Leadership & Management

For Union Representatives

The union representative can play a crucial role in helping to ensure the well-being of a worker through the addressing and preventing mental health issues in the workplace.

Union representatives can also refer to the section Prevention & Promotion for additional tools and resources to help in the development of action plans for mentally healthier workplaces.

The sections Return to Work and Accommodations that Work also provide strategies for supporting the return to work and accommodation of employees with mental health issues.

Action Plan

• Familiarize yourself with the employer's accommodation policy and determine how you can help the worker address his or her workplace issues when mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety may be a factor.
• Help the worker recognize that he or she has an issue and initiate a discussion about accommodation and the need for it. Try to get an accommodation in place prior to following through on a grievance process if mental health is the primary issue. The grievance process can be too confrontational and adversarial for an individual who is experiencing or recovering from a mental illness.
• Where you believe mental health is an issue, be aware of and provide information about resources that are available both in the community and within your organization.
• While you will need to listen carefully to the individual's perspective of the situation, refrain from offering advice on personal or health related issues. Rather, refer the worker to qualified individuals who have both the time and resources to help. As their union representative, focus instead on helping to resolve work-related issues.
• If an accommodation is required, help the worker identify and suggest solutions. Refer to Accommodations that Work for some ideas on what may be helpful when mental health is the issue.
• Support the worker to bring suggested solutions to the employer. Ask the employer in advance to try to keep the discussion non-confrontational and solution-focused for the sake of the worker's well-being.
• Follow up periodically with both the worker and employer to ensure that the accommodation is working. If the accommodation needs to be adjusted, make suggestions.
• Understand the requirements for reasonable accommodation as outlined in the Human Rights Act. Copies of the Human Rights Acts for each jurisdiction are available on the Human Rights Commission website. You can also refer to the section Accommodations that work for more information on accommodating a return to work for employees with mental health issues.
• Think about how others will perceive the changes required for the accommodation and consider approaches to address concerns and reduce a sense of unfairness.
• Consult with other union members on solutions that can work for the entire team, but be clear that there is a duty to accommodate in any case. Where appropriate, refer union members to the information in the collective agreement on accommodation to help them understand the necessity for change.
• Remember to respect the confidentiality of personal medical information about any worker while being open about how any changes may affect others.

Create your own action plan

For Union Representatives: The Union's Role in Creating a Healthier Workplace [PDF]

Resources

The following are links to resources that may be of interest to you. If you click on a link you may be entering a third-party website not maintained or controlled by Great-West Life.