a member of your local. In most unions, the steward’s role is to assist members with their rights under the collective agreement. The steward’s responsibilities include being an ally for members, working with you to ensure you get necessary accommodations, representing you in meetings with the employer, helping you…

More accessible information about mental health and mental health services

It’s not always easy for people with mental illness and those who care for them to access mental health information and services. We need to lobby for the breakdown of silos so that information and services that are separate and uncoordinated can become integrated. Expanding services can be done more effectively if those services are coordinated across departments. Often, people…

Specific funding for children and young people

Mental health problems often first appear when people are young. In many cases, early intervention can prevent the onset of illness or minimize its effects. Recognizing the potential signs of mental illness and having the funding to appropriately treat and counsel young people can lead to better long-term outcomes for individuals and can lower overall costs to the health care…

Peer support organizations

Because of the stigma of mental illness, some people with mental health challenges may feel isolated and that they have nobody to talk to. It can also be difficult for people who have not experienced mental illnesses to be able to truly understand what it means to live with these illnesses. As the Mental Health Commission of Canada says, “Peer…

Lobbying for better funding and services

Canada needs better programs for promoting mental health and for providing services and support for people living with mental illnesses. This section looks at changes needed and how lobbying can help improve mental health care: A mental health care strategy for Canada Better funding for mental health services Better and more accessible services Peer support organizations Culturally appropriate services that…

Duty to Accomodate and Training Standards

Duty to Accommodate The employer has a duty to accommodate members with disabilities, including mental illness. Laws related to accommodation say a worker needs to be able to perform the essential duties of their job, and the accommodations must be reasonable and not cause undue hardship to the employer. While accommodation is the law, it is helpful to have clear…

Health Benefits and Types of Leave

Health Benefits Counselling coverage Counselling is an essential part of mental health treatment. Many benefit plans include it, but at completely inadequate rates. With counselling sessions costing $120 to $250 an hour, many plans don’t cover enough sessions or enough of the fees to be truly helpful. Given the cost, and how critically important counselling is for mental health treatment…

Employee and Family Assistance Programs

Employee Assistance Programs can be an accessible way for members to get short-term help. While some unions leave supervision of EAPs to the employer, there are advantages to being more proactive and bargaining better EAP services. Key provisions to consider:  Who is covered by the EAP? Many programs cover family members as well as workers—including university students at school in…