Workers

About the Standard

The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard)

The Standard is a set of voluntary guidelines, tools and resources intended to guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm at work.

It provides a comprehensive framework to help organizations of all sizes and types develop and sustain a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.

Adopting the Standard can help organizations with:

  • Productivity
  • Financial performance
  • Risk management
  • Organizational recruitment
  • Employee retention

Why is it important?

  • The estimated cost of mental illnesses to the Canadian economy is about $51 billion per year.
  • On average, in any given week, 500,000 Canadians are unable to work due to mental health.
  • In any given year, one in five people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness.

Whose responsibility is it?

Each of the following groups or individuals plays a part in addressing psychological health and safety in the workplace:

  • Employers/supervisors
  • Workers
  • Occupational health and safety committees
  • Safety professionals and health and safety sector councils

Ready to get started?

Keeping the workforce healthy and productive is good for business and the bottom line. Employees want to work for organizations with a positive approach to mental health. 

Small steps can lead to big changes in your organization. We can help you start incorporating the Standard into your existing OHS program today.

Resources