{"id":20237,"date":"2020-11-17T09:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-11-17T14:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.benefitscanada.com\/news\/ibm-canada-training-managers-to-recognize-mental-health-red-flags-152641"},"modified":"2020-11-17T09:00:14","modified_gmt":"2020-11-17T14:00:14","slug":"ibm-canada-training-managers-to-recognize-mental-health-red-flags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/2020\/11\/17\/ibm-canada-training-managers-to-recognize-mental-health-red-flags\/","title":{"rendered":"IBM Canada training managers to recognize mental-health red flags"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Melissa Dunne<\/span> | November 17, 2020 <\/p>\n

With winter coming and the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic hitting many regions across Canada, employee mental health is also taking a hit.<\/p>\n

To help leaders support their team members who are struggling through the protracted crisis, IBM Canada Ltd. is providing education and training to help its managers recognize when an employee might be struggling.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to ensure [employees are] well equipped with the resources and services they need to support their mental well-being,\u201d says Katherine Faichnie, the technology company\u2019s director of human resources. \u201cNow more than ever, it\u2019s also important to equip managers with mental-health resources so they can spot the flags of mental health within their teams.<\/p>\n

Read: Extended isolation and U.S. election taking toll on Canadians\u2019 mental health: survey<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cTo equip them better, managers have been undergoing education and training which provides them with tools we hope will assist them in recognizing when an individual might be struggling with mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eight months since abruptly shifting its white-collar employees to remote work, the Canadian arm of the global technology company has learned listening to workers is key as the crisis drags on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to really listen to what employees need and want,\u201d says Faichnie. \u201cInstead of guessing or assuming, we are focused on making fact-based decisions. We\u2019re continuously checking in with our workforce through pulse surveys, Q&As and ask-me-anything sessions with our general manager.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read: How IBM is using flexibility to safeguard employees\u2019 mental health<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Earlier this year, IBM used feedback it gathered to make a pledge to promote work-life balance<\/a>, with a particular focus on working parents and those who are caring for elderly relatives.<\/p>\n

In order to help employees get through the looming winter, IBM\u2019s HR team will continue to adopt a flexible attitude. \u201cFlexibility is critical to the evolution of our culture,\u201d says Faichnie. \u201cTo be truly innovative, we need to look at every opportunity with the ability to learn and listen with deep intent. Being innovative is not just around technology \u2014 it\u2019s also around how we work, where we work and how we become resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while IBM embraces flexibility and has had long allowed employees to work remotely when required, it currently has no plans to permanently shift away from offices, unlike other technology companies such as Facebook Inc., Shopify Inc. and<\/a> Twitter Inc.<\/a> But Faichnie knows, even when employees return to work together in person, things won\u2019t quite be the same.<\/p>\n

Read: Twitter to allow employees to work from home \u2018forever\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAs we approach 2021, we are not really sure what the year will bring. This is not about the calendar. We are making decisions based on geography and based on many milestones that have to be hit \u2014 hospital caseloads, consecutive declines, building readiness, public transportation and many more. As COVID-19 remains an issue, it\u2019s important to plan for a return to normal \u2014 though a different normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full article at BenefitsCanada.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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